Tips needed for getting horse to eat liquid antibiotics (doxycline)

[Marigold4]

My gelding had a scope done last week and needs a Doxycline to clear up a secondary chest infection following a virus. I have to give him 50 ml liquid form twice a day. He ate the first dose reluctantly in his feed last night but this morning he won't touch it. I can see lots of useful tips on the forum for getting powdered antibiotics into a horse. Any useful tips for getting liquid down?

 

[meleeka]

I’d just syringe it in, mixed with apple juice or similar. You could just add a spoonful of apple sauce in his feed. My ultra fussy pony has a spoon of apple sauce if she needs bute.

 

[ihatework]

Syringe!

 

[irishdraft]

My horse had to have this years ago for about a month for a bad chest infection, only way was to syringe it in, absolutely foul stuff but it did work x

 

[Jambarissa]

It's hard not to waste medication whilst you try to figure out what they'll eat so syringe is best. Add icing sugar to improve the taste of you think it's needed.

We soaked ginger biscuits in it when we needed to get it into a straight-off-the-moors yearling. Couldn't get near him but he knew a gingernut when he saw one!

 

[Marigold4]

I’d just syringe it in, mixed with apple juice or similar. You could just add a spoonful of apple sauce in his feed. My ultra fussy pony has a spoon of apple sauce if she needs bute.

It's liquid not paste though, so I think if I syringe it, it will just end up on the floor

 

[Marigold4]

It's hard not to waste medication whilst you try to figure out what they'll eat so syringe is best. Add icing sugar to improve the taste of you think it's needed.

We soaked ginger biscuits in it when we needed to get it into a straight-off-the-moors yearling. Couldn't get near him but he knew a gingernut when he saw one!

I like the icing sugar idea! Will try.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I syringe with a bit of peppermint essence and water if you lift the head a bit and shove it right in the corner it doesn't come out, I do it everyday for Louis it is the only way to get prascend into him.

 

[MNMyShiningStars]

I syringe bute in daily, just in water. I hold his bottom jaw and syringe to back of the throat and it's gone before he can think about spitting it out. Done and dusted in about 5 seconds now we're pros LOL. One herbal treat straight after which he looks for as soon as I let go of his jaw.

 

[meleeka]

It's liquid not paste though, so I think if I syringe it, it will just end up on the floor

You’ve got to get a good squirt going. I syringe Prascend in water every day and it doesn’t come out if you squirt it to the back of the mouth. It does depend on the volume though.

 

[Xmasha]

i prefer liquid meds, you know they are getting the dose. Just pop it in a syringe, and squirt right down the throat. i stand next to the horses head facing same direction as them, hand over the nose, they tend to raise the nose upwards which is perfect as when you squirt it goes right down. Had to do it daily for a foal for a few weeks, much better than injecting them

 

[TheMule]

Mix it with baby food- the texture helps to keep it in, the taste helps to get them to accept it. Mine quite like the pouches from Lidl, I usually do a 50:50 mix

 

[Hormonal Filly]

I tried everything, nothing worked. Syringe was the only option!

 

[Hallo2012]

doxy is foul.

mix with something thick/sticky-honey, treacle, yoghurt etc and syringe down.

 

[Wishfilly]

Could you mix it with something like apple sauce and try it in the syringe?

Apple juice and molasses in feed worked for mine when he had to have antibiotics, but those were in a powdered form.

 

[Cortez]

Syringe, get the nozzle well back behind the tongue, in the corner of the mouth with head lifted. Keep the head up ntil horse swallows.

 

[SussexbytheXmasTree]

No help to you but I think I’ve found the only horse that happily scoffs a feed with 50ml of doxycycline and a sachet of Bute and licks his bowl clean. I’ve never had one before.

 

[Snow Falcon]

Nothing in their feed has tempted 2 of ours. I'm currently syringing one of my friends twice daily. What I will warn you about is that it stains clothing!! Make sure you are protected.

 

[Marigold4]

Lots of great ideas, thanks, people. In the end, I got the vet to swap the doxy liquid for a doxy paste that I can syringe. I wanted to make sure he got the right dose without too much sugar so some of the mixing ideas were out as he's on steroids as well. I'm conscious of a laminitis risk so didn't want to tempt him with sugary things. Got the first dose down successfully this evening. Hoping we're on the right antibiotic now and he will start to recover.

 

[Rob1585]

If using karodox liquid, make sure you rinse their mouth after dosing if syringing with it, or feed them after. Some horses can get mouth ulcers from the liquid if used neet and not rinsed after

 

[Surbie]

It's liquid not paste though, so I think if I syringe it, it will just end up on the floor

Baby food! It's thick enough not to let the liquid through.

I part fill the syringe with something irresistable and puree'd, add a layer of meds from the top and and then add more babyfood on top.

 

[dougpeg]

Banana smoothie syringed in.

 

[Marigold4]

Thanks, all. I got some Doxycycline paste from the vet in the end and just one dose to go! Horse still coughing though

 

[ChipsChaps]

Nothing in their feed has tempted 2 of ours. I'm currently syringing one of my friends twice daily. What I will warn you about is that it stains clothing!! Make sure you are protected.

It will also stain concrete and brick walls, and turns a lovely shade of translucent poo brown on cream painted walls (ask me know I know ).

 

[Marigold4]

It will also stain concrete and brick walls, and turns a lovely shade of translucent poo brown on cream painted walls (ask me know I know ).

Thanks for the tip. Horrid stuff! glad we've finished the course.

 

[magicmoments]

It's liquid not paste though, so I think if I syringe it, it will just end up on the floor

What I did with my mare with powdered was mixed with a little water, it was still quite liquid. I gave her a little squirt, then immediately a thin slice of apple, and repeated. She loved it. I knew she wouldn't take it in her feed as she's fussy if things aren't just so.