Trials of new antibiotic enema for horses

[Box_Of_Frogs]

So Sunny's a bit down in the dumps - he's been coughing all summer as usual but then caught a virus on top of it and has been having COPD-type problems for the last month or so. After a pretty scary endoscopy, we are first of all addressing the symptoms. He is on Sputolosin to break up the sticky muck clogging his airways, Ventipulimn to relax his airways and Norodine sachets to tackle the opportunistic bacterial infection that crept in the back door as it were.

First few days went ok but last Sunday Sunny decided he was never ever going to eat a feed again that had Norodine in it. So I wasted TWO feeds that cost about £10 each I reckon. I tried apple juice, apple sauce, hiding it in a hollowed out apple, screaming at him, throwing the doctored apple across the stable in a temper. Nothing worked. So today I went back to the vets and have got SIX Noradine paste tubes at £18 per tube. Yes, £18. Sunny had his first dose today and after an initial wrestling match (during which I discovered why he hates Norodine - it's very bitter) I have successfully got the does into him.

What I'm interested in - my vets are very keen on my findings - is whether, if your bloody horse has chucked £20 down the drain and forced you to shell out over £100 in paste tubes, is whether the drugs would have worked equally as well if I'd given in to my baser instincts and stuffed the wasted feeds up his backside handful by handful. Watch this space for results.

In the interests of scientific advancement, people may be interested to know that Sputolosun is tasteless though a little gritty and Ventipulmin is almost tasteless, with a hint of underlying sweetness. If I'm not on the Forum tomorrow, I'm in A&E having my stomach pumped.

 

[hollyandivy123]

one thing that has worked for me to get all that powder in a feed is MARMITE, hate the stuff and trust me its hides most things yuk just the thought

yuk

 

[MochaDun]

Well at least you're managing to keep your sense of humour throughout your trials and tribulations! I'm regularly given a good worming myself courtesy of my horse! Wormer seems to work as good face cream and hair conditioner too depending where it lands...

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Sorry but I had to laugh.

When I had to give bute to our Shire with laminitis and she wouldn't eat it in a feed, I tried putting it in a jam sandwich, she spat it back at me, so I gave it her again. She spat it out again, straight into the water bucket! I could almost hear her saying'You won't give me that back again'

Seriously, it is incredibly frustrating when they won't take medication which you know you are trying to give them for their own good and they are convinced you are trying to poison them. I always console myself that the manufacturers probably allow a bit extra in the dosage for waste.

Hope you manage to get it all down him in the end and he makes a good recovery.

 

[SO1]

I don't know why they can't make these medicines and wormers taste a bit nicer.

My pony was on virtually the same combination except he had danillion, ventipulmin, noradine. Normally he does not have a feed twice a day and he is very greedy so he was delighted to get get the extra food medicines included!.

 

[cob1]

My TB wouldnt have the antibiotic sachets he had after an operation, so they gave me paste tubes - as you say they were VERY expensive (although insurance paid) - think that was the noradine.

The vets we use, if needs be (and you can do it) leave antibiotics for you to inject (obv just intramuscular). I personally couldnt do it, but i know my friend gave her newly cut gelding antibiotics after his gelding op, and my friends mare had an infection near her pedal bone and she did the same.

Would it be poss for you to do this - no waste and you know its getting in to him. This probs would be a problem for me as my gelding doesnt 'do' needles well at all.

I have to disguise my cob's danilon with mollasses, although he wasnt too bad with bute.