RatCreature (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
ratcreature) wrote2013-04-17 12:50 pm
ratcreature) wrote2013-04-17 12:50 pm
Entry tags:
why do rats have to be so uncooperative?
Unfortunately Kieran's bumblefoot sores have been getting worse again, despite me putting on the wound salve twice a day. So today it was back to the vet with him. Also a checkup for Rusty's sores, which are still healing, or at least not getting worse. So the vet put Kieran on the antibiotic that had some positive effect on Rusty's feet and infected lymph node when those were worse.
And I didn't think it would be that bad, because that antibiotic is flavored for animals to take, sickly sweet with some fake vanilla notes, and Rusty actually licked that stuff from the syringe with only a little prompting. But Kieran took one taste, was disgusted and completely non-compliant. Getting it into his mouth by force was totally impossible. He wriggled, kicked, squeaked, scratched at me while struggling, forcefully turned his head away from the syringe, and was close to snapping at me in the end. So that was a total failure. I'm not that surprised, because he already dislikes the less invasive wound salve application. Even if I had gotten the syringe into his mouth, the dose is 1.2ml for his weight, and that is more than a rat mouth holds, so unlike with the ~0.2ml Baytril doses I wouldn't be able to squeeze it in quickly in a fast motion.
I finally mixed the antibiotic in a little teaspoon of yogurt then, and he tried eating it then, but turned away suspiciously after just a nibble. The suspicious little bastard makes his ancestors that evaded poison attempts proud. It took me adding copious amounts of sugar and locking him up with it for a while in their transport box to get him to eat all of it. (Though of course part of the reason for the box was so that Rusty wouldn't be able to get at it -- I suspect he'd have rather liked it.) And I have to do this twice a day for at least a week. Argh.
Then belatedly I remembered that because I thought he'd take it without too much fuss, I hadn't asked whether this is one of the antibiotics that you shouldn't mix with dairy for it to work best (like Baytril is), so I will have to phone the vet office this afternoon to ask about that. I hope not because cream and yogurt are fairly good for mixing. ETA: Unfortunately a call to the vet told me that this one is also among those best not to mix with dairy. :/ So I'll have to try mixing it in other things. Sigh.
Medicating pets sucks.
And I didn't think it would be that bad, because that antibiotic is flavored for animals to take, sickly sweet with some fake vanilla notes, and Rusty actually licked that stuff from the syringe with only a little prompting. But Kieran took one taste, was disgusted and completely non-compliant. Getting it into his mouth by force was totally impossible. He wriggled, kicked, squeaked, scratched at me while struggling, forcefully turned his head away from the syringe, and was close to snapping at me in the end. So that was a total failure. I'm not that surprised, because he already dislikes the less invasive wound salve application. Even if I had gotten the syringe into his mouth, the dose is 1.2ml for his weight, and that is more than a rat mouth holds, so unlike with the ~0.2ml Baytril doses I wouldn't be able to squeeze it in quickly in a fast motion.
I finally mixed the antibiotic in a little teaspoon of yogurt then, and he tried eating it then, but turned away suspiciously after just a nibble. The suspicious little bastard makes his ancestors that evaded poison attempts proud. It took me adding copious amounts of sugar and locking him up with it for a while in their transport box to get him to eat all of it. (Though of course part of the reason for the box was so that Rusty wouldn't be able to get at it -- I suspect he'd have rather liked it.) And I have to do this twice a day for at least a week. Argh.
Then belatedly I remembered that because I thought he'd take it without too much fuss, I hadn't asked whether this is one of the antibiotics that you shouldn't mix with dairy for it to work best (like Baytril is), so I will have to phone the vet office this afternoon to ask about that. I hope not because cream and yogurt are fairly good for mixing. ETA: Unfortunately a call to the vet told me that this one is also among those best not to mix with dairy. :/ So I'll have to try mixing it in other things. Sigh.
Medicating pets sucks.