Ideas for administering medication

[JackDele]

Jackie's been a little off lately so I decided to take him in to the vet yesterday. He was found to have a bit too much of both gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria in his swabs. The vet prescribed a dual-type antibiotic to reduce the numbers of both types of bacteria.

The problem: I cant get it into him. I tried putting it on oats this morning. He spat out the ones with medication on them and only ate the ones without. So then I syringed it into the bottom half of his beak (as instructed). Well he systematically removed every last bit of it from his mouth until he had a giant drop hanging of the hook of his beak (I couldnt help but find this very impressive ).

Does anybody have any other ideas? Also, is there anything else I should be doing to get Jack Jack back in tiptop shape?

 

[ashbirdlady]

It may take a while to get it in him. Just drop one drop at a time relatively slowly. You might need to hold his beak and kind of rub it to get him to swallow
You will get it

 

[JackDele]

Thanks Christa . So am I rubbing his throat to encourage him to swallow? It's only really one drop (1/20 of a ml) that I need to get into him each time but it all seems to be on my hands at the end .

 

[love4birds]

Nin's had to have so many oral meds lately, he now takes them like a pro. I place him on my chest and cup him gently with my left hand, and drip the meds in the right side of his beak as he swallows it down. When he first started on the meds I had to pry his beak open and get the syringe in his beak and squirt the meds towards his right.

Also ask your vet it it's okay to mix the meds with another liquid ie. fruit juice. If Jackie likes juice you might be able to trick him into drinking the meds like that. Or even mix them into a favourite mushy food if he has one.

 

[ashbirdlady]

Not rubbing his throat. Just lightly holding his beak so he can't push the meds out. you might need to tilt him a little.

 

[waterfaller1]

I had to towel Sheba twice a day for two weeks. They told me not to mix the meds with each other, or anything else. You might be able to get them to compound the med at a compounding pharmacy with a good flavor.

 

[JLcribber]

There's a pretty good article in the stickys about orally medicating your bird.

http://forums.avianavenue.com/medications/817-orally-medicating-your-pet-bird.html

 

[JackDele]

I place him on my chest and cup him gently with my left hand, and drip the meds in the right side of his beak as he swallows it down.

Okay, so instead of putting it into the bottom of his beak (which he'll just keep pushing out), is it safe for me to drop it to the back of the throat so long as I point the syringe to the right? This stuff has a really strong, sweet taste (at least that's how it smells) - great if your bird likes that but not so good for hiding in other foods.

Side note: How's Nin Nin?

 

[JackDele]

Thanks Carole and John. I'm not towelling Jackie, just holding him in the palm of my hand. Should I be? Problems not getting it into his mouth, it's getting it to be swallowed and not pushed back out.

 

[ashbirdlady]

Yes,
My quaker loves the tutti fruity flavor

Okay, so instead of putting it into the bottom of his beak (which he'll just keep pushing out), is it safe for me to drop it to the back of the throat so long as I point the syringe to the right? This stuff has a really strong, sweet taste (at least that's how it smells) - great if your bird likes that but not so good for hiding in other foods.

Side note: How's Nin Nin?

 

[jasminlana]

I had probs with Ella at first taking meds and I never adminstered meds before and she kept spatting it out. Then someone told me to try oatmeal cookie and low and behold that worked for me. So she got a nice treat after every meal, a little bit of oatmeal cookie, softened with soy milk and laced with meds.

so if you can mix it with something try this. you just have to make sure they eat the whole thing, so mix with a small amt of cookie

 

[JackDele]

I had probs with Ella at first taking meds and I never adminstered meds before and she kept spatting it out. Then someone told me to try oatmeal cookie and low and behold that worked for me. So she got a nice treat after every meal, a little bit of oatmeal cookie, softened with soy milk and laced with meds.

so if you can mix it with something try this. you just have to make sure they eat the whole thing, so mix with a small amt of cookie

"laced". Okay, will try different foods to see if there's any he'll eat. Lucky they gave me far more medication than I need.

 

[JackDele]

Yes,
My quaker loves the tutti fruity flavor

Yep, tutti fruity, that's what the vet called it. Jackie's added it to his poisons list along with most fruit and all vege.

 

[suncoast]

Trinket loves warmed light soy milk I mixed the meds and milk 50/50 in a spoon and he drank it, mostly, right up. The other thing you can do is drip it off your finger so that your not manhandling him.

Ginger

 

[suncoast]

BTW, he gets the warm soy milk not too often so he regards it as a treat and never makes a fuss when I have to medicate.

Ginger

 

[JackDele]

Thanks Ginger. Jackie loves his light soy milk too so will give that a go!

 

[JackDele]

We have success ! I offered him some soy milk and some fruit juice (without the meds added) but he wasnt having a bar of either. So I followed Megan's instructions and put the syringe to the back right of his throat and... It went straight down the throat never to be seen again ! Very relieved. Thank you everyone for your help!

 

[waterfaller1]

Tuitti fruitti is what we have too. I am happy to hear you have had success!

 

[love4birds]

Okay, so instead of putting it into the bottom of his beak (which he'll just keep pushing out), is it safe for me to drop it to the back of the throat so long as I point the syringe to the right? This stuff has a really strong, sweet taste (at least that's how it smells) - great if your bird likes that but not so good for hiding in other foods.

Side note: How's Nin Nin?

Yes, it's safe I like to to slightly tip the bird to his/her right to be sure the meds go down the right way.

Thanks for asking about Nin. He's okay I guess, but not great. My vet's out of the clinic until Wednesday or Thursday, but then I'm going to see if we can schedule to do a biopsy on the preen gland lump and/or remove it. It's really bothering him lately and not getting better at all

We have success ! I offered him some soy milk and some fruit juice (without the meds added) but he wasnt having a bar of either. So I followed Megan's instructions and put the syringe to the back right of his throat and... It went straight down the throat never to be seen again ! Very relieved. Thank you everyone for your help!

Glad it worked! How long is he on meds for? Nin got used to them very quickly (even with yucky Baytril) and started "drinking" it from the syringe easily when I restrained him.

 

[JackDele]

Oops, just saw your reply . Has Nin had his biopsy yet? Hopefully it's something they can fix quick and easy. He's a young boy - always a good thing.

Jackie's on the meds morning and night for one week. Which means we're passed halfway. He runs as soon as the meds come out of the fridge but at least this way I know he's getting them.