General Care Discussion :: medicating tricks?

[sillyleisl]

So, I apparently have a very sly turtle. She had to go to the vet for a RI. They gave her oral antibiotics. The vet tech was showing me how to get her to take the medicine. The first time was unsuccessful. The socend time, the vet tech pushed the medicine through the syringe slower and she seemed to take it better...until the vet tech turned her back. As soon as she turned her back, Turtlette spit it all out. SO, any ideas on how to make her take her medicine? It's supposedly raspberry flavored. LOL

[jenaero]

Is she refusing food? If she's accepting food, I've found that the easiest way is to inject the right dose into a food item. I used butterworms. Got a syringe (with needle) from my vet and injected the meds into the worms. My box turtle took them with no problem. He eventually got wise to it tho and stopped eating butter worms but I got enough meds into him to do the job.

[sillyleisl]

She eats very well. I don't know what a butter worm is though and I'm kind of squeamish to worms. Can I do the same thing with mealworms? I've got those for my sugar gliders. Not to seem graphic, but wouldn't they explode if I injected them with fluid? I have to give 1.4 mL.

[jenaero]

I don't remember the dose I had to give but I found the butterworms were the easiest. Here's a pic


I keep them in the fridge so they're not that wiggly. I was actually surprised that not only did the worm not burst, but it didn't even kill it. I can't imagine you'd be able to do that with a meal worm because they're so thin and stiff.

Go for the butter worms. You should be able to find them at the large chain pet stores. I get mine for 50 cent each.

[Safdar]

Yes, injecting in the worms is a good trick to get him to eat it
I sometimes trick Tito into eating his veggies by wrapping pellets in anarcharis leaves

[sillyleisl]

I don't think I've graduated to the Butter worms stage yet. I'm still in the giant mealies stage. I don't think I could do the squishy bugs.

[Kayra33]

When I took Brooks to the vet for parasites I was very interested to know how exactly the vet wanted me to give her a shot.......I give her cooked ham as a treat so I injected the ham. The vet was concerned about how much would leak out or if she could smell something but she gobbled them right up. I think that would be your best bet!

[industrial_girl_2000]

Boil a sweet potato & mix meds with that. Feed with small spoon.

Or mix meds with something yummy like tuna fish. Feed with small spoon.

[megcornell]

If the food doesn't trick her I say wait until she opens her mouth to snap and inject the syringe then. If you can't ge the meds in orally you can ask the vet for injections, I found they weren't as bad when I had to give my hatchling antibiotics.