Doxy

lursfarm · 11-24-2009, 05:02 PM

Need suggestions on getting a VERY PICKY eater to ingest his 50 tabs twice a day of doxycycline. He'd rather not eat if he even thinks there might be meds in his food. Not so with his pasture buddy who will scarf down anything.

misstishus · 11-24-2009, 11:54 PM

As much of a pain as it is, if he's that picky of an eater, I would grind up the tabs, mix them with applesauce, and tube it to him like wormer. If he doesn't reliably eat all of his food, he's not getting his full dose of meds. That can do more harm than good.

EquineAlberta · 11-24-2009, 11:54 PM

Disolve it in sugar free pop (sweeter than sugary pop) and syringe it in using a dosing syringe. This is the best way to ensure the horse gets the medication if you can't trust them to eat it.

My horses like fruity flavoured clear pop the best...such as Fanta!

Karen

Horsie Michelle · 11-25-2009, 12:12 AM

I agree with Miss...it's a royal pain but I actually always give any horse meds this way just to be sure they get it all(atleast most) and that others don't.

I just figure better safe than sorry.

Lori-olio · 11-25-2009, 03:06 PM

When I had to give tabs to my mare, I ended up top dressing them on her morning feed ration, drizzling a little molasses on top, and then mixing it in. she was too interested in the molasses to care about the tablets.

FlyinSoLow · 11-25-2009, 03:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lursfarm

Need suggestions on getting a VERY PICKY eater to ingest his 50 tabs twice a day of doxycycline. He'd rather not eat if he even thinks there might be meds in his food. Not so with his pasture buddy who will scarf down anything.

doxycycline will upset their digestive system and give them a stomach ache as a side effect... sometime they take it on day one, but wont eat it after that for that reason.

I had a horse on doxycycline for lymes (which he ended up NOT having, but anyway...) my vet said you CANNOT crush the pills, they wont work and become pretty much ineffective if you do =)

kanoo32 · 11-25-2009, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FlyinSoLow

doxycycline will upset their digestive system and give them a stomach ache as a side effect... sometime they take it on day one, but wont eat it after that for that reason.

I had a horse on doxycycline for lymes (which he ended up NOT having, but anyway...) my vet said you CANNOT crush the pills, they wont work and become pretty much ineffective if you do =)

We use capsules and open them up and sprinkle the powder in the feed and it works just fine.....I have also used the tablets on my dogs and my horses and not given them whole and they have worked equally as well......So, my point being that I think this is inaccurate information.

FlyinSoLow · 11-25-2009, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kanoo32

We use capsules and open them up and sprinkle the powder in the feed and it works just fine.....I have also used the tablets on my dogs and my horses and not given them whole and they have worked equally as well......So, my point being that I think this is inaccurate information.

Sorry

Good to know though!

My horse was on 40 pills a day am and pm, and when I told the vet he wouldn't eat them, and that I had to crush them up and put it in a tube and shoot it down his throat like wormer, he told me i might as well stop giving him the pills then becuase they are "ineffective if crushed or dissolved".

So I did!

However the upset stomach part is right out of my vet book on horse perscriptions and drugs. It a ton of the most common drugs used in horses, what they do, and the side effects.

Sophie · 11-25-2009, 04:41 PM

I used to push the pills into an apple and then feed the apple to the horse. Worked really well but 50pills is a lot to be pusing into apples

lursfarm · 11-26-2009, 08:56 AM

Thanks all for your suggestions. I'm using the dissolve and syringe method. Though some ends up on me I think he is getting most of the medicine.

11-24-2009, 05:02 PM
lursfarm Newborn Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: sharon connecticut Posts: 2	Doxy Need suggestions on getting a VERY PICKY eater to ingest his 50 tabs twice a day of doxycycline. He'd rather not eat if he even thinks there might be meds in his food. Not so with his pasture buddy who will scarf down anything.

11-24-2009, 11:54 PM
misstishus Weanling Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 348	As much of a pain as it is, if he's that picky of an eater, I would grind up the tabs, mix them with applesauce, and tube it to him like wormer. If he doesn't reliably eat all of his food, he's not getting his full dose of meds. That can do more harm than good.

11-24-2009, 11:54 PM
EquineAlberta Kid Safe Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Alberta, Canada Posts: 6,274	Disolve it in sugar free pop (sweeter than sugary pop) and syringe it in using a dosing syringe. This is the best way to ensure the horse gets the medication if you can't trust them to eat it. My horses like fruity flavoured clear pop the best...such as Fanta! Karen __________________ New Hillside Website The Art of Praise

11-25-2009, 12:12 AM
Horsie Michelle Long Yearling Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Summerfield, FL Posts: 1,011	I agree with Miss...it's a royal pain but I actually always give any horse meds this way just to be sure they get it all(atleast most) and that others don't. I just figure better safe than sorry. __________________ ~~"All that we love deeply becomes part of us" ~~ Helen Keller

11-25-2009, 03:06 PM
Lori-olio Yearling Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: North Carolina Posts: 544	When I had to give tabs to my mare, I ended up top dressing them on her morning feed ration, drizzling a little molasses on top, and then mixing it in. she was too interested in the molasses to care about the tablets. __________________ ~With the wind in my hair, I fly o'er the ground. On the back of my horse, my soul has been found.~

11-25-2009, 04:41 PM
Sophie Newborn Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Ontario Posts: 37	I used to push the pills into an apple and then feed the apple to the horse. Worked really well but 50pills is a lot to be pusing into apples

11-26-2009, 08:56 AM
lursfarm Newborn Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: sharon connecticut Posts: 2	Doxy Two Thanks all for your suggestions. I'm using the dissolve and syringe method. Though some ends up on me I think he is getting most of the medicine.