How do you get a degu to take their medicine!?

[newtothis]

Hi all,

The aftermath of my 3 boys fighting (which has only just started to settle down) is one degu with small bites all over his back and a missing nail + inflamed skin where the nail once was and another degu (Max) with an internal injury to one of his legs (has stopped using said leg and has started to loose his balance while eating). We visited a degu-specialist vet today who has given the nail-missing degu (Pepper) a shot of high-dose antibiotics (his sores were starting to look quite nasty) and both degus have been prescribed a liquid-based anti-inflammatory+pain killer (metacam), which I have to administer to them once a day via a syringe. It is a two-person job to administer the medicine and trying to hold a goo still for more than 5 seconds is near impossible resulting in most of the liquid ending up on the degus face or on the floor! Any tips on how to get that medicine into their mouths? - I thought about putting some of the liquid on their favourite treat(sunflower seeds) but worry that this will result in more wastage. Help!

[yasmin]

Yes, put it on their favourite treat.

The Metacam I get smells like honey so most degus don't mind that. For my degus, I put the Metacam either on one half of a thawed out frozen pea, or I put a drop on a few pieces of puffed rice, let it dry a bit and then give it to the degu. I have found that most degus will take their meds on a favourite food unless there is something else wrong with him/her. I wouldn't worry about wastage at this point – the most important thing is to get the meds into them.

How long do you have to give the medication for?

[uglibug]

We ended up using (yes, I know it's naughty but if all else fails.....) A quarter of a Shreddie. The goo snaffled it up because it's sweet and they know they're not normally aloud sweet treats, he didn't even notice the metacam.

[newtothis]

Thanks Yasmin and Uglibug - I shall definitely give your suggestion a try. I will be giving them the medicine at least until Monday - I have another appointment with the vet on Monday - Max will need an x-ray if his leg has not improved by then (keeping fingers crossed he shows some improvement by then as I don't like the idea of him having an anaesthetic).

[moletteuk]

It's much better to put the meds on food, better for their mouth and stomach and lower stress for everyone, you just need to figure out what treat they will take it on. Shredded wheat, plain cracker, oats, nuts, peanut butter, veg, whatever they like best, strong smelling food works well and absorbant food is a bonus.

If the metacam causes Max to use his leg more, it might be safer not to offer the painkiller to try and encourage him to rest.

[aherran]

One of my goos lost a nail two weeks ago. she was losing weight so i took her to the vet, who gave me metacam for her. she did not eat it whith her comercial food but she happily eat it with a little piece of nut. That helped her to gain weight and she is fine now. You just have to find in which treat he is eating the meds. Good luck!!

[newtothis]

Thanks everyone. Your suggestion of putting the medicine on their favourite food has worked for one of my degus but not the other. Pepper refuses to take his medicine on any food type, treat or no treat (medicine dried or wet) so we have had to pin him down to give him his medicine - don't like doing it as it stresses him but he has to take the antibiotics to prevent infection starting in his wounds. Max being the easy going chap he is, is happy to take his medicine off the syringe while sat on my lap (but after being bribed to take it with a sunflower seed of course!)