My respect for Rats grows everyday

[Twila]

I currently have 3 girls on Baytril and doxy for myco.

They don't like it.  They won't eat any food if they suspect I've laced it.  This leaves me with forcing them to ingest it plain.

My respect has grown for these little gaffers because no matter how much they dislike the meds they don't resort to bitting me inorder to get away!

They'd have every reason to bite, the stuff tastes nasty.  But they don't.  They wiggle and strain and push and scratch but never do they resort to using their teeth!

What wonderfull animals!

[Ratinterrupted]

As I stuggle with Whiskey every morning to get him to take his medicines and end up having to shove it down his throat.........I never even thought of it that way......hmmmm
Jions Twila in her respect of rats

[BabyBlue]

Yeah I know what you mean. Midori absolutely REFUSED to take her meds after her surgery, and I even tried putting it in CHOCOLATE PUDDING and she turned her nose! So I had to resort to force feeding it to her and it's never even crossed my mind that she would bite me. Sure I got scratches all over my body but still

[Ingwall]

My respect has grown for these little gaffers because no matter how much they dislike the meds they don't resort to bitting me inorder to get away!

That is so very true! I am absolutely sure they KNOW I'll let go if they bite me, and still they don't, no matter how unhappy they are. In fact, I expressed the same sentiment here:

http://www.goosemoose.com/rfc/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=5558

[Ensie]

My respect has grown for these little gaffers because no matter how much they dislike the meds they don't resort to bitting me inorder to get away!

They'd have every reason to bite, the stuff tastes nasty.  But they don't.

Yeah, I agree 10,000% When I had to give Smores meds for pneumonia, I was afraid she would get mad and bite me. She's bitten other people before, but never me. She my sweet, shy baby and under normal circumstances she would never bite me. But she gets extremely agitated at anything new/unrecognizable, so I was afraid that she would lose it and bite me.

Nope. Not even a show of teeth. She did come up with the most innovative and adorable ways to escape the medicine, I had to laugh and give her kisses.

It's amazing . . . the things our ratties put up with, and they love us anyway. Just amazing.

[DebW]

Try it with 15 twice a day.  So far (crosses fingers and knocks on wood) they've all taken it.  The hardcore holdouts always seem to like it in banana mashed with lots of sugar.

[LoveMidnight]

ohh I so agree! We delt with SDA and the sad lose of several rats about 4 months ago and so all 15 at the time were on meds, and the SDA was hiting so hard we were doing infections twice a day 2 each on each rat! Always amazed me no one tried to bite no matter how mad or paintful it was. Must have hurt too as we were not experienced at injections and couldnt do them fast like that vet.

Ratties are amazing! I have one female out of 6 who survived the SDA, I cant believe she did she was so ill. Well she gets respiratory problems a lot now and is back on meds and she hates the taste no matter what, each day I battle with her forcing them down, yet just a minute after we are done sheis happy and excited to be playing with me again! Such troopers!

-marie

[Sabrina]

I had the same experience whenever I needed to feed Piper and Kaela their medications.  Lots of squeaking, LOTS of struggling, but never any biting.  Always this was true - even if I pulled them out of their warm nest because I felt like snuggling, or if I had to pull something away from them that was NOT good for eating, they would squeak and then glare at me and stalk away... but never bite.  What wonderful girls they were.