making meds easier

[lotsorats]

recently the vet prescribed Cephalexin for Myco flareups, It is a powder. I tried mixing with Jelly, and other goodies. But my girls fight it and refuse to eat it. I am now mixing it with a little water or soyformula to give orally with a syringe. They still fight it. It has a strong odor so I am sure it takes nasty. Any suggestions on what to mix it with so it tastes better.

[BlueMoon]

My girls will take almost any meds mixed in baby food... their favorite flavors are the turkey-and-vegetable ones and anything fruity.

If you aren't able to disguise the meds, you can hold the rat around firmly her back and shoulders, and use a small syringe to squirt the meds (mixed with anything liquidy) into her cheek. They can fit about .2cc's at a time in their cheek, so as long as you don't try to give them too much at once, it will work. They won't be too pleased with this, but it usually works; all the meds go down.  

[Kathleen]

Most of my rats will take just about anything if it's mixed with Nutri-Cal. As BlueMoon said, though, you can force it down if all else fails.

[Sabrina]

One more little tip...
I always follow any meds that have to be forced with a 'chaser'; something the rats really love so that they are sure to swallow everything.  I've used OJ (on girls! no orange juice for boys) or applesauce or baby food or even a taste of pudding.

[jen]

I've found my rats love anything sweet, something like lukewarm tea with a little sugar in it should do the trick. I have to admit to cheating and using a tiny little bit of doughnut to give my rats their medication but that's really not recommended as an obese rat is an unhappy rat!

[Selmasongs]

I put meds on a little piece of bread witha small smear of fruit preserves over it just to kill the taste they usualyy gobble that up! Baby food has also worked for me!

[popeyes_cat]

I mix mine with maple syrup -- the syrup allows the meds to stay in suspension quite well so that I can help ensure that each rat gets an equal dose.  And of course, the rats LOVE it.  I actually had trouble dosing just one rat at a time, because they'd all climb all over each other trying to fight for the meds.  Of 12 rats, only 1 of them never took to the syrup.  I also found that if I had one rat alone, or if I tried to hold them to take the meds, they wouldn't take them willingly.  They wanted to be standing on their own feet, in their own cage, and they wanted to compete amongst themselves for the meds!