Does anyone know of good ways to administer antibiotics?

[Dimi]

My rattie is on baytril but it takes an act of congress to get her to take it (she goes by syringe). I'm worried that she may not be getting the proper amount since she's squirming so much. Please help! ANY advice would be appreciated.

[Goosemoose]

Mix it up with yogurt, this always works! Sometimes I use french bread.

[Marybelle]

Have you tried mixing it with a bit of jelly and putting it on a tiny bit of bread?  Or mixing with baby food?  If it's the injectable form of baytril, I've heard it tastes really bitter, so something sugary to cover it up might be just the thing.    Give those a shot and see if she can be tricked.  

[Jodi]

Yep, it's nasty stuff. I've also had the best luck by bolusing it in or on a little food. Babyfood works pretty well, but I've had my best success by squirting the dose onto a little pinch of bread, then spreading just a tad of jelly or pancake syrup over it. This gets gobbled down enthusiastically. Since all my boys are on antibiotics right now, and they are prone to stealing from each other if they finish their own treat first, after I pass out the bread chunks I stand by for awhile with a few more little pieces of plain bread. That way, if one finishes his first and starts looking to steal from one of the other boys, I can quickly hand him another piece to munch on while his "brothers" finish up theirs with the meds.

Hope these suggestions help, and good luck!

[TracyM]

My babies also take medicine well on bread. I mix it with liquid (mine was the pill form) and then put it on a piece of bread, balling it up. They eat it no problem. The jelly or syrup sounds like it's even better!

[Ali]

When I first got my boys at the beginning of the year they were on baytril for 4 weeks. I had appalling problems getting it in them. I hadn't had them long and they were too scared to accept food if I separated them. It literally had me in tears some nights. I tried absolutely everything I could think of. I ended up putting it in shared food every night and hoping for the best (the baytril didn't work).

They're now on it again and this time - SUCCESS! I learned the trick. As with Goosemoose, it's yoghurt.  Vanilla yoghurt is their absolute fave food and they normally get a bowl a night. Well - it's been banned! They just get a teaspoon each a night, mixed with their individual dose of baytril and a tiny bit of glucose powder. They have it just before their main dinner, while they're on playtime, and get it one after the other in their cage. They FIGHT for the stuff. If I haven't brought it into the room by 8 o'clock they're all hanging around desperate for their yoghurt treat and bicker about who'll get in first. I always feel sorry for the one who goes last! (even though the sneezing hasn't stopped, I'm sure it's reduced a bit, and hope this is because they're getting a proper, one-hit dose).

Gosh, I'm rambling again! If your kids have got a favourite food which you can mix the baytril with I really recommend doing it this way - make it a special treat and ban it at all other times.

Good luck, believe me, I know the stress this med-giving causes!!!

[Spiralgirl]

I use little peanut butter balls mixed with some honey and wheat germ.

[Christy]

I've tried mixing with everything and my guys just know when I'm trying to trick them.  My best method to ensure they get the right amount is to just get a good hold of them on their back and squirt it in with the syringe.  If you get it far enough they have to swallow it!

[Manderine]

I find my boys take it really well if I make them a Baytril sandwhich. Get two pieces of bread put the baytril on one and the other bit on top of it and squeeze them together. Then cover the bread in olive oil. Worked everytime for my two boys! Good luck

[Meghan]

I don't let the vet dilute it with water, instead,
I use pure juice concentrate, mango or apple.  Then I put it on bread, or use a skinny syringe.  I think it still smells nasty, but he always eats the bread and sometimes licks it right out of the syringe