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Author Topic: Stupid, unflavored Doxy! *hold the phone! 3/25*  (Read 822 times)
JR1030
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« on: March 16, 2007, 06:26:43 AM »

So the last time my boys were on Doxy, I asked for honey flavor, thinking they would lap it right out of the syringe.  They didn't.  But, they would take it in combination with anything else...banana, baby food, syrup, etc.  I used up the end of that Doxy, and needed a refill to finish out this go round, and I didn't even think to ask for flavoring.  Now, they won't take it with ANYTHING!  They take one taste of it with sweet potato, or banana, or maple syrup, or whatever, then back away, and wipe their faces on everything in the cage.  What is that about?  Is there really such a huge difference between the flavored and non flavored?  Is it too late to add flavor?  I tried just shooting it in Oni's mouth from the syringe, and just made a mess.  Worry  I'm going to call the pharmacy and ask, but I'm worried it will change the concentration, and I'll have to up the dosage.  Plus, it's a hike to the pharmacy, and I've got a lot of other things on my plate right now.  Any advice?  Argh.
« Last Edit: March 25, 2007, 07:37:05 PM by JR1030 » Logged

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« Reply #1 on: March 16, 2007, 08:53:31 AM »

Ok, called the pharmacy, and they're going to send me the flavoring.  They said I can just pour it in and shake it up, and that it shouldn't be enough to change the dosage.  Ok, then.  Hope that takes care of it!
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« Reply #2 on: March 16, 2007, 12:51:30 PM »

Hehe... I hope it works!! The chicken flavoring just barely covers up the bitterness of Kerfuffle's meds right now!

My ratties wouldn't go for the raspberry-flavored doxy, though Sad
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« Reply #3 on: March 16, 2007, 01:21:06 PM »

I hope the flavoring helps.  I have some rats that will take their meds as long as they are in strawberry syrup or something and then I have Dante who just refuses and get's all jumpy.  *Sigh I wish all ratties could understand how important these meds are!  Best of luck to you and to your ratties!
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« Reply #4 on: March 16, 2007, 01:32:13 PM »

Thanks, you guys!  I'll let you know!  Cheesy
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« Reply #5 on: March 20, 2007, 06:45:49 AM »

Ok, so the honey flavoring arrived, and I mixed it with the Doxy.  I had a theory that mixing several different flavors together with the medicine would help disguise the flavor better, so I mixed baby food peas and chicken together.  That worked once.  Mudge seems to mostly take it, but Oni wants nothing to do with it.  Even with the flavoring added, and mixed with everything yummy...tried chocolate syrup, whipped "cream", maple syrup, chicken, peas, sweet potatoes, apples, banana...and perhaps a few things I've forgotten.  He can smell the medicine, and won't even take a lick.  I've also tried just shooting it into his mouth, but I don't have help usually, and it just gets everywhere (except in his mouth!).  I know Ratlets can sympathize here.  So, my question is, seeing as he's only getting a partial dose of the Doxy, if that, but he's also still on Baytril, is it better for him to get a little Doxy, or no Doxy at all?  He still needs meds, as he is still grunting and having respiratory issues (although he's getting better).  So frustrating!!!

BTW, has anybody tasted this medicine?  I got some on my finger and licked it off.... icon_puke_l  I have not tasted anything that nasty in a long time.  I would fight taking it, too!  And that was after I added the honey flavor.  Tongue
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« Reply #6 on: March 20, 2007, 07:13:32 AM »

I usually let Kerfuffle taste whatever it is I'm going to mix his meds up in a little while before I give him the stuff with the meds mixed in.

Last night I resorted to strawberrt syrup (like the stuff for ice cream or making strawberry milk).  He loved it.  haha... He still hesitated a little bit in the middle of the dose, but he ate it all.

It seems like a partial dose of anything is bad due to resistance that could be building.  I'm not positive about that, though.

Is the doxy expensive where you're at?  I had a good experience with the raspberry-flavored liquid... I don't recall the actual name, but it's always raspberry flavored.  Kerfuffle would take it from the syringe, and everyone else had it mixed in chicken or turkey baby food.
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« Reply #7 on: March 20, 2007, 07:19:27 AM »

You know, I can't even remember how much it is.  I just gave them my credit card number and they shipped it.  I gave Oni a little chocolate syrup by itself, to get him ready (loved it!), and then mixed in the Doxy, and he wouldn't even lick it...he could smell it!  I'm wondering if I should just give up the Doxy for him, and stick with the Baytril, which he'll take for sure.  I keep wasting the Doxy mixing it with all this stuff, and then he won't eat it!  Angry
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« Reply #8 on: March 20, 2007, 07:27:49 AM »

Mom told me that if Kerfuffle wouldn't eat his medicine in whatever I mixed it in last night, to put him in the small cage I have with no other food until he eats it.

I don't know about that, though... ratties can be stubborn!

I have given him his plate of baby food + meds in his cage before when he wouldn't finish it on the bed.  He ate it up after I left the room.  I didn't take away his other food though.  This was back when I first got him... and he was probably on baytril.
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« Reply #9 on: March 20, 2007, 07:29:16 AM »

I don't know about that.  I tasted this stuff.  I'd need to be pretty darn hungry before I'd eat it voluntarily.  Tongue
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« Reply #10 on: March 20, 2007, 07:31:13 AM »

lol

I really wanna know just how bitter Kerfuffle's medicine is... but... nahhhh.  You wanna come taste it?

I wonder... have you tried just sticking the syringe through the cage bars?  I don't know why... but sometimes my ratties will take the nastiest things from syringes stuck at them through the bars... after they smack and bite it a few times.
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« Reply #11 on: March 20, 2007, 07:33:45 AM »

lol

I really wanna know just how bitter Kerfuffle's medicine is... but... nahhhh.  You wanna come taste it?

I wonder... have you tried just sticking the syringe through the cage bars?  I don't know why... but sometimes my ratties will take the nastiest things from syringes stuck at them through the bars... after they smack and bite it a few times.

Mmm...thanks, but I'll pass on the chlorowhatsis.

I have not actually tried sticking it through the bars.  How funny!  I'll try that right now.  I do notice they're much more likely to grab stuff through the bars than when the door is wide open.  I'll let you know!
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« Reply #12 on: March 20, 2007, 07:44:00 AM »

Nothing, Nada, Nyet, Bupkis.  He had NO interest in the thing sticking through the bars.  And, he's becoming afraid of me, because every time I open the cage, he thinks I'm going to offer him something nasty, or worse, take him out and shove the nasty stuff in his mouth.  Poor thing.
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« Reply #13 on: March 20, 2007, 07:46:03 AM »

Aww.. I'm clueless then Sad

I think you should get him out and cuddle him...  Heart
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« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2007, 07:50:17 AM »

Aww.. I'm clueless then Sad

I think you should get him out and cuddle him...  Heart

Doing that right now.  He's suspicious.  Undecided
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« Reply #15 on: March 20, 2007, 11:20:33 AM »

I feel your pain. My boys will not take their meds in anything. My one boy Vroo was horrible. It got to the point I wanted to cry whenever it was time to give meds. Another boy would stress so bad and scream...it sucks. I just pray for healthy days and no reason to put them on meds. Mind you thats not always goign to work, but it never hurts to try Cheesy
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« Reply #16 on: March 20, 2007, 01:28:05 PM »

Rebecca, I feel ya, too.  I've never administered Doxy and hope I never have to.  Have you considered injectable Doxy?  I freaked when my new vet's office handed me a bag of pre-filled (diluted) Baytril syringes for Leroy.   Shocked 2   I came home and cried because he's my most skiddish and fearful boy, I just knew this was a cruel cosmic joke--Leroy and needles.  Turned out, the shots were extremely easy and he only flinched once and that was because of human error, he's easier to give injections to than forcing oral meds.     That experience makes me consider doing everything by injection (highly diluted to help avoid burns) from here on out. 

It's scary at first, but might be something to inquire about.

Good luck,
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« Reply #17 on: March 20, 2007, 01:38:39 PM »

Ee gad, I never thought about injectable!  Hmmm.  I might call the vet and ask about that.  Do you think he'll hate me more for making him eat nasty stuff, or sticking a needle in him?  Roll Eyes
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« Reply #18 on: March 20, 2007, 02:10:08 PM »

Hehe isn't that almost funny trying to decide?  "Pick your torture!"  I have no experience with Doxy, but I *think* it might be administered once a week, if given by injection.  I don't know if that's typical, but it seems I've read a few cases of that from other folks here.

Tempting to hire a vet student to stop by twice a day and administer meds, isn't it? 

Terribly frustrating!
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« Reply #19 on: March 20, 2007, 03:28:15 PM »

I have no experience with Doxy, but I *think* it might be administered once a week, if given by injection.  I don't know if that's typical,

I believe it is typical.

From rat guide article on Doxycycline:  Long acting injectable Vibaravenos: 70 mg/kg SQ, IM ; once every 7 days 

SQ means subcutaneous, ie injection just under the skin.  That would be the same as the injections as Robin had to do.  Fairly easy and not very traumatic to the animal.  IM is intramuscular and that one can be painful (but the medicine achieves high active levels in the body much faster).

If you are really having trouble getting the oral meds into him, you could definitely ask your vet about a long lasting SQ doxy injection. 

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« Reply #20 on: March 22, 2007, 09:20:33 AM »

Ok, so I called the vet to ask about injectable Doxy, and they said they don't have that right now...they would have to order it.  But the vet suggested breaking the doses down into much smaller bits so it's easier to hide the flavor, and just giving it more times a day.  I don't know why I didn't think of that!  I guess I just figured it's so nasty, they would never take it.  Anyway, Oni's dose is .3 cc's twice a day, so I just mixed up .1 cc with apple/sweet potato baby food AND maple syrup, and he ate it!  But that means I've got to do that 6 times a day...and following the same .1 with Mudge, 4 times a day for him.  So, I'm going to try it, and my plan is to mix it with at least 2 or 3 different flavors every time, mix it up, so he doesn't get the same thing each time, and combine flavors so maybe it's not as easy to taste the Doxy.  Wish me luck!  He probably still needs 3 weeks of this.  Oy.
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« Reply #21 on: March 22, 2007, 09:44:01 AM »

Oh I feel you  on this one...i'm about to cry right now...my front pj shirt's literally covered with doxy...this red, sticky thing coz it's supposed to be sweet, raspberry flavored. 3 of my kids are on doxy, 2 need 0.35 cc/day, and 1 needs a whooping .5 cc...

I have to force feed them since I've wasted enough of the med trying to hide it in food that they didn't touch. And when they squeal when I pin them down so I can stick the syringe into their mouth...it just breaks my heart  Worry

*sniffles*
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« Reply #22 on: March 22, 2007, 10:30:02 AM »

Oh, ack!  .5 is a lot!  I tried restraining them to shoot it in their mouths, and it ended up all over me (mine's yellow), and I don't think they even got 1/2 a dose.  I've also wasted a bunch mixing it with what I thought would be yummy.  Doing this 6 times a day is going to be challenging!  I don't know if I have enough different flavored things to keep them off guard.  Have you tried what my vet suggested?  Mixing a fraction of a dose with yummy stuff more times a day?  Good grief, if you did .1 cc, you'd have to do it 10 times a day!  Oh, is that .5 once a day, or twice?
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« Reply #23 on: March 22, 2007, 11:15:21 AM »

Quote
Oh, is that .5 once a day, or twice?
Twice a day...brutal, I'm telling you...

On top of that...there's Baytrill pill to crush, each rat gets half a pill...and I can't mix it in with the doxy because there's not enough doxy to dilute the pill. So it's completely different hell... I just spent two hours this morning alone making all sorts of concoctions (crushing the pills, peeling off the purple layer, mix it in with diff baby foods)...the kitchen is a mess. It looks like a drug dealer den, lol.

I hope giving it a little bit throughout the day helps in your case. Since I'm a full time student, I don't have that luxury  Undecided .
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« Reply #24 on: March 22, 2007, 11:20:53 AM »

Oh, gracious!  Your Baytril comes in pills?  Mine's in a liquid, and luckily, they take that no problem in something yummy.  I feel for ya!
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« Reply #25 on: March 22, 2007, 11:23:07 AM »

Woo! I'm glad you have something that works!

My ratties would take their .5 raspberry-flavored in meat baby food.  I've often wondered what that would taste like... hehe!
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