Any tips for using a syringe?

[Alfie/Piggles]

My baby boy piggles has been taking antibiotics for a few days now due to an absces, and I have to give them to him through a syringe. He isn’t the most cooperative... I mean he isn’t the worst, he just scrambles and tries to get away when I try to give him his antibiotics. I do eventually get him to cooperate, but I feel quite forceful doing it. Does anyone have any tips, or ways to make it easier? I would really appreciate it, and I’m sure piggles would too!

 

[Piggies&buns]

You do need to be quite forceful and determined! If you aren’t feeling confident they will exploit that.
This video might help
Medicating your guinea pig - Instructional video on Facebook

 

[Alfie/Piggles]

You do need to be quite forceful and determined! If you aren’t feeling confident they will exploit that.
This video might help
Medicating your guinea pig - Instructional video on Facebook

Just watched the video - that really helped, Thankyou! Haha I’m not usually very confident that might be why he’s a pain, again Thankyou for your help!

 

[Wiebke]

My baby boy piggles has been taking antibiotics for a few days now due to an absces, and I have to give them to him through a syringe. He isn’t the most cooperative... I mean he isn’t the worst, he just scrambles and tries to get away when I try to give him his antibiotics. I do eventually get him to cooperate, but I feel quite forceful doing it. Does anyone have any tips, or ways to make it easier? I would really appreciate it, and I’m sure piggles would too! ❤

We have got a training video in our Daily Care section: Syringe Training Before The Need For Medicating

 

[alpacasqueak]

Oh no, sorry Piggles has been unwell, hope he’s improving now. Definitely have to be a bit forceful, glad the videos have helped. Fingers and paws crossed Piggles cooperates a bit better!

 

[Alfie/Piggles]

We have got a training video in our Daily Care section: Syringe Training Before The Need For Medicating

Oh Thankyou! I didn’t realise that was here - I’m still trying to find my way around the website will definitely check it out!

 

[Alfie/Piggles]

Oh no, sorry Piggles has been unwell, hope he’s improving now. Definitely have to be a bit forceful, glad the videos have helped. Fingers and paws crossed Piggles cooperates a bit better!

Thankyou, he does seem to be getting a lot better!

 

[Agashe]

My baby boy piggles has been taking antibiotics for a few days now due to an absces, and I have to give them to him through a syringe. He isn’t the most cooperative... I mean he isn’t the worst, he just scrambles and tries to get away when I try to give him his antibiotics. I do eventually get him to cooperate, but I feel quite forceful doing it. Does anyone have any tips, or ways to make it easier? I would really appreciate it, and I’m sure piggles would too!

I don’t know if this will work on a younger pig or not but Hazel HATES being held,he actually does pretty good eating if I just let him sit on his own and occasionally raise his head to feed him that way. If you hold them it MIGHT be worth a try to see if they will accept it while sitting freely but of course the younger they are the more hyper they tend to be at times.

 

[Alfie/Piggles]

I don’t know if this will work on a younger pig or not but Hazel HATES being held,he actually does pretty good eating if I just let him sit on his own and occasionally raise his head to feed him that way. If you hold them it MIGHT be worth a try to see if they will accept it while sitting freely but of course the younger they are the more hyper they tend to be at times.

i will try that next time, Thankyou!

 

[Freela]

My baby boy piggles has been taking antibiotics for a few days now due to an absces, and I have to give them to him through a syringe. He isn’t the most cooperative... I mean he isn’t the worst, he just scrambles and tries to get away when I try to give him his antibiotics. I do eventually get him to cooperate, but I feel quite forceful doing it. Does anyone have any tips, or ways to make it easier? I would really appreciate it, and I’m sure piggles would too! ❤

I put them on my lap facing away from me, then I used my left hand to scoop them up and hold their backs against my belly with their back feet on the ground. Then I used the right hand to reach around and stick the syringe in their mouth at the side (between where there front teeth stop and their molars start.) It can help to do this with two people (i.e. one person hold the pig and the other use the syringe.)

I feel your pain, I have two pigs on meds right now and although one is handling it with dignity, the other is a frantic, flailing mess when I try to give her meds and I feel so guilty about it!

 

[Alfie/Piggles]

I put them on my lap facing away from me, then I used my left hand to scoop them up and hold their backs against my belly with their back feet on the ground. Then I used the right hand to reach around and stick the syringe in their mouth at the side (between where there front teeth stop and their molars start.) It can help to do this with two people (i.e. one person hold the pig and the other use the syringe.)

I feel your pain, I have two pigs on meds right now and although one is handling it with dignity, the other is a frantic, flailing mess when I try to give her meds and I feel so guilty about it!

Thankyou, that’s really helpful, i usual have him facing me, so maybe facing away will work better. It makes me feel so guilty too!

 

[Wiebke]

Oh Thankyou! I didn’t realise that was here - I’m still trying to find my way around the website will definitely check it out!

It is in our very useful New Owners Guides collection, which I most warmly recommend you to bookmark and browse, read and re-read at need. It is one of the best and most comprehensive information resources around and will save you quite a lot of searching. As you become more experienced, you will pick up on different things when you re-read the guides: Getting Started - New Owners' Most Helpful Guides

Our even more extensive information collection can be best accessed via the guides shortcut on the top bar. The guides are listed by thematical order and are much easier to find than the jumble at the top of our various care sections - unfortunately we cannot control the order in which they appear because that is by last update; and as I am trying my best to write even more guides or replace/update obsolete ones in my very scant free time, the order does change around a lot.
Here is the link to our full guides collection - MUCH easier to navigate! Guinea Pig Care & Information Guides