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Piggy hates taking medicine now.

wheek!guinea

wheek!guinea

Junior Guinea Pig
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Hi all, I'm back again about my kiddo.

My 4 y.o boar Glacier has been on Gabapentin and Metcam for 2 years for his back. When he was younger (approx 3 months old) he had to be on Ivermectin for conjunctivitis and a URI when he arrived at the petstore. He has always been amazing at taking his medicine through a syringe, going up to it every time, no fuss.

Recently, he got lice–yes he's my kiddo that's always a mess. No clue how, since my other boar doesn't have them. So he's back on Ivermectin. (I made a post on here about it)

Something changed and I'm not sure what. He has become really fussy. He turns away and goes back into his fleece pocket. I give him time, and have even come back an hour or two later. When I pick him up to give the medicine he's still fussy (but when a giant ape is holding you, it's kinda hard to do a scram manuver). He always gets a vitamin snack after. I made sure taking his medicine is always associated with being positive.

I'm not sure what's up. Any ideas?

TIA
 
Have you tried changing the environment/room where you give him his medications? Do you talk to him before giving the medication and during the medication? Do you sing some soft music to him?

Well, this helped me a lot with my Momo, at first he would bite my finger until it bled, he wouldn't accept the medication at all. However, I started talking to him beforehand, I told him it was for his own good, I told him what the medication would do to him (Even though he may not understand), he gradually accepted it, until I could easily give him any medication, and then I always gave him a reward (like tomato/carrot) for him to eat, I would massage around his eyes and praise him for being a good boy. After that, he never troubled me again.
For my other boar, Bijou, for mite treatment, it was the same thing, the only difference is that Bijou never bit me, but he didn't accept medication and was exactly the same as yours. But over time, as I did what I described, he accepted all medications without any problems.

It takes time to do this whole procedure... But it was the best way I found for them to feel comfortable and trust the medication.
 
naguya said:
Have you tried changing the environment/room where you give him his medications? Do you talk to him before giving the medication and during the medication? Do you sing some soft music to him?

Well, this helped me a lot with my Momo, at first he would bite my finger until it bled, he wouldn't accept the medication at all. However, I started talking to him beforehand, I told him it was for his own good, I told him what the medication would do to him (Even though he may not understand), he gradually accepted it, until I could easily give him any medication, and then I always gave him a reward (like tomato/carrot) for him to eat, I would massage around his eyes and praise him for being a good boy. After that, he never troubled me again.
For my other boar, Bijou, for mite treatment, it was the same thing, the only difference is that Bijou never bit me, but he didn't accept medication and was exactly the same as yours. But over time, as I did what I described, he accepted all medications without any problems.

It takes time to do this whole procedure... But it was the best way I found for them to feel comfortable and trust the medication.
Click to expand...

Guinea pigs have roughly twice the taste buds to humans. Medication can range from the very nice (metacam) to the totally yucky (baytril/enrofloxacin). If I have to give several to a piggy I aleays strt with the nicer ones (bar one) and then leave the worst for second last so that the lingering taste is not too bad.

Some piggies are fine with taking the syringe sitting in the cage while others need some manhandling (depending on the flavour and the individual personality). Then you get the ones that won't let the syinge go and you play tug of war over every syringeful. I could quite literally lift Barri off the floor by holding the syringe; he was really clamped on it that hard! :D
 
naguya said:
Have you tried changing the environment/room where you give him his medications? Do you talk to him before giving the medication and during the medication? Do you sing some soft music to him?

Well, this helped me a lot with my Momo, at first he would bite my finger until it bled, he wouldn't accept the medication at all. However, I started talking to him beforehand, I told him it was for his own good, I told him what the medication would do to him (Even though he may not understand), he gradually accepted it, until I could easily give him any medication, and then I always gave him a reward (like tomato/carrot) for him to eat, I would massage around his eyes and praise him for being a good boy. After that, he never troubled me again.
For my other boar, Bijou, for mite treatment, it was the same thing, the only difference is that Bijou never bit me, but he didn't accept medication and was exactly the same as yours. But over time, as I did what I described, he accepted all medications without any problems.

It takes time to do this whole procedure... But it was the best way I found for them to feel comfortable and trust the
Click to expand...

naguya said:
Have you tried changing the environment/room where you give him his medications? Do you talk to him before giving the medication and during the medication? Do you sing some soft music to him?

Well, this helped me a lot with my Momo, at first he would bite my finger until it bled, he wouldn't accept the medication at all. However, I started talking to him beforehand, I told him it was for his own good, I told him what the medication would do to him (Even though he may not understand), he gradually accepted it, until I could easily give him any medication, and then I always gave him a reward (like tomato/carrot) for him to eat, I would massage around his eyes and praise him for being a good boy. After that, he never troubled me again.
For my other boar, Bijou, for mite treatment, it was the same thing, the only difference is that Bijou never bit me, but he didn't accept medication and was exactly the same as yours. But over time, as I did what I described, he accepted all medications without any problems.

It takes time to do this whole procedure... But it was the best way I found for them to feel comfortable and trust
Click to expand...

naguya said:
Thank you so much for your advice and sharing your experience! I do sing to him and gently rub over his eyes, which seems to help a bit, but I'm still trying to figure out the shift in behavior. Do you think it could be the flavor, like you mentioned? I’ve been doing the bad-tasting one first and then the good one, just like you do.
Click to expand...

Also, when you say "changing the environment," what exactly do you mean by that? Wouldn’t a change in their routine or environment add stress, since guinea pigs are so used to sameness and routine? I'm curious to hear more about how that worked for you.

Thanks again for the tips!
naguya said:
Have you tried changing the environment/room where you give him his medications? Do you talk to him before giving the medication and during the medication? Do you sing some soft music to him?

Well, this helped me a lot with my Momo, at first he would bite my finger until it bled, he wouldn't accept the medication at all. However, I started talking to him beforehand, I told him it was for his own good, I told him what the medication would do to him (Even though he may not understand), he gradually accepted it, until I could easily give him any medication, and then I always gave him a reward (like tomato/carrot) for him to eat, I would massage around his eyes and praise him for being a good boy. After that, he never troubled me again.
For my other boar, Bijou, for mite treatment, it was the same thing, the only difference is that Bijou never bit me, but he didn't accept medication and was exactly the same as yours. But over time, as I did what I described, he accepted all medications without any problems.

It takes time to do this whole procedure... But it was the best way I found for them to feel comfortable and trust the medication.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for your advice and sharing your experience! I do sing to him and gently rub over his eyes, which seems to help a bit, but I'm still trying to figure out the shift in behavior. Do you think it could be the flavor, like you mentioned? I’ve been doing the bad-tasting one first and then the good one, just like you do. Also, when you say "changing the environment," what exactly do you mean by that? Wouldn’t a change in their routine or environment add stress, since guinea pigs are so used to sameness and routine? I'm curious to hear more about how that worked for you. Thanks again for the tips!
 
Wiebke said:
Guinea pigs have roughly twice the taste buds to humans. Medication can range from the very nice (metacam) to the totally yucky (baytril/enrofloxacin). If I have to give several to a piggy I always start with the nicer ones (bar one) - so as much as possible goes in without a fight - and then leave the worst for second last so that the lingering taste is not too bad. Syringe a bit of water after the worst to wash away the taste but give another med so the memory is not of the really bad medication. Follow up with a treat.

Some piggies are fine with taking the syringe sitting in the cage while others need some manhandling (depending on the flavour and the individual personality). Then you get the ones that won't let the syinge go and you play tug of war over every syringeful. I could quite literally lift Barri off the floor by holding the syringe; he was really clamped on it that hard! :D
Click to expand...
Thanks for sharing! I didn’t realize guinea pigs have twice as many taste buds as humans—no wonder they can be so picky! My boars have never been fear aggressive or bitten before, but it’s interesting how different personalities can affect how they take meds. All piggies are definitely different.

Appreciate your advice!
 
wheek!guinea said:
Also, when you say "changing the environment," what exactly do you mean by that? Wouldn’t a change in their routine or environment add stress, since guinea pigs are so used to sameness and routine? I'm curious to hear more about how that worked for you.
Click to expand...
Oh I meant putting your guinea pig in another room he isn't familiar with while giving the medication. This is Wiebke's guide, it gave a lots of information about giving medicine to mine!

From the guide:

"For medicating, it can help to leave the piggy room as that can trigger their 'unresponsive prey' instinct, which makes medication easier; especially with a new piggy (apart from the jumping risk). Otherwise it is generally better to stay in the familiar room in order to keep stress levels low, especially with ill piggies."

There was a time where Bijou didn't want to accept his medicine, what solved the problem was changing the room (from the place where the cage stays, taking him to the living room) only when he was taking his medication. But nowadays, he is accepting medications in the piggy room!

Wiebke

Thread 'All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures'

Introduction
1 Choosing the right place to medicate/feed your piggy
2 Guinea pig whispering and asserting your authority
3 Recovery products and emergency improvisation
4 Syringe recommendations
5 Weight monitoring: your biggest ally
6 Weight loss guidelines and when to step in with feeding
7 Syringe feeding amounts/frequency advice
8 Practical medication and syringing tips
9 Medicating and feeding cooperative guinea pigs (videos)
10 Medicating and feeding uncooperative guinea pigs (hold pictures and tips)
11 The line between life and...
  • Like
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naguya said:
Oh I meant putting your guinea pig in another room he isn't familiar with while giving the medication. This is Wiebke's guide, it gave a lots of information about giving medicine to mine!

From the guide:

"For medicating, it can help to leave the piggy room as that can trigger their 'unresponsive prey' instinct, which makes medication easier; especially with a new piggy (apart from the jumping risk). Otherwise it is generally better to stay in the familiar room in order to keep stress levels low, especially with ill piggies."

There was a time where Bijou didn't want to accept his medicine, what solved the problem was changing the room (from the place where the cage stays, taking him to the living room) only when he was taking his medication. But nowadays, he is accepting medications in the piggy room!

Wiebke

Thread 'All About Syringe Feeding and Medicating Guinea Pigs with Videos and Pictures'

Introduction
1 Choosing the right place to medicate/feed your piggy
2 Guinea pig whispering and asserting your authority
3 Recovery products and emergency improvisation
4 Syringe recommendations
5 Weight monitoring: your biggest ally
6 Weight loss guidelines and when to step in with feeding
7 Syringe feeding amounts/frequency advice
8 Practical medication and syringing tips
9 Medicating and feeding cooperative guinea pigs (videos)
10 Medicating and feeding uncooperative guinea pigs (hold pictures and tips)
11 The line between life and...
  • Like
  • Love
Click to expand...

It is more of a 'last resort' tip for a piggy that is wiggling like mad or tweaking in order to not take any foul tasting antibiotic and you haven't got anybody to help you. Unfortunately, you cannot reason with piggies that the 'brrrrr doctor' (as I call it) is essential for their survival; you just have to get it into them somehow. I try to offer as wide a range of tips in my guides so there is more of a chance that there is something that works for each owner and each piggy.

For any inexperienced owner, getting a syringe into the mouth of a determined piggy can be a challenge that can make them end up in tears of desperation, especially with new piggies where you haven't had time to build up trust and who haven't had the experience that the medication is making them feel better again.

We have more and better tips on how to deal with uncooperative piggies with pictures and videos in the relevant chapter of our medicating and syringe feeding guide in @naguya 's previous post.

Once you have practice with dealing with your piggies' individual quirks it won't be necessary. But like a lot of things, bridging the gap until you have that experience and the confidence that comes with it (which your piggies will pick up on instantly) is a big part of what many of our practical forum guides are about. :)

PS: I have yet to meet a piggy that will take a syringe with baytril willingly the second time round...

Wiebke

Thread 'Syringe Training Before The Need For Medicating'

Syringe Training Video

It can be useful to practise syringing with your guinea pigs before you have the need for medicating, so your guinea pigs are used to the procedure for whenever you have to medicate or syringe feed. Use water or the juice from veg (like cucumber) for the practice.

Here is a video from such a practice run, courtesy and with permission of Cavy Corner sanctuary:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1189056374439385
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Wiebke said:
PS: I have yet to meet a piggy that will take a syringe with baytril willingly the second time round...

Wiebke

Thread 'Syringe Training Before The Need For Medicating'

Syringe Training Video

It can be useful to practise syringing with your guinea pigs before you have the need for medicating, so your guinea pigs are used to the procedure for whenever you have to medicate or syringe feed. Use water or the juice from veg (like cucumber) for the practice.

Here is a video from such a practice run, courtesy and with permission of Cavy Corner sanctuary:

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=1189056374439385
  • Like
Click to expand...
Dignified Sir George really developed a taste for it. I don't think he's a proper guinea pig sometimes as he's far too easy to deal with 🤔 20240820_202325.webp
 
I have honestly never had a guinea pig who would walk up to the syringe and voluntarily take their meds! Generally, I will pick them up, put them on my knee facing away from me, cup their bellies with my left and and kind of stand them up on their back feet with their back to my stomach, and use the other hand to slip the syringe into the side of the mouth (between the front teeth and the molars) and then give the meds in short squirts so they have time to swallow it. Then they get more pats and a treat. One of my current pigs has hyperthyroidism and she is on methimazole twice a day for the rest of her life and it's important she gets it on time, so we do this twice a day, and although she doesn't love meds this seems to get it down with a minimum of fuss.
 
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