Calling all Horse people!

sheadakota · Apr 9, 2009

Ok- this isn't story research but I do need expert advice- Any one have any ideas on how to get antibiotics into a stubborn horse?

I have tries molasses and sweet feed- no go- he won't touch it (It is sulfa) I have also tried dissolving it in a syringe and shoving it down his throat- he holds it in his mouth and spits it out as soon as I let his head down- His wound is definitely infected, warm to the touch and red with purulant drainage- he doesn't have a fever- yet. I am irrigating it twice a day with betadine and putting an antibitic ointment in it- but it looks terrible- Vet is coming back tomorrow- but I still need to get his meds in him tonight!

Any suggestions? This is not a small horse- btw- over 17 hands and 1300 lbs-

Scriptissima · Apr 9, 2009

Have you tried injecting the meds into apples? I would also give watermelon or bananas a try. I don't know one horse that could and would resist a watermelon or a peeled banana.

Good luck - and I hope your horse will get well soon.

sheadakota · Apr 9, 2009

OooO I never thought of Bananas! I will give that a try!

Scriptissima · Apr 9, 2009

I am sure you will have a good shot with that one.
My horse would KILL for a ripe peeled banana.

Have you ever tried water melons? Water melons are THE favorite. Just cut the melon in half, and the horse will usually dig into the sweet red flesh and sort of suck it all in before eating the greens. I think that would be a good way to serve the meds, too.

sheadakota · Apr 9, 2009

My poor horses have been so deprived all these years! They are so getting watermelons this summer- I am going to try bananas for his evening meds- I'll let you know how it goes-

WriteKnight · Apr 9, 2009

I've had some luck with stirring powders into peanut butter, then putting the peanut butter in their mouths. Might try that if the banana and watermelon doesn't work.

sheadakota · Apr 9, 2009

thanks writeknight- I might try that-He won't touch the bananas!

WriteKnight · Apr 9, 2009

If you can spoon the peanut butter into a large syringe - you can shoot it waaay back in their mouth like a wormer. It's 'stickier' than worming paste, and they tend to 'smack' at it more, and swallow more. If you don't have a large syringe, you can try mixing it up and using a big tongue depressor or rubber spatula, and smearing it up onto the roof of their mouths... just keep trying.

sheadakota · Apr 9, 2009

Yup- i have a 60cc cath-tip syringe- the one he didn't bite in half this morning- God,i swear horses are worse than little kids!

MacAllister · Apr 9, 2009

Will he eat a mash? It sounds like you're very likely giving him TMS/SMZ tablets, dissolved, yes? They don't actually have any flavor to speak of, so unless you have a tall friend and a good lip-twitch to help syringe them behind his tongue -- you're pretty much looking at feeding them to him some other way.

sheadakota · Apr 9, 2009

Exactly my problem- I am only 5'1". I can only get his head up so high- my husband is 6'3" but he works late today. I am giving him SMZ dissolved and my oh so stubborn boy won't touch mash- Gonna try the apples or the peanut butter- Thanks Mac-

WriteKnight · Apr 9, 2009

Ahhh. THAT explains it. I couldn't figure out why you were having a problem keeping his head up - but then I'm 6'3" I generally just lift their heads and rest them on my shoulder untill I HEAR them swallow.

sheadakota · Apr 9, 2009

WriteKnight said:
Ahhh. THAT explains it. I couldn't figure out why you were having a problem keeping his head up - but then I'm 6'3" I generally just lift their heads and rest them on my shoulder untill I HEAR them swallow.

yeah- you tall people- my hubby does the same thing- Why can't you do that? Phffftt!

But problem solved- the peanut butter worked like a charm- thanks for the tip! I think he's still in there smacking his lips

Scriptissima · Apr 9, 2009

Glad it worked!

My next suggestion would have been apple sauce.

WriteKnight · Apr 9, 2009

Glad to have helped. Learned the peanut butter trick a LOOONG time ago.

(Apple sauce... in the form of Baby Food is also good. So is Apple Butter. The thing with the peanut butter is that it really does 'stick' in their mouths, and causes them to keep swallowing to clear it.)

Scriptissima · Apr 9, 2009

WriteKnight said:
Glad to have helped. Learned the peanut butter trick a LOOONG time ago.

(Apple sauce... in the form of Baby Food is also good. So is Apple Butter. The thing with the peanut butter is that it really does 'stick' in their mouths, and causes them to keep swallowing to clear it.)

I would never have thought of peanut butter, but I'll keep that in mind - just in case. Where I'm from nobody eats peanut butter, but everybody shovels in apple sauce, so peanut butter simply wasn't on my mind.

Sounds like a great idea, though.

CDaniel · Apr 9, 2009

I would've suggested desolving the meds and mixing it up with some grain or rolled oats. That's what a Vet told me once. But it sounds like you've got it well under control there.

Dan

sheadakota · Apr 9, 2009

CDaniel said:
I would've suggested desolving the meds and mixing it up with some grain or rolled oats. That's what a Vet told me once. But it sounds like you've got it well under control there.

Dan

That was my first thought too Dan, I mixed the dissolved meds with sweet feed and drizzled it with syrup- he wouldn't eat it! Silly horse.

Tasmin21 · Apr 10, 2009

I see you got the problem solved, but to second some of the other suggetions, my dad used to crush up whatever pill the horse was refusing to take, mix it with applesauce, then squirt it into his mouth with a caulking gun.

Soccer Mom · Apr 10, 2009

Ooh, I'm making note of the peanut butter trick. I've got one who's very good at spitting out things he doesn't like.

WriteKnight · Apr 10, 2009

Just for reference - my usual bag of 'tricks' proceeds like this. If I can't put a pill down their throat, I'll put it IN something. Usually an apple slice or a carrot - depends on what the horse likes.

IF they manage to eat the fruit AND spit out the pill (it happens). Then I crush/powderize the pill and go with whats handy. I don't always have applesause/apple butter - but I almost always have PEANUT BUTTER. The applesauce is kind of 'runny' so its easier to shoot through a large syringe, but sometimes it gets spit out too. (Depending on how bad the powder tastes) The PEANUT BUTTER does an excellent job of masking the tastes (I think its just more pungent) and it does 'stick' to the roof of their mouths, so they tend to keep swallowing and gumming at it.

But really - it's all good. It's good to have a bag of equine tricks up your sleeve. No two horses will take their medicine with the same grace.

Gotta love 'em.

sheadakota · Apr 10, 2009

Well, I got good news from the vet today. His wound is healing well, granted it is red and warm to touch above and below wound (pasture mate kicked him below knee capsule thank goodness)- But the kick did severe his extensor tendon- he is placing the foot, but his soundness will be told in time- now the battle is against infection and proud flesh- I increased the dressing change from once to twice a day, He loves that!

Thanks to everyone for all the help- Dakota and I appreciate it very much-

Oh- the horse in my sig is the kicker- not Dakota (His mother though!)

Fenika · Apr 12, 2009

For future reference for all- Alfalfa pellets or cubes*, soaked in warm water. (You want to drown the alfalfa, by a little or a few inches depending on how much you are giving, until everything is fluffy) I used to sprinkle meds on top, barely mix, and watch my horse inhale her dinner. I could then walk away, knowing she didn't tip the bucket before finishing the meds.

It's easy to keep a bag of pellets or cubes handy, and they make a great snack on cold days (those that aren't sane with alfalfa can usually have a little, especially when it's cold).

*With the cubes, please keep in mind they can be a choking hazard. Some feed them unsoaked as treats and never have a problem, but most bags have harder ones and softer ones, and when I can't crack a large cube with a knife, it's not going anywhere near a horse until well soaked.

Pellets, ofc, can be given unsoaked, just like other feed, but soaking has its benefits.

sheadakota · Apr 13, 2009

Bahamutchild said:
For future reference for all- Alfalfa pellets or cubes*, soaked in warm water. (You want to drown the alfalfa, by a little or a few inches depending on how much you are giving, until everything is fluffy) I used to sprinkle meds on top, barely mix, and watch my horse inhale her dinner. I could then walk away, knowing she didn't tip the bucket before finishing the meds.

It's easy to keep a bag of pellets or cubes handy, and they make a great snack on cold days (those that aren't sane with alfalfa can usually have a little, especially when it's cold).

*With the cubes, please keep in mind they can be a choking hazard. Some feed them unsoaked as treats and never have a problem, but most bags have harder ones and softer ones, and when I can't crack a large cube with a knife, it's not going anywhere near a horse until well soaked.

Pellets, ofc, can be given unsoaked, just like other feed, but soaking has its benefits.

That is a great idea. I generaly steer clear of Alfalfa only because the first time I trailered Dakota I hung up a hay net full of Alfalfa hay for him to munch on. When I got him out of the trailer 30 minutes later, he had choked- we almost lost him.

It is just superstistion on my part, but I can't feed him alfalfa in any form now :tongue

and they get nothing when I trailer them-

I do have hay pellets that I soak for my older gelding though and they get fluffy, so that would probably work just as well.

OH- I told my husband about the peanut butter trick and he scoffed (YES actually scoffed ) at me! Said I don't need no stinking peanut butter-
Well if I was 6'3" I wouldn't need it either!

Thanks Bahumutchild and everyone for all the help!

Leva · Apr 13, 2009

Personally, my preference on livestock is to give medication by injection. It's not hard to do, and it's safer and generally much less of a fight. Any animal that I can't physically manhandle easily (i.e., anything bigger than a 25 pound goat kid) gets shots.

And horses are easy to give a shot -- they've got nice big muscles and they aren't nearly as wriggly as goats.

Otherwise, get a pill gun and shove it down his throat past his teeth. However, this can be quite the wrestling match to make work. (Much easier to reach the neck with a needle than the mouth of a horse who's standing on his tiptoes imitating a giraffe as you come at him with the pill gun.)

BTW, I've known several horses who've recovered sound from that sort of injury, including one who's doing endurance. There is real hope.

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