# Tips for Giving Antibiotics?



## Alexananandra (Aug 31, 2010)

I have a couple of mice who need treatment with antibiotics right now. When I asked the vet the best way to give them the antibiotics he told me to "Just hold them and drop it in their mouths"... As if it's that simple. I've been having a bit of trouble with this method. The mice are squirmy and don't just open their mouths when you want them to. Besides, I think that my trying to force-feed them can't be doing much good... It must be causing already poorly mice a lot of stress and I'm also concerned that they will become frightened of me.

Has anyone got any tips for sneakily giving mice antibiotics? Like any particular food that antibiotics (baytril in this case) go down well with? I've tried peanut butter and some cheerios but they don't want to eat it. Maybe it would taste better with savoury?

I've also wondered (and forgive me if this is stupid) whether it would be a good idea to drop the baytril on their fur, in a place that they can reach, knowing that they will ingest it when they clean it off. Or is this silly and just likely to waste a lot?

I'm sure everyone here is much more mouse-experienced than me, so I'd really appreciate your opinions and experience here.
Any tips?


----------



## Cordane (May 22, 2012)

My mouse Honey was the only one I have had to give baytril to though sadly she was to old to pull through. Anyway..
I only tried a few things and it seems to be mouse specific. Honey loved apple sauce so I would mix the baytril in the the apple sauce and dip it on a paintbrush. I find paintbrush feeding much easier than syringe feeding. My smallest syringe is big enough to hold 1ml of liquid and even that's still way to big to fit comfortably in their mouths. Also the bit you push down on had a tendency to jump and it would squirt out a heap..

I watered it down for her once but even then she wouldnt take it. They say it's the smell and taste.


----------



## AnnB (Jan 14, 2011)

I've found that the easiest way to give any medication is by mixing it with Beaphar malt paste (which is intended for ferrets but all my mice go mad for the stuff). I either put a small blob of malt paste on my finger and then a drop of baytril on top and let the mice lick it off my finger or I mix a bit of the malt paste and medicine together and stick it onto a rice puff. The only time this method doesn't work is if the mouse is too ill to want to eat.


----------



## Gill (Sep 16, 2011)

Put it in their drinking water - they have to drink.
I was told 0.5ml Baytril to 75ml water. It's best to put the Baytril in the bottle first, then add a little hot water to mix, and finally top up with cold to the desired level.


----------



## Alexananandra (Aug 31, 2010)

Thanks guys  Some good ideas here. I'll try these things. I think I'll save putting it in their water as a last resort though as it's a little less accurate dosage-wise.


----------



## PPVallhunds (Jul 26, 2010)

ive allways gone with the water, as you say its less acurat as you dont know how much they are getting but its worked for me with the mice. The only problem ive had with adding things to water is that some animals will try not to drink.


----------



## AyJay658 (Jan 15, 2012)

If you mix up the dosage correctly with water in a bottle my vet said one bottle to a litre of water. I think the bottle was around 10 mls. So I mixed that up and then I only fill the water bottle to about a quatre of the way up. That way they drink all of it and get the full dose. I have to do a two week course to prevent antibiotic resistance.


----------



## Alexananandra (Aug 31, 2010)

I guess I'm also worried that if they don't like the taste of the water they won't drink enough, and being hydrated is important for fighting infection isn't it? Is there anything you could put in with the baytril-water to make it taste better? A bit of sugar-free squash or ribena perhaps?


----------



## AyJay658 (Jan 15, 2012)

Yeh my vet said just enough ribena to make it look sort of pinky coloured. Mine have been drinking it fine though.


----------



## Alexananandra (Aug 31, 2010)

Okay I might give that a try then  I've tried all sorts of tasty things now but one mouse is just not interested in it (the other gobbles it up no problem). I had to force feed her the syringe which was both stressful for her and unsuccessful (most ended up on her whiskers) so water might be the only way to go!!
Cheers guys!


----------

