# WON'T TAKE MEDS...HELP!!! WHAT DO I DO?



## hercsmom (Jul 6, 2010)

Hi guys, need some help with this one. Hercules still has his URI, and we went back to the vet the other day, who prescribed Bactrim and Metronidazole for his tummy. Problem is, I casn't get him to take these. I even injected them into a mealie, and he won't take the mealie! The vet is closed till monday, I don't know what to do. How do you guys get your hedgie to take meds? Thanks for the help!

Katie


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## Puffers315 (Apr 19, 2010)

Going to have to syringe feed it to him, which isn't fun but it'll have to be done. If you're capable of holding him without him balling up, you take the syringe (no needle of course) and you get it into the corner of their mouth and slowly push the plunger, and hopefully he'll take it. I've only had to do this with my first hedgehog and she never ever balled up, I'm not sure how you handle ones that do ball up, there must be a way of holding them.


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## hercsmom (Jul 6, 2010)

Puffers315 said:


> Going to have to syringe feed it to him, which isn't fun but it'll have to be done. If you're capable of holding him without him balling up, you take the syringe (no needle of course) and you get it into the corner of their mouth and slowly push the plunger, and hopefully he'll take it. I've only had to do this with my first hedgehog and she never ever balled up, I'm not sure how you handle ones that do ball up, there must be a way of holding them.


Hi puffers, I can't even get the syringe in his mouth. He just shakes his head away from me, and I didn't want to force it because he's starting to get really angry about it. He was acting like he was about to bite (he has never even nipped us). What do I do?


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Are you mixing the meds with some canned food. Metronidazole in particular is nasty horrid tasting stuff and if he'es gotten a taste of it once, he won't want another. Do you have any canned A/D? If so, try syringing him a little bit of just it. Once he gets a taste and decides it's good, then you can mix the meds in with it. 

Are you able to scruff him? If that doesn't work, try the burrito method and wrap him in a cloth with just his head sticking out. He'es not going to like you much but tell him why he has to take his medicine.


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

we were *never* able to get the syringe in a hedgie's mouth, let alone actually spurt the meds. i guess we really suck.

we ended up scruffing Harvey as shown in this vid: http://hedgehogcentral.com/oldforum/ind ... topic=3077

it worked every time.

this is another terrific idea: http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php ... 664&ref=mf

Sweetie *loves* chicken, so he took his meds with the food.


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## hercsmom (Jul 6, 2010)

Thanks guys. I'm pretty sure he hates me now, and that i've just undone all the bonding we've done in the last 2 months. He's pretty upset right now, and I got him to take most of the medicine so I'm going to leave it alone for now. I squirted a little bubble on the end of his nose and then of course he would lick his nose, but that probably won't work again. Next med time is 6am (should be fun). Going to try the scruffing. I tried to scruff tonight but he was so frantic to get away from me, and I didn't want to make it worse. I don't have any A/D, but i do have some wet canned Blue Spa Select food in tuna flavor, do you think that would work?


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## Nancy (Aug 22, 2008)

Any canned food will work but the A/D is made to be syringed so it easily goes through a syringe. A regular canned food will need to be put in a blender or pureed somehow so it can go through the syringe. Whatever you use to puree it, put some through the syringe so you know it will not clog up. You don't want there to be a clog right as you get it in his mouth.


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## hercsmom (Jul 6, 2010)

Thanks everyone, i'll try mixing it!


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

hercsmom said:


> Thanks guys. I'm pretty sure he hates me now, and that i've just undone all the bonding we've done in the last 2 months.


trust me, i know how stressful this is. just remember this. i felt so desperate after we "wrestled" with Sweetie trying to give him the meds. and then he clung to me and *whimpered* which broke my heart. but then it worked out well (thank you, chicken!) and when we had to give the meds to Harvey, we learned to do some scruffing.


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## hercsmom (Jul 6, 2010)

*Re: WON'T TAKE MEDS...HELP!!! WHAT DO I DO? *UPDATE**

Thanks for the advice everyone. I know this has to be done, but I'm really starting to feel like the bad guy at home.

I've found a couple of different ways to trick him (but now he trusts me less and less). It seems like he only falls for each trick once, and so I've got 11 more days (and 22 more tricks) to come up with.

I mixed the meds with banana flavored baby food, which only worked once. The second time he wouldn't go near the syringe. The next time, I put a tiny dot of peanut butter on the end of the syringe and when he tried to bite it I squirted the syringe, which also only worked once. This morning neither of those worked, so I took the syringe (with the meds and baby food mixed together) AND put a dot of peanut butter on the end, and it was a no go. So I got out a mealie, and when he opened his mouth to take the mealie I put the syringe in and squirted. But then, when I tried to give him a mealie after that as a treat he wouldn't take it. Guess I'm going to have to get more creative. Do you guys ever get the feeling your hog is smarter than you? That's what it's starting to feel like....

Also, how do I undo all the tension the meds are causing? When I go near him now he huffs (before that he hadn't huffed in weeks). I've given him lots of extra cuddle time, but he seems worse than when we first brought him home. He won't sleep on me anymore, he's just frantic to get away from me. Any suggestions people? Thank you!


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

*Re: WON'T TAKE MEDS...HELP!!! WHAT DO I DO? *UPDATE**



hercsmom said:


> Thanks for the advice everyone. I know this has to be done, but I'm really starting to feel like the bad guy at home.
> 
> I've found a couple of different ways to trick him (but now he trusts me less and less). It seems like he only falls for each trick once, and so I've got 11 more days (and 22 more tricks) to come up with.
> 
> ...


can you try scruffing or the burrito method (the latter didn't work for us at all though)? that way you won't ruin his favorite foods. Harvey was also tricked only once. 

i hope someone else will chime in on undoing the tension.


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## hercsmom (Jul 6, 2010)

Thanks for the quick answer!  Going to try scruffing tonight. Tried the burrito thing last night, but it made him really anxious. I think I'm out of options, beside the scruffing.


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## fracturedcircle (May 31, 2010)

hercsmom said:


> Thanks for the quick answer!  Going to try scruffing tonight. Tried the burrito thing last night, but it made him really anxious. I think I'm out of options, beside the scruffing.


my mom did scruffing alone, so it's doable. we were also out of options when we resorted to it.

like i always say: i don't care if you can read ancient philosophy in the original while standing on your head (i'm a grad phil student). you TRY to give a hog his/her meds.


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## hercsmom (Jul 6, 2010)




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