clindamycin

[TheSquirrel]

Hi,

Please can someone advise me if it is okay to add clindamycin to a bit of water and try to inject it into a nut? I have a visiting wild squirrel who has an abscess. I have treated many wild squirrels for abscesses successfully in the past by mixing clindamycin (about 75mg daily which is the correct dose) with peanut butter or nutella onto a nut.

However this one will not take medication on a nut. One sniff and he rejects it. I tried clavamox because I thought it is more palatable than clindamycin (Please correct me if I'm wrong there) but he refused to take it.

I'm thinking of injecting medicine into a nut using a syringe. Can clindamycin be administered in this way and is it safe to mix in water? I only have one chance to do this daily as he only visits once daily to eat nuts, he will not return for another meal in one day!

Any advice appreciated.

[stepnstone]

Hi,

Please can someone advise me if it is okay to add clindamycin to a bit of water and try to inject it into a nut? I have a visiting wild squirrel who has an abscess. I have treated many wild squirrels for abscesses successfully in the past by mixing clindamycin (about 75mg daily which is the correct dose) with peanut butter or nutella onto a nut.

However this one will not take medication on a nut. One sniff and he rejects it. I tried clavamox because I thought it is more palatable than clindamycin (Please correct me if I'm wrong there) but he refused to take it.

I'm thinking of injecting medicine into a nut using a syringe. Can clindamycin be administered in this way and is it safe to mix in water? I only have one chance to do this daily as he only visits once daily to eat nuts, he will not return for another meal in one day!

Any advice appreciated.

The correct dose of clindamycin for a squirrel is a strength of 25mg/ml dosed at 5-10mg/kg
The proper dilution of clindamycin to get this depends on the milligrams of the med you are attempting to use.
The proper dosing of a squirrel depends on it's body weight as all meds for squirrels are dosed by body weight.
When having to guess at an approximate weight a picture is helpful for a comparison.

[TheSquirrel]

He's average in size so I'd estimate his weight at 500g. I have 300mg clindamycin capsules so I would need to break open the capsule and divide the powder and mix it with water (or runny maple syrup perhaps) to inject into a nut. I have to be ready with this for tomorrow. It's night over here now so I won't be able to take a pictures today.

[stepnstone]

He's average in size so I'd estimate his weight at 500g. I have 300mg clindamycin capsules so I would need to break open the capsule and divide the powder and mix it with water (or runny maple syrup perhaps) to inject into a nut. I have to be ready with this for tomorrow. It's night over here now so I won't be able to take a pictures today.

First off, one does not "divide the powder," you need to dilute whatever milligrams the capsule is to
accomplish what is needed. I would not use the syrup mentioned.
I'm also confused as to your "injecting into a nut."
If your thinking of injecting into a nut with shell the majority will just be absorbed into the shell.
If your thinking of injecting right into a nut without shell, good luck with that working...
The way to lace a nut with meds is to take a nut, (without shell) carve out a grove to put the med in.
Once it is absorbed smear a tiny amount of peanut or almond butter over the medicated groove.
Walnuts provide their own groove but you still want to break the skin so med will absorb.

My personal method is to drill a hole in the fat end of an almond to put the med in and using the drilled
out shavings to plug the hole after the med has been absorbed. Any liquid left in the hole will be absorbed
by the shavings.

Not totally comfortable with dosing an unknown weight but will send you breakdown and dosing for a
500 gram squirrel in a private message. Tsb does not give dosing on the open board.

[TheSquirrel]

Many thanks, Stepstone. I have private messaged you a reply regarding your clavamox suggestion.
And I will try your method of carving a hole in a walnut (one of his favorites) and using the shavings to cover. Thank you!

[stepnstone]

Many thanks, Stepstone. I have private messaged you a reply regarding your clavamox suggestion.
And I will try your method of carving a hole in a walnut (one of his favorites) and using the shavings to cover. Thank you!

Walnuts already have a grove you can shallow out some to put the med in.
Almonds are solid so putting a hole in them is the way to go.

Around here my guys get almonds and hazel nuts. They pretty much devour both evenly.
When Hazel nuts aren't available I substitute with Walnuts.
They will eat the walnuts.... after they have picked out all the almonds.