Best way to administer antibiotics to a fighter

[Renata]

My 9 week old is really resistant to taking her antibiotics, she's so smart that she realizes when I'm hiding antibiotics in her formula, the syringe in the nipple and thwarts any attempt to give her them.

Last night she vomited after administering them, and I'm frankly a bit worried. There has to be a better way. What is a best practice to give my squirrel her antibiotics without hurting her?

[CritterMom]

Try disguising first. Go to anyplace they sell liquor and get some grenadine. It is a sweet syrup made from pomegranites and is what makes a Cosmo red! It is non alcoholic but very strongly flavored.

Pull up the amount of the med you give your squirrel normally. Then pull up some of the grenadine. You will now have a strip of grenadine and a strip of meds, if you look at the syringe barrel. When administered, the first thing she is going to taste is the sweet syrup.

Don't dawdle - push that syringe!

You can try this with Karo or pancake syrup but the grenadine is much more flavorful, which helps when you are trying to disguise.

[Mommaluvy]

It works.. I have done it with syrup just like she said above. I had no trouble with the meds.. but I had trouble with them not wanting hydration fluids when some were sick.

[Renata]

Thank you so much, will try tonight

[Renata]

Side note, we don't dawdle at all, but she won't let it anywhere near her.

[Renata]

Nope, tried all natural maple syrup, didn't work.. It took 10 minutes of 2 of us holding her down and a lot of screaming from her.. I'm exhausted, it breaks my heart so much to fight with her like this.

I don't know it it's because she doesn't trust me anymore, but she's refusing to eat anything from either of us now. She's been very active all day, but I couldn't tell if she ate any of her food (my cat stole her nest and food, because she refuses to stay in her cage)

Are there any alternatives? Should I just stop the antibiotics? She's been on them for 5 days...

[farrelli]

You could also try egg yolk. Sounds weird, but it has compounds that neutralize some tastes. These compounds are used to hide some drugs from humans.

[Renata]

You could also try egg yolk. Sounds weird, but it has compounds that neutralize some tastes. These compounds are used to hide some drugs from humans.

It didn't work, she still screamed and rubbed her face on everything. I mixed 2 times the egg yolk than the antibiotic. It took 2 of us, lots of screaming from her, and blood on my part- still about 10 to 15 minutes....

As an aside, I have Henry blocks, they are really really hard- almost like soles of your shoes rubber hard... Is that normal? She just got her top teeth partially in this past 2 weeks, and I'm concerned she's avoiding it because it is too hard.

[pjjere]

I have not tried it yet but I read that if you warm the block up a bit and crumble it up and put a little syrup and almond (or peanut) butter on top it may help hid the taste of the AB's. Try warming the whole mess up a little and the warm almond butter should be enticing.

[lilidukes]

I'm going to sound harsh and cold here.

We are giving meds to small animals here. There is really no
room for error. Wrap that squirrel up like a burrito hold
the head tight with one hand stick the syringe in from
the side behind the teeth and just do it.
Trying to hold a squirrel down is doing more damage than
good.