Help with meds, please!

[Crazy4Herps]

For those who haven't seen my other threads, here's the story: My BP Cu has pinworms and is on Panacur weekly. Last week, over half of the liquid did not make it in her mouth. This week (just a few minutes ago), I got a bit more in, but I still spilled a lot.

I am the only one who wants to hold her head. I've got people holding the rest of her body, but I'm still stuck holding her head, opening her mouth, and giving her meds. And I'm still nervous about hurting her.

What can I do? First of all, I'm having a hard time getting her mouth open. I try to be firm, but I don't want to break her teeth. And because of that, I can't get the syringe all the way into her mouth. I'm also worried about getting any down her trachea.

Help, please! Pics, videos, advice, anything would be appreciated! She isn't getting enough of her meds, and I don't have enough to give her extra doses. If I can't get this figured out, I will start taking her to the vet weekly and having the vet do it, but I am low on funds and time and I'd rather not.

Please help me!!

[llovelace]

while someone else is holding her body, firmly hold her head between your thumb & index finger at her jaw hinge, while holding her neck area secure with your remaining three fingers.

Then using the syringe thru the side of mouth, at this point your snake will open it's mouth. insert the syringe past the trachea to the opening of the snakes throat, then administer meds.

Your snake will be squirming around, but you are not hurting her, remember it's gonna be like giving oral meds to a 2 year old, they hate it.

Good luck

[mechnut450]

i would say if it a weekly deal I call and ask the vet if you can inject it into her prey tirem as she starts to eat it would be ok.. this way she get the meds and does not know about it ..

Mom had a cat that would not take her meds at all. we end up tricking her by placing it in some pudding and she inhale it lol ( it so funny cause that the only human food outside of meat she would eat if given a chance. ) this cat would not eat noodles, cheese, or anything else but either pudding or meat. outside that she eat the cat food. and therest of mom's cats would be fighting for th enoodles, and not worry about the pudding so mom took her and mixed her meds into the puddin and let the cat think she was getting a treat.

I am currently injecting the meds into a rodent tail and force feeding a sick kenya sand boa. and the snake stating to improve for me ..

[2kdime]

This is generally not recommended from what I have been told and read.

Panacur needs to be given every 2 weeks for 3 treatments. Generally 2 are needed, but I always say 3 to be safe.

Ask your vet for some of the RED CATHETERS.

Cut the catheter down to slide it onto the end of the syringe, lube it up with some KY, and get that down her throat instead of the syringe. It gets the meds further down, and less chance of her spitting it back up. Pop the syringe off and suck up an equal amount of tap water, then inject that as well. This flushes the remaining meds in the catheter out.

Hold her there for a second, and pull the catheter out. All done, mind you you need her elevated the whole time.

Now your done, and hopefully you didn't miss Family Guy.

Believe me this is the easiest method I have used.

HTH

i would say if it a weekly deal I call and ask the vet if you can inject it into her prey tirem as she starts to eat it would be ok.. this way she get the meds and does not know about it

[Crazy4Herps]

This is generally not recommended from what I have been told and read.

Panacur needs to be given every 2 weeks for 3 treatments. Generally 2 are needed, but I always say 3 to be safe.

Ask your vet for some of the RED CATHETERS.

Cut the catheter down to slide it onto the end of the syringe, lube it up with some KY, and get that down her throat instead of the syringe. It gets the meds further down, and less chance of her spitting it back up. Pop the syringe off and suck up an equal amount of tap water, then inject that as well. This flushes the remaining meds in the catheter out.

Hold her there for a second, and pull the catheter out. All done, mind you you need her elevated the whole time.

Now your done, and hopefully you didn't miss Family Guy.

Believe me this is the easiest method I have used.

HTH

Thanks! I'll try it. My concern is still that I might mistake the throat and the trachea.

Also, any suggestions on getting her mouth open?

[2kdime]

That will be your downfall. I always restrained the animal and persuaded the animal to open its mouth with a credit card. My lovely assistant (my fiance) shoved the catheter down the animals throat, making sure to avoid the Glottis. You should check into having it done at your vets office, most the time if meds like this are prescribed, they'll administer them for you.

[Crazy4Herps]

Ok, thanks. They already had Cu's size and weight from a previous appointment, so I didn't take her in when I got the meds.

[frankykeno]

What I use to open up and hold a snake's mouth open is a very small, soft rubber spatula. Check any major store or even a dollar store. You don't want the hard plastic spatulas, you want the more expensive (still very cheap though) soft rubber spatulas. They usually are available in all sorts of sizes, you want the smallest one possible.

Just slide the spatula in the side of your snake's mouth on the horizontal, then give it a twist. Bingo...open mouth....spatula keeps it open and the soft rubber does no harm. Once you're done just give it a good disinfecting and store it in a ziploc baggie for next time.