Administering Medication To Small Rodents

Unfortunately, it is always necessary that dwarf hamsters, gerbils & co need medication. Ointments and creams are licked off by the dwarves and often lead to increased manipulation rather than effect. Therefore, drugs such as antibiotics, etc. often have to be given orally. However, this also poses challenges for the owner, since the animals are unlikely to take the medication voluntarily. But with a few tips and tricks, it can be done.

Internet Tips For Administering Medication To Small Rodents

There are a few tricks that can be used to “foster” the drugs on the animals without stress. Unfortunately, not all tips for small rodents that can be found on the internet are really suitable.

Suitable:

• Mix medicines into porridge:

The advantage is that the medication is stirred into the pulp and it cannot be carried away. Please note small amounts of food for the rodent. It is best to occasionally offer porridge to a healthy animal and try what the animal likes and be prepared in the event of illness. Mix the porridge yourself with a blender or buy baby jars (vegetable porridge with and without meat). Yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. are also popular and suitable. However, not all antibiotics are suitable for administration in and with dairy products. Please consult with the TA. In the case of group animals, of course also offer the healthy animals an extra portion of the pap, etc., and make sure that the partner animals do not eat the medication.

• Drug administration via mealworms:

I would like to present this variant in more detail, as it has been used successfully with gerbils and hamsters for years. Mealworms have a strong odor of their own and probably a strong taste too, so you can’t even taste the drug itself.

To note and prepare:

• Dried!! mealworms. These are hollow from drying!
• Only whole mealworms have been carefully stored so that there are a few damages/holes as possible and the medication cannot leak out.
• A syringe with a saving spike and fine hypodermic cannula (needle). It is best to just get the cannula and syringe from the vet, they can be used several times. The black part of the syringe is the saving spike, which pushes the drug residue out of the syringe attachment.
• Prepare the medication and draw it into the syringe, take the (whole) mealworm in your hand, ideally one with a slight curve. Carefully insert the needle at a low angle and poke the mealworm. Attention: do not pierce!
• Carefully and slowly inject the medication into the mealworm.
• It’s best to practice the whole thing with water beforehand!
• Usually 0.1 to the max. 0.2 ml fit in a mealworm. If necessary, divide the amount between several mealworms. Not suitable is the mealworm variant with massive loss of appetite! (loss of appetite)

Administer Medication Directly Into The Mouth

Advantage: Correct dosage largely guaranteed
Disadvantage: stress

• takes the animal out of the enclosure.
• Minimize the risk of falling, e.g. sitting on the floor.
• Secure the rodent firmly in your left hand with a towel or kitchen paper. Professional tip: fixate with cotton or fleece gloves, as the little ones cannot slip through here so easily!
• Use your fingers to hold/fix the head.
• Administration of medication: Insert the syringe attachment (protruding spike at the front) sideways into the little mouth and slowly enter.
• Make sure that the rodent does not bite off the wick.
• Sometimes it is enough to drip the drug on the lips.

Conditionally suitable:

Drip Medication On The Feed Or Fruit:

If the animal drags the food away, it is no longer possible to trace how much has been eaten. Dry food, and thus the medication, may end up in the cheek pouch of hamsters!

Not suitable:

Administering Medication Via The Drinking Water:

Small rodents drink far too little to really ensure absorption and this variant is therefore uncontrollable. Furthermore, the active ingredient does not get better by standing off. Exception: Hybrids or Campbell’s dwarf hamsters with diabetes. Diabetic hamsters consume a lot of liquid. Put the drug in a small amount of water. Observe the recording and then immediately provide water again. If the hamster does not like the medicated water, please do not choose this option. Diabetic hamsters are very thirsty and shouldn’t have to suffer anymore.

Dripping Medication On The Fur:

It is unlikely that the animal will absorb the drug entirely through grooming. If necessary, the medication is distributed in the litter or the partner animal licks it off. In the case of antibiotics, this can further promote the development of resistance and thus the ineffectiveness of the drug.

Storage And Preparation Of Medication

In general, there are a few things to consider in advance for the storage and preparation of the drug.

• Generally do not give any prescription drugs without the doctor’s advice. Store medicines according to the instructions on the package or package insert. Medicines should generally never be left in the sun or exposed to heat (consider transport!).
• Take medication that needs to be refrigerated out of the refrigerator well in advance of administration.
• If the drug has been drawn up in a syringe for several days, never give the drug directly from this syringe, but fill the single dose or withdraw it with another syringe. Otherwise, in the heat of the moment, a (life-threatening) overdose can occur.
• Administering medication to the animal without a needle (= cannula)!!
• Please use syringes with a saving spike (see photo below). Dwarf hamsters in particular are often given the smallest doses, the majority of which otherwise remain in the syringe. Possibly, therefore, add some more water.
• As far as possible, pay attention to the waking times in order to keep the stress for the rodent as low as possible.

Please Note For Tablets And Capsules:

Medication not! mortars (source: human medicine). Why? Medicines that can theoretically be ground in a mortar also simply dissolve in water (called suspend). The strong pressure of the mortar can reduce the effectiveness of the drug. In addition, much of the active ingredient remains in the mortar. Furthermore, drugs that do not dissolve themselves have a different effect or even no effect in the dissolved form (caused by the mortar). Be careful with retard capsules. These actually release the drug at a slower rate, e.g. over 12 hours. If these are simply opened, this can lead to the complete active ingredient being released immediately and thus being overdosed. So consult your vet!