Oral Medication
Types of Oral Medications
Oral medications come in tablets, drench solutions, pastes, powders and granule forms.
Administering Oral Medication
It is important to administer the appropriate dose of the medication and ensure that the horse or foal has received the entire dose. This is sometimes easier said than done.
Tablets
There are two ways of giving tablet medication. The first way is by oral dosing (see below). Some tablets dissolve easily in water others need to be crushed prior to placing in the oral dosing syringe. A small amount of pancake syrup or molasses can be added to improve the taste.
The second way of administering tablets is mixing them (crushed or whole) with feed. There are several ways to crush the tablets. The first is a mortar and pestle, the second is placing the tablets in a plastic bag then using a hammer to crush them, and the third method is using a coffee bean grinder. Molasses can be used to dampen the feed to make the mixture more palatable for your horse and keep small tablets from separating out. Check the bottom of the feed bucket 15-30 minutes after feeding to make sure the entire mixture has been eaten.
Oral Pasting
Administering paste medication is similar to paste deworming. There are many techniques used. The first step, always, is to make sure that the horse does not have any feed or hay in their mouth. One technique is to slowly slip a finger in the corner of the mouth being careful not to be bitten. If the horse resents this, practice it until he accepts it. Once the horse accepts this, gently slide the syringe with medication as far back as possible. Push the plunger and remove the syringe. Hold the head up to discourage the horse from spitting the medication out. If the horse still does not swallow slide the syringe in the corner of his mouth to stimulate him to swallow.
Powders and Granules
Powders or granules can be mixed directly with the feed. Molasses can be used to dampen the feed to make the mixture more palatable for your horse and keeps powders, granules and small tablets from separating out. Check the bottom of the feed bucket 15-30 minutes after feeding to make sure the entire mixture has been eaten.
Call your veterinarian if you have any questions, concerns or are unable to administer the appropriate dose.
