How do you think antibiotics are best administered?

[DucksOhio]

I also give my ducks every chance at life. I'd love to be your neighbor as well.

Have you tried giving capsules/tablets orally? Even without tomatoes I find it easier/faster. I trim my index fingernail very short, open her mouth, and slide the medication down the side of her mouth and into her throat. I've even had a compounding pharmacy make capsules for me for a medication that only came in liquid because I find it so much easier. You do have to put your finger down into the ducks throat a little, but I just remind myself that they eat slugs bigger than my thumb for fun. I take a breath, do it, and it is over.

I’ll also try th at, thank you

 

[DucksOhio]

Well, update. I took Sugar to the vet and agreed to surgery to remove the infection from her heel. She’s back home in her duck barn with her friends.

She’s bandaged up pretty well and my vet put on of my duck booties on her.

I now have injectable antibiotics, metacam (oral) and pain pills (oral). I’ll have plenty of time to practice giving oral meds, as she is going to have a fairly lengthy recovery.

I just want this sweet girl to get better. Thankfully, it’s winter and she’s not going to miss too much staying inside.

 

[Dux]

Well, update. I took Sugar to the vet and agreed to surgery to remove the infection from her heel. She’s back home in her duck barn with her friends.

She’s bandaged up pretty well and my vet put on of my duck booties on her.

I now have injectable antibiotics, metacam (oral) and pain pills (oral). I’ll have plenty of time to practice giving oral meds, as she is going to have a fairly lengthy recovery.

I just want this sweet girl to get better. Thankfully, it’s winter and she’s not going to miss too much staying inside.

I will have my fingers crossed for you and Sugar. It's a tough road but so worth it if you can get her through the other side.

 

[DucksOhio]

I will have my fingers crossed for you and Sugar. It's a tough road but so worth it if you can get her through the other side.

So I had my first successful morning! Kinda....
I decided it would be easier to bring Sugar inside my house to give the medicine. All the other ducks are in the barn today as it’s really cold and snowy. I carried her over to my house in a tall laundry basket with a towel on top and inside.

Then I took her to my spare bedroom and put a towel on the floor and positioned her on her feet between my knees as KaleIam suggested. I was able to get the liquid metacam down, had some issues with the painkiller pill, but I’ll work on that. Antibioti injection went easy.

I think getting her in a separate space away from the other ducks when giving meds seems to relax her a bit.

 

[KaleIAm]

So I had my first successful morning! Kinda....
I decided it would be easier to bring Sugar inside my house to give the medicine. All the other ducks are in the barn today as it’s really cold and snowy. I carried her over to my house in a tall laundry basket with a towel on top and inside.

Then I took her to my spare bedroom and put a towel on the floor and positioned her on her feet between my knees as KaleIam suggested. I was able to get the liquid metacam down, had some issues with the painkiller pill, but I’ll work on that. Antibioti injection went easy.

I think getting her in a separate space away from the other ducks when giving meds seems to relax her a bit.

Well done!

What was the issue with the pain killer? I had a vet tech once tell me to lubricate pills with edible oil. So sometimes I dip the very corner of a tablet in olive oil. It helps it side down easier. Too much makes it slippery and harder to hang on to. Also aspirating oil is very bad, so I use very little and keep the medication to the side of her mouth. I also have to push it down quite deep into her throat or she'll shake her head and it will come back up.

 

[DucksOhio]

Well done!

What was the issue with the pain killer? I had a vet tech once tell me to lubricate pills with edible oil. So sometimes I dip the very corner of a tablet in olive oil. It helps it side down easier. Too much makes it slippery and harder to hang on to. Also aspirating oil is very bad, so I use very little and keep the medication to the side of her mouth. I also have to push it down quite deep into her throat or she'll shake her head and it will come back up.

It’s a tiny half pill. I’ll try to push it down a bit tonight

 

[Dux]

It’s a tiny half pill. I’ll try to push it down a bit tonight

When I had to give my ducks pills, I always had to push it down their throats with my finger or else they would just spit it out (unfortunately they don't like cherry tomatoes!). It sounds like you've got your approach figured out, but in case it's helpful, one of the vet techs showed me a strategy where you wrap a towel around the duck to keep her wings pinned (if she's a flappy duck - you can skip it if she isn't - also I sit cross-legged and put the duck in the triangle between my legs so that if she backs up, she backs up into my leg - make sure you have a towel because they tend to fear-poop); then you put her body at a right angle to yours with her head facing your dominant hand. Then you turn your non-dominant hand palm up and V it from behind her head so that your smaller/weaker fingers are generally keeping her head still and your thumb and forefinger are free to pry her mouth open. If she's a fighter it helps to tilt her head straight up, or at any rate, extend the neck out long. Meanwhile you pick up the pill with your dominant hand and push it down her throat with your index finger. I remember that their windpipe is off to one side of their throat and their esophagus is off to the other side, so when you push the pill in, it doesn't go straight in. I think the pill goes to the duck's right, but I'm not 100% sure - I started doing it just by feel. I was initially terrified that I'd accidentally push the pill into their lungs and they would choke.

I think taking Sugar away from the other ducks while medicating her is probably a good idea - as long as she isn't automatically scared to be alone: it's quieter when they aren't stirring the patient up by acting excited or fearful. My ducks were all sick around the same time so there were always two or three getting treatment 2x daily. They definitely knew what was up and had different levels of fear around it. I always gave everyone their favorite treats after medicating whoever needed it, though, to try to make the experience less awful for them. Eventually, whoever had already had their treatment would come right over to watch the subsequent duck(s) be treated because they knew as soon as that was over there would be treats for everyone. Some of them got so bold that they would try snapping at the pill in my hand before it went down their friend's throat because they though it might be a treat. Whoever was the last duck to be treated would always take a few moments before eating treats - stunned by her recent ordeal and needing a little time to regain her bearings. Occasionally whoever was last would be too upset or ill to want to partake at all, the poor darling, though at least she could still see that the other ducks were eating and safe.

Anyway, sorry for the long anecdote - just trying to give you a sense of some other ways it can go as you work out what's best for you and Sugar. It sounds like you're off to an excellent start.

 

[SolarDuck]

I started giving calcium pills to my girl Pigeon recently, ive never given pills to any bird before but I was very surprised at how easy it was. Just placed it in her throat and tapped it with my finger slightly and that was that.

 

[KaleIAm]

I started giving calcium pills to my girl Pigeon recently, ive never given pills to any bird before but I was very surprised at how easy it was. Just placed it in her throat and tapped it with my finger slightly and that was that.

How did you manage to get the easiest duck ever? I've spent 6 years mastering duck medication strategy with wiggly uncooperative ducks! I've even bought machines to fill my own different sized capsules.

 

[DucksOhio]

I started giving calcium pills to my girl Pigeon recently, ive never given pills to any bird before but I was very surprised at how easy it was. Just placed it in her throat and tapped it with my finger slightly and that was that.

Interesting...did you tap the beak or throat?