I'd ask the vet what things it can or can not be mixed with just to be sure. Usually don't mix with citrus or dairy.

But I just mix meds with a small dot of their favorite yummy food and put it on a small plate. They lick it right up! You just have to find something they can not resist. I've done baby food lots but the #1 thing I've found that works is strawberry syrup. You just wanna make sure u only do a little bit so they eat it all up.

 

My boy Charlie always HATED meloxicam. HATED IT. Would throw a fit and refuse to eat anything or be held if he could smell it at all. And lord help us if he had to be given even a small ammount. He thrashed so much and screamed and cried, it was awful... It was only at the end of his life recently that I FINALLY found a good mix to hide the dreaded meds in and he would eat it like a treat. I used to try to hide it in baby food, and his favorite treat nutrical, but was never able to trick him. And as soon as he smelled the meds, he refused to eat even his favorite foods because he thought it would have the meds in it, sneaky little guy.

Anyway, I'm using this mix now and it's worked wonderfully for me, and I'm using it to hide antibiotics in too for my one old girl.

Teaspoon coconut oil, teaspoon (or more) of peanut butter (Natural peanut butter, the kind where the only ingredients are peanuts and salt. ) and then put in a little hot water, enough to melt the coconut oil and mix the peanut butter into a runny liquid. Then I add maybe a tablespoon or more of the "apple banana flavored rice baby cereal" and stir it up. It's very thick at this point and gets thicker as the cereal soaks up the liquid, so I then add the butter pecan Ensure calorie drink (the extra protein is more expensive so I just use the regular formula for weight gain) until it's about as thick as a pancake mix. You do NOT want this to be too thick or they can choke on it. As long as the consistency is like baby food, it should be ok.

I know it's a weird combo of stuff, but I tried a bunch of different mixes of the foods they like, and this was a big winner. Good luck, I know how difficult it is to medicate a very fussy rats who needs their meds. I hope your boy feels better.

 

Oh and that mix usually lasts me a few days when I'm giving my girl her meds twice a day. I also will heat it up in the microwave and maybe add a little more ensure if it thickens up too much. I think it's more appetizing if it's not straight out of the fridge cold.

 

When Juniper had a mild URI as a pup, we soaked her antibiotics in a corner of an unsalted cracker and gave it to her that way. She gobbled it right up and she cleared up quickly. There are probably foods your particular medicines can be mixed with safely, so ask your vet. I recommend not mixing them with dairy or acidic treats. My vet says that cracker-like treats are best, since they are very absorbent and rats tend to eat every morsel of them they can get, so the full dosage is almost guaranteed.

 

I'm not sure if it contains dairy or not, but I mix my rats antibiotics with Kozy Shack tapioca pudding and even my most picky rat eats it up in seconds. They adore the stuff. I would look into the ingredients first because I think it might have some dairy in it but if not its definitely worth a shot. I was at my wits end before I found some in the fridge and decided to try it as a last ditch effort and low and behold, they eat it every time without fail down to the very last drop.

 

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions. I tried mixing it with yogurt. They don't get it often, but love it. Calvin ate it all up!! My vet had me put my other boy, Harvey on the antibiotic too because he had a spot that looked a bit angry (he had surgery at the same time). So we are doing a round of antibiotics on him too. He has not gone for yogurt .. .. or a peanut butter, water mixture. I may try the baby food next for him. Thanks again, you are all awesome!

 

P.S. they are BOTH doing very well. Calvin's healing and seems to be feeling much better, he is now eating, though.. he got spoiled on his favorite veggies, nuts and fruit the last couple days because he didnt want to eat his dry food.

So.... now he wants those all the time. haha. Always looking in my hand for a treat.