Read About Horse Medication

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Giving your Horse Medication

Giving your horse medication is typically a challenging task. Whether you are administering the medication orally or by injection, it is rarely easy gaining your equine friend's cooperation. If it is possible to obtain the medication in the form of a flavored powder, this can be mixed with your horse's feed, and he will never even realize that he has taken his medicine! This sounds easy enough, but what you must be mindful of is making sure that your horse eats all of his feed. Simply check his feedbag thirty to forty-five minutes after initially feeding him to make sure the bag is empty. If it is, then you're home free!

Many drugs must be directly inserted into the horse's mouth via syringe. If this is what you have to do, it is best to crush the medicine into as fine a powder as you can, then mix it with something such as molasses to mask the taste of the medicine. It is important to check with your veterinarian prior to mixing medicines with foods, as you need to be sure that you are not damaging the effects of the drug. You want to be sure that your horse receives his full dosage of medicine for optimal effectiveness. If giving your horse medication in this manner, you must tilt the horse's head slightly until he opens his mouth enough for you to eject the medicinal mixture onto his teeth and gums. The mixture will be absorbed into the horse's system most effectively this way. He will eventually swallow all of it, and will receive the full benefit of his prescription.

If you must give your horse an actual pill, be prepared to obtain assistance. One person will need to administer the drug, while another (very strong) person holds the horse. If no one strong enough is available to assist you, simply tie the horse securely so that he cannot get away from you once you begin giving him his pill. You can obtain a plunger device, called a balling gun, which will enable you to pop the pill into the back of the horses mouth. He should swallow the pill without any difficulty at this point, but be sure to check and make sure that it did go down. Giving your horse medication in this manner is the most effective way to get him to actually swallow a whole pill.

If your veterinarian prescribes any medications for your horse that may be irritating to his mouth and gums, he or she will tell you. If this is the case, you will need to be very careful to make sure that, when giving your horse medication, you remember to rinse his mouth each time to eliminate the possibility of irritation.

In giving your horse medication, it is not uncommon for horse owners to have to give their horses injections periodically. Your veterinarian will determine what type of medication your horse needs, then he or she can teach you how to administer the injections yourself. If you are mindful of the proper precautions, giving your horse medication can be a relatively smooth process for both you and your horse.

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