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Discussion on Disguising Bute-Got Tricks?
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Member:
9193
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Posted on Friday, Apr 23, 2004 - 12:21 pm:
Hello All,
I had our vet come out to evaluate some increased stiffness in the hind legs of our 14 yr old TB. He felt it was stiffness that reflected the increased training and trail riding that we have been doing and recommended we begin our riding with 20-30 minutes warm up walking and give him 2 gms of bute for 1 week, then 1gm of bute for the following week, then call for another evaluation after that.
Giving the bute is my problem.. This horse is part bloodhound! I requested the apple flavored bute powder thinking that I could disguise it in some Equine senior like so many of the other horses enjoy and he will have nothing to do with the Eqine senior mixed with the bute powder. I made a concoction of molasses, applesauce, oil and mixed it with his regular grain and he would have nothing to do with it.. I have tried mixing it with alfalfa pellets.. No dice.. I will come back several hours later and it is hardly touched.
I board him at a facility which is 30 minutes away. My hope was that he could get his medication at the lunchtime feeding which would be regular and predicable. (And save me an hours drive!) I have read the posts from past discussions and would be most grateful if anyone could give me any other suggestions to try.
I have resorted to going back to using the bute paste, but it is not a fun experience for either one of us. I have to back him into a corner, deal with all the head tossing and resistance, and then when he finally relents, it is obvious that it is a most unpleasant taste. (I did taste it.. its awful!!) Now when I show up to his stall, he turns and goes to the end of his paddock. I shouldn't take this personally, but it bothers me that he now sees me as an unpleasant person rather than his buddy. Bute is going to be a common occurance in his life and I would really like to find a way to make this easier for both of us.
Thank you for your help,
Debra
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Member:
Xenophon
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Posted on Friday, Apr 23, 2004 - 1:32 pm:
Hi Debra,
A friend of mine has a 20 something Arab gelding who refused to eat his powder Bute no matter how she tried to disguise it (she tried all the things you did). I suggested we try mixing the Bute with some plain dried molasses (which I always have on hand as I mix a bit in with my horses evening feed each day). He loved it! I don't know why the dried molasses works better than the liquid, perhaps it masks the Bute taste better. Might be worth a try with your guy.
Good luck,
Chris
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Member:
9193
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Posted on Friday, Apr 23, 2004 - 4:48 pm:
Thank you Chris,
I have never heard of dried molasses. Where do you find it?
I forgot to mention that I have also tried putting the bute powder in soaked dried beet pulp.
My dog thought it was tasty. I thought it was tasty! ( By now I have probably had more bute than he has. No wonder my knee feels better!)
Grins,
Debra
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Member:
Nadia
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Posted on Friday, Apr 23, 2004 - 5:43 pm:
I don't know where to buy the powder by itself - but I buy Aspirease - which has aspirin in the molasses powder. Initially, I would take about 1 cup of bran - mix in the Aspirease and add hot water to make it soupy. He licked the bowl clean. I was hoping the melted molasses would cover the bitter aspirin. I think it did work, but for some reason, one night, he wouldn't touch it anymore and I haven't tried after that since the weather turned warmer. It was winter when I was giving this to him. I may try again - I wonder if it would be too warm now for him to eat (maybe I'm just thinking of me - do I want to eat oatmeal on a hot summer day? not really). Maybe they don't care. I didn't feed alot of bran - I think the cup was just enough. You may have to do some investigation on the Ca/Phos ratio in his diet - although I think I read in this website that that horses can eat up to .2% (point 2) of bran per day without it affecting anything. (That value I'm not sure about).
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Member:
Xenophon
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Posted on Saturday, Apr 24, 2004 - 1:12 pm:
Hi Debra,
I live in British Columbia, Canada and buy it at my local feed store in 50lb. bags. They also sell it in bulk should you only need smaller amounts. Hope you're able to find it wherever you are. Good luck.
Chris
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Sunday, Apr 25, 2004 - 12:05 am:
I like the dried molasses idea. However, if you can't find any, I mix bute in apple sauce which usually goes down pretty easily. I use the pill form of bute and grind it up to a fine powder before mixing with the apple sauce. Another trick is baby food carrots.
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Member:
9193
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Posted on Sunday, Apr 25, 2004 - 10:46 pm:
Oh happy day!!
After a week of trying out many different ways of getting the 2gms of bute into Justin, he came out of his stiffness well enough to be shown in our first dressage schooling show. (Mom brag- daughter/horse placed 1st and 2nd with scores of 68 and 63)
I am no closer to finding some kind of grain concoction that he will eat with any certainty, but the one trick I have found that works with the least amount of resistance is mixing the apple flavored bute in applesauce and drawing it up ito a 35cc syringe with the tip cut off and squirting that in his mouth.
I like the baby food carrot idea Sara.. I will try that and see how that works.. Do you put it in the grain or in a syringe..? If I get as much baby food carrot all over me with the horse as I did with my kids, it shall be a nostalgic memory indeed!
Thankyou all for your time and suggestions. Both were much appreciated.
Debra
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Member:
Mrose
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Posted on Sunday, Apr 25, 2004 - 11:10 pm:
I put it in a syring to make sure they get it all. However, I have a couple that will lick it off my hand. Once when I had several foals all needing medicating, I had one that would come back for more!
Another thing that has worked for me is to grind up the pills really fine and mix it into really sticky peanut butter. You push the peanut butter mix onto the roof of the horse's mouth. You have to learn to be creative! I've never had good luck mixing meds with their feed, except for one stallion I have who will eat anything put in front of him.
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Member:
Dwinans
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Posted on Monday, Apr 26, 2004 - 1:23 pm:
I had a gelding who hated bute also. I found that if I gave him a peppermint candy before giving him the paste bute he didn't mind it. The peppermint seemed to "neutralize" the bute taste. He would even eat his dinner right after swallowing the bute.
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Member:
Cowgrl
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Posted on Monday, Apr 26, 2004 - 5:08 pm:
I hollowed out a carrot a couple of times for my filly who wouldn't touch it otherwise. It worked a couple of times until she caught on.
I like the baby food carrots, sounds like a winner.
Holly Z.
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