Tips for hiding taste of cabergoline?

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Leraine

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Hi everyone,

My beloved heart rat, Anna, was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor. She's a little over 2.5 years old, and I've read that at best, medication can prolong the lives of rats with PT for a few months. I know I don't have much time left, and I'm trying to give her the best quality of life that I can. She's currently on prednisone and cabergoline for her PT, but she hates taking the cabergoline, even though I try to dissolve the dose into a measly 0.1mL. She fights so hard, and it breaks my heart to have to fight her in order to get the meds into her body. I've only ever given it twice, but it's been a colossal struggle both times. I have the tablets, and have been dissolving them in juice, but it seems that she can still taste it.

I've read that some people had luck hiding it in oat milk, so I was wondering if anyone has found something that can convince their rats to take cabergoline more easily. I've had to syringe other meds into her before that she didn't like (for ex, doxy and Baytril) but she has never fought me THIS hard, so I think she must REALLY hate it.

Any other tips, advice, or anecdotes about helping rats with pituitary tumors are very much welcome. This is the first time I've had a rat with a pituitary tumor, so any help could help prolong Anna's life or increase her quality of life.

Thanks so much.
 
I have found that adding a couple of drops of strawberry quik, & a couple of drops of water to the measured out meds and then thickening with a tiny bit of baby cereal makes my rats eager to take their meds
 
Oatmeal, with non-dairy milk. Works everytime for me. Oatmeal masks Baytril so I'm sure it'll mask your meds too. Give it a try! Oatmeal is really creamy and you don't have to add any sugar to it. Ideal for rats that are on meds long term because it cuts out the need to add sugary things to their meds.
 
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Oatmeal, with non-dairy milk. Works everytime for me. Oatmeal masks Baytril so I'm sure it'll mask your meds too. Give it a try! Oatmeal is really creamy and you don't have to add any sugar to it. Ideal for rats that are on meds long term because it cuts out the need to add sugary things to their meds.

How much of the cooked oatmeal do you use to mix in with the meds? does it absorb the meds?
 
Hardly any SQ. Just microwave some oats with the non-diary milk, but don't make it too thick by using too many oats. You want the consistency a bit runny so you can mix it in with the meds. Put the meds on a tablespoon, get a little of the oat mixture and work it in to the meds. Then add a little more, but not too much that it fills them up before they finish the meds. You want the rattie to eat up the whole lot and since they go absolutely nuts for oatmeal (like literally snatching the spoon away from me) they will gobble it all up no problem.

Oatmeal completely masks the meds. I no longer have to worry about administering meds to rats anymore, it's a huge relief! Try it. And you don't have to add any sugar to them either. You'd think it'd taste really bland but oats are naturally sweet and with oat milk especially, it does actually taste very cream and sugary. Much healthier for the rats.
 
Hardly any SQ. Just microwave some oats with the non-diary milk, but don't make it too thick by using too many oats. You want the consistency a bit runny so you can mix it in with the meds. Put the meds on a tablespoon, get a little of the oat mixture and work it in to the meds. Then add a little more, but not too much that it fills them up before they finish the meds. You want the rattie to eat up the whole lot and since they go absolutely nuts for oatmeal (like literally snatching the spoon away from me) they will gobble it all up no problem.

Oatmeal completely masks the meds. I no longer have to worry about administering meds to rats anymore, it's a huge relief! Try it. And you don't have to add any sugar to them either. You'd think it'd taste really bland but oats are naturally sweet and with oat milk especially, it does actually taste very cream and sugary. Much healthier for the rats.

Thanks :)
It sounds great ..... it would be such a relief not to have to sweeten meds with strawberry quik

I will try it without the nondairy milk and hope that it works because all the nondairy milk around here has added calcium that may interfere with the effectiveness of some antibiotics .... so I will hope that cooking it with water works just as well
 
Do you know what SQ, I'll honestly be really surprised if it doesn't work with just plain old water too. I have no idea why they go so crazy for it but they do. I hope it works for you too and you can have the same relief of knowing you'll never have any issues getting meds into rats again.

Let me know if it works for you. I'll bet money that it will!
 
Hmm, I typed up a response earlier but it seems to have disappeared.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions guys! I'll have to try oatmeal and baby cereal.


SQ - good point regarding the calcium added to non-dairy milks. That totally slipped my mind.


Right now I only have 2 pills left, but I think I'll buy some more online so that I can experiment with your suggestions without worrying about the rat refusing to eat it. Thanks again!
 
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