Delaney9940
Well-Known Member
Our new vet wants us to scruff our rats. She wants us to get them used to be held this way....so as to make it easier to administer meds if they get sick. We have never done this and dont really want to. Any advice?
Scruffing???
- Thread starter Delaney9940
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Melissa's ZOO
Well-Known Member
Umm, yeah I am not so sure about that. Most rats hate being scruffed. Mimzy is my only rat who lets me do it even then she still fights like mad when I try to get meds down here. I do the rattie burrito thing. Wrap them tight in a blanket or towel so that just their head sticks out and syringe meds in. works pretty well unless you have an ultimate fighter (I have a few).
jorats
Loving rats since 2002.
I don't like that either but it is the way they are taught how to old a rat when administering meds. I've used it a couple of times for those that were really stubborn. It does work but I feel like such a meanie and won't do it unless I absolutely have to.
Delaney9940
Well-Known Member
I think we will save it for those necessary times and not teach it to them everyday.
Why would i want to make my girls miserable just to make the vets life easier? NOT!
Why would i want to make my girls miserable just to make the vets life easier? NOT!
Delaney9940
Well-Known Member
I should explain, the vets me to do it to them ALL the time. Get them used to it on a daily basis.
All but one of my girls have let me scruff them without too much of a fight, but it's not something I've ever done on any sort of regular basis, and definitely not for medicating. You're just asking for them to hate being medicated at that point. Nothing is more of a pain than trying to get meds into a rat who is really fighting you. Plus, it's never helped me medicate them any easier, or do anything else to them, for that matter.
If your vet, or you, are that concerned about you having difficulty getting their meds into them, ask for a higher concentration. It will always be easier to get .05cc into an unwilling rat than .20cc. When my rats are really unwilling to take their meds [which hardly happens since I switched to Baytril pills], I sit down, hold them against my stomach with their body laying up my chest. Hold them with one hand over their shoulders, pop the syringe into the side of their mouth and squeeze the plunger. It literally takes longer to adjust their position than it does to get the meds in. Make sure you're wearing a shirt you don't mind getting sticky meds on, too. I only do this with small amounts of medications. I'm not comfortable with doing this method with more than .10cc tops, so if your vet won't concentrate your meds more, I would suggest doing it in a couple of sessions [or one after the other if your rat will do it] so there's no risk of aspiration.
Lots of people do this instead of trying to mix meds in with "goodies" to try and tempt the rat to eat them. There's a thread dedicated to just what all you can mix with meds to try and get them to eat it on their own.
If your vet, or you, are that concerned about you having difficulty getting their meds into them, ask for a higher concentration. It will always be easier to get .05cc into an unwilling rat than .20cc. When my rats are really unwilling to take their meds [which hardly happens since I switched to Baytril pills], I sit down, hold them against my stomach with their body laying up my chest. Hold them with one hand over their shoulders, pop the syringe into the side of their mouth and squeeze the plunger. It literally takes longer to adjust their position than it does to get the meds in. Make sure you're wearing a shirt you don't mind getting sticky meds on, too. I only do this with small amounts of medications. I'm not comfortable with doing this method with more than .10cc tops, so if your vet won't concentrate your meds more, I would suggest doing it in a couple of sessions [or one after the other if your rat will do it] so there's no risk of aspiration.
Lots of people do this instead of trying to mix meds in with "goodies" to try and tempt the rat to eat them. There's a thread dedicated to just what all you can mix with meds to try and get them to eat it on their own.
