Tricks to Administering LIQUID herbal formulas

UPDATES on Ferret Food Recalls
Responses from Whole/Natural Prey Suppliers

In giving medicines I have been worried about causing stress from the bad taste. And we are not just talking about the fuzz suffering here. Who of us out there has not had the experience of being sprayed in the face with the "nasty pink chalky-tasting stuff" (thank goodness I wear glasses) or piddled upon in the upmost form of retaliation??? (Viva Le Resitance!!)

Fortunately I have come across several suggestions that are worth trying out. I would like to present them here with my own ideas for all to hopefully benefit from.

I. Without the help of Additives:

Liquid remedies such as herbs, homeopathics or flower essences may contain a small amount of alcohol as a preservative. Some animals are sensitive to the smell or taste of alcohol so you may wish to remove it; measure the dosage into a small vial or shot glass and let it sit out for 15-20 minutes to let the alcohol evaporate. Alternatively, drop the dosage into a small amount of heated water to speed the evaporation of the alcohol. The additional water will not affect the potency of the remedy. Don’t hesitate to put a couple drops of the remedy on your own tongue so you know what it tastes like – none of the liquid herbal or homeopathic remedies are in any way harmful for humans. It is best to use a dosing syringe or extra dropper to administer the diluted remedy to your pet so you do not contaminate the remedy bottle with bacteria from the animal's mouth.
( Clip taken from the Only Natural Pet store. )

II. With the help of Additives:

FOOD:
Most herbal tinctures can be added to the food... If you have a fussy (pet) we suggest mixing the remedy with a bit of really yummy canned food or a treat. Canned tripe works well as it has a strong smell, ... re-hydrated freeze-dried treats and tuna juice also do the trick.
( Clip taken from the Only Natural Pet store. )

SWEETENERS:

Agave Nectar

Agave nectar comes from the Agave cactus. Although it does have "sugar", it is supposed to have a LOW GLYCEMIC INDEX and is therefore recommended for use by people with blood sugar problems. I use it myself for that reason and do not have the same trouble I do if I use honey or sugar. Also, it is 1.4~1.6 times as sweet as the equivalent amount of sugar so you technically need less to help with disguising bad tasting medicine.

Unfortunately, Agave NECTAR is such a new product it does not even turn up in the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference.

On the other hand, a user on the FHL shared this experience with using it:
"I also use Agave Nectar almost exclusively as a sweetener and my ferrets are always 'sharing' my food with me, and have had no bad side effects. They have not eaten it straight, but clearly seem to like the taste."

More importantly, it does not appear to be toxic to ferrets.

Soymilk
Unfortunately it does have some sugar content, but being made from soy means no lactose to upset the stomach. You can see a picture of the troupe enjoying some salmon oil laced soy milk here. Also most soy milk is organic and is not packed with additives or other ingredients you can not pronounce. 2 good brands that I liked were 8th Continent (blue and white bottle) and SILK(red carton), both in regular ORIGINAL flavor only.

More importantly, soy isnot toxic to ferrets. It's the first ingredient in N Bones. Moderation is the key.

Stevia
As to Stevia, I thought about that using this too since it has a gylcemic index of 0, meaning perfectly safe for users with blood sugar issues. It is made from the dried and powered Stevia leaf so completely natural with no additives unless you buy the 'white' powder. That is a chemical whiteness. However, there are two problems right up front. One problem being that the taste is so incredibly obnoxious. I found it is very 'fake' and chemical tasting in the most minute amounts. You would swear it is a companion of the artificial sweeteners.

Secondly and more importantly, its toxicity in ferrets is unknown.

Xylitol
This was suggested to me on another board. Fortunately, I can not get it here. Why? Its toxicity in ferrets might be unknown, but it is toxic to dogs:

Xylitol has been the subject of a recent study that demonstrates the devastating power of a seemingly innocuous supermarket substance on the canine liver. Rimadyl, raw onions and Tylenol have nothing on this sweetener. It only takes a few cupcakes left unobserved on the kitchen counter to kill even a large dog. Your three-pound Yorkie? A fraction of one offered surreptitiously by a well-meaning guest might suffice.

We’ve known about this toxin for some time but it’s only recently that we’ve discovered a definitive connection between even small amounts of the product and deadly liver toxicity in dogs. Dogs just don’t have the liver enzymes necessary to deal with this particular molecule.
Quote from Dolittler.

Dr. Dunayer had this to say, "... there appears to be a strong link between xylitol ingestions and the development of liver failure in dogs." Please read the full article about xylitol toxicity from the JAVMA. It may not be ferrets, but it is good enough reason for me to not even consider it.

III. TIMING:

Most homeopathic remedies are best given at least 20 minutes before… a meal. Ideally there should be no food residue in the mouth. Drop the liquid directly into the animal's mouth or on the gums... If this proves impossible for your companion, then mix the remedy with a small amount of food or a treat.
( Clip taken from the Only Natural Pet store. )

It should be noted that giving herbal medicines 20+ minutes before any food is ingested has been standard operating procedure in over 3000 years of Chinese medicine, even for humans.

Although I will be posting the results and trials here on my blog, you can follow my several discussions on supportive therapies for lymphoma here at Natural Ferrets and the FHL: topic#1 and topic#2. Both require membership. Please also refer to the the Ferret Links - Medical section for websites dealing with herbal interactions and toxicity.


No part of this web site may be produced, reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means -- electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise -- without the written permission of the copyright owner. All copyrights of their respective owners.

Ads make the world go around. Help us out!