How to get a leo to take his medicine

[butterbean]

Monday my poor boy got diagnosed with an eye infection and was prescribed an ointment and liquid tribrissen to take orally. However he absolutely loathes taking the liquid antibiotics! First I tried just getting him to lick it off in drops from his nose or from the syringe, but he would get a taste and shake the drops away! So I called my vet and was told to gently ease his mouth open (didnt even have to do that because whenever I pick him up in a towel he gapes his mouth at me) by rubbing it on the side and then squirting small amounts into his mouth (not down his throat) and that if he tries to shake it out to gently close his mouth after squirting the drops in. So i try that, he shakes it out of his mouth the first time, so the second time i close his mouth right after and... it comes out of his nose his eyes have been improving, but when it comes to the antibiotics i think more of it ends up splattered across the room and on my shirt. is there any other technique you guys use to give your leos medicine? I'll add that he will eagerly lap up a mixture of mealworm guts, calcium powder, and water from a syringe.

 

[acpart]

Welcome to GF!

You could try mixing the antibiotic with some mealworm guts. Alternatively, here's my method: Sit back on the couch. Put the gecko on your chest and hold a hand lightly over it. Put a drop of meds on the nose and keep you hand lightly on the gecko's back to see if you can keep it from tossing its head. Go one drop at a time. Good luck.

Aliza

 

[butterbean]

Thank you! I'll try both out and return with an update