Tips for giving a leo medication?

[Kariosus]

Ghidorah is the first leo I have ever owned; I have never given him medication before. I've been to the vets last week; found out he indeed has pinworms and entamoeba, and the vet directed me to treat for both parasites at the same time. I don't know if anyone would know, but does giving a leo two types of medication one after the other really stress their system? The vet assured me both medications have no adverse effects or side effects (fenbendazole and metronidazole), but I always like to get a second opinion.

My main problem however is that I am very nervous to give Ghidorah his medication. The vet told me to take the syringe and touch the sides of his mouth with it so that he will open his mouth, then she said to put the syringe in his mouth, past his wind-pipe to ensure that the medication won't get into his lungs. She basically told me the farther I put the syringe in his mouth, the better, to ensure no liquid gets into his lungs. Now, I am a very nervous person and if I could get anyone else to do this, believe me, I would. Ghidorah is still getting used to being handled (e.g. I have let him crawl out of his tank onto my hands and have "handled" him that way, but I have not picked him up yet; he runs or does the agressive tail-swaying if I try to scoop him into my hands and I don't have the confidence to grab him like the vet did), he is very flighty and skiddish so I don't really know if he will cooperate in the least bit.

Maybe I'm being more nervous than I should. Either way, if anyone has any advice or tips on how to make a flighty grumpy gecko cooperate with administering meds, I'd really appreciate it!

In the mean-time, I have disinfected his entire tank and all his hides, water bowls, etc. Had to throw out a few new goodies I had bought for him (cork log and styrofoam rock wall ). I have put down paper towel and I'll be ensuring his tank is cleaned out daily. Now all I have to do is give him his meds! >_<;

 

[acpart]

Try this:

Picking him up: slide your hand under his body and then use your other hand to make a kind of cave for him. If he tries to run, put one hand in front of the other to make sort of a "gecko treadmill" so he can walk from hand to hand. The first few times you take him out, get another tank or an empty plastic tub and put it near you so you can hold him over something. That way if he freaks out (or if you do) you can drop him gently into the tub as opposed to on the floor where you'll end up having to chase him.

Medication: I'm not a vet, but I'd be very nervous about sticking a syringe down a gecko's throat even though vets do it. Here's how I do it: I sit back on the couch, put the gecko on my chest and gently hold my hand over its back. If it wants to walk around I let it and then gently put it back where it started. I take the syringe with the other hand and put a drop of medicine on its mouth. Most geckos will lick the drop off and then keep licking as I administer one drop at a time.

Aliza

 

[LurancyVenom]

With my first leo, my vet gave me a tiny syringe with a plastic "needle" on it. It's flexible and not sharp, so you can't stab your leo with it.
It makes it a darn sight easier just gently guiding that little "needle" down it's throat, rather than putting a much larger syringe in their mouth.
Perhaps ask if they can give you one?


1.0.0 - Leopard Gecko

 

[Kariosus]

Try this:

Picking him up: slide your hand under his body and then use your other hand to make a kind of cave for him. If he tries to run, put one hand in front of the other to make sort of a "gecko treadmill" so he can walk from hand to hand. The first few times you take him out, get another tank or an empty plastic tub and put it near you so you can hold him over something. That way if he freaks out (or if you do) you can drop him gently into the tub as opposed to on the floor where you'll end up having to chase him.

Medication: I'm not a vet, but I'd be very nervous about sticking a syringe down a gecko's throat even though vets do it. Here's how I do it: I sit back on the couch, put the gecko on my chest and gently hold my hand over its back. If it wants to walk around I let it and then gently put it back where it started. I take the syringe with the other hand and put a drop of medicine on its mouth. Most geckos will lick the drop off and then keep licking as I administer one drop at a time.

Aliza

I've done the "gecko tredmill" routine with him; he's so fast he almost (and sometimes does) fall off! Not far though, just a couple inches. When he wants to run, he sure goes fast (unlike my sister's leo, she is so slow and lazy).

Ghidorah is still getting used to his "new" tank set-up (some things removed, everything else washed, so now he treats everything as if he's never seen it before in his life) so I didn't want to stress him out by picking him up. I did try to put a drop on his mouth, but he would fling his head away from the syringe and close his eyes before it even touched him (I guess the smell bothered him?). I would try to get him to lick it, but he gave it tentative "curiosity" licks then would jerk his head away and close his eyes again. I tried numerous times but he always moved his mouth away from the syringe very quickly; I didn't want to chase him around with the syringe for fear of poking his eye by accident (he was flinging his head all over the place). I don't even know if he got half of his dose; a fair amount of the medication got stuck in the end-tip of the syringe and just wouldn't come out. I'm overly emotional (ridiculously so) and I felt so bad for him, I had to stop.

I'll try again tomorrow; thanks for your advice! I don't know if having a leo outside of his tank would make a difference, but I'll try to hold him while I try to give him some drops tomorrow. I guess the trick is to put the drop of medication on their snout fairly quickly so they don't have a chance to react, and then the licking mechanism will kick in and it's smooth sailing from there? Who knows; tomorrow I will find out, hopefully.

 

[Kariosus]

With my first leo, my vet gave me a tiny syringe with a plastic "needle" on it. It's flexible and not sharp, so you can't stab your leo with it.
It makes it a darn sight easier just gently guiding that little "needle" down it's throat, rather than putting a much larger syringe in their mouth.
Perhaps ask if they can give you one?

1.0.0 - Leopard Gecko

That definitely looks like it'd help! I guess I can ask, I'd just hope that they wouldn't charge me an arm and a leg just to pick up a plastic needle from them (this has been my first time ever dealing with vets; I knew they were pricey but 100 bucks for a purely visual check-up shocked me). Maybe I could get those plastic needles elsewhere? Probably not >_<

 

[acpart]

Bring the syringe you have to a (human) medical supply store and see if they can help you out.

Aliza

 

[Angela Gatt]

I'm currently in the process of getting my leopard gecko healthy. He too, had pinworms. The medication we were given was white, and quite thick, so it didn't all come out of the syringe very well. I found that he would open his mouth a bit if I rubbed the edge of his mouth, but if I went from nose to end he'd open up wide. It was easier if someone else held him and rubbed and I was ready with the syringe. Then, because it was thick, it didn't all go in, so I rubbed the last bit on the edge of his mouth and he licked it off. I wish you luck, we're about 2 months into the process now.

 

[LurancyVenom]

That definitely looks like it'd help! I guess I can ask, I'd just hope that they wouldn't charge me an arm and a leg just to pick up a plastic needle from them (this has been my first time ever dealing with vets; I knew they were pricey but 100 bucks for a purely visual check-up shocked me). Maybe I could get those plastic needles elsewhere? Probably not >_<

My vet gave me one for free with Critical Care Formula. They shouldn't charge you really, because they cost pence (or cents, depending on where you are) to buy bulk.


1.0.0 - Leopard Gecko

 

[Kariosus]

I'm currently in the process of getting my leopard gecko healthy. He too, had pinworms. The medication we were given was white, and quite thick, so it didn't all come out of the syringe very well. I found that he would open his mouth a bit if I rubbed the edge of his mouth, but if I went from nose to end he'd open up wide. It was easier if someone else held him and rubbed and I was ready with the syringe. Then, because it was thick, it didn't all go in, so I rubbed the last bit on the edge of his mouth and he licked it off. I wish you luck, we're about 2 months into the process now.

I had a friend help me with Ghidorah; she held him (I was much too nervous to, but I'll have to practise holding him myself sometime) and I gave him the medication. I'm thankful that he opens his mouth easily; my sister's leo is also being treated for pinworms, and she absolutely refuses to open her mouth. You could just keep rubbing her mouth and she'd close her eyes and look sleepy, of all things. I don't know if it is because she has been off food for months, maybe she just doesn't want to open her mouth at all due to that? It's odd, considering she has the most calm and friendly disposition of the two leos. The medication still got stuck in the syringe (tried rubbing the last bit on his mouth, didn't work!), so I'm just hoping that what I was able to give him will do the job. And thanks!