How to get medicine down

Elle now has to take an iron supplement. I've been trying to get one from the pharamacy in for a couple of weeks but no tricks seem to work...syringe is refused or is spat out, if mixed with food or drink is spat out. I just tried what some of you recommended and tipper her slightly and put in in slowly at the back of her throat but she promptly vomited all over me and got very upset.

Help! Ideas please! She needs this supplement urgently.

Have you tried bribary? Like take your medicine and you can have a cookie (or healthy iron rich treat)

was the floradix you got at the show no good - i thought she liked that one.

We used to have hold them down and spoon or syringe it in and keep the boys lying down till it was swallowed. Maybe if it is in a syringe she could do it herself ??? (or think she is anyway)

GandT wrote: was the floradix you got at the show no good - i thought she liked that one. We used to have hold them down and spoon or syringe it in and keep the boys lying down till it was swallowed. Maybe if it is in a syringe she could do it herself ??? (or think she is anyway)

That's actually a vitamin thing, not an iron thing. The iron is from the doc. She doesn't swallow, she screams and then chokes.

I don't think bribes or doing it herself would work as she simply doesn't understand.

You might have to do the scream and choke every day until she 'gets over it' That's what we had to do with Hannah recently with eye drops. She was working herself up and chucking up! When she realised that it was going to happen, every day, and wasn't gonna take long if she didn't resist so much, it was so much better!

The m&m idea sounds awesome though!!

cuppatea wrote: Grab her by the scruff of the neck, stick your fingers at the back of the mouth where there are no teeth to prise the mouth open, tip it in, then clamp mouth shut and hold it slightly tilted up and rub her neck...... oh wait a sec thats how you get medicine in a cat

I think it'd go down in milo but apparently it shouldn't be mixed with calcium and her rice milk has calcium in it. Oh well, trial and error I guess. I'm just impatient to get it in and get results.

You could just make the milo with water, I quite often drink it like that and it is still pretty yummy (hot that is, would probably be gross cold)

yeah i agree with bombshell it may be the flavour she donst like outherwise try this lay bubs between you legs while sitting on the ground hold her head with your thighs and tilt her heAD BACK SLIGHTY put the med right in the back of her thought i know it sounds horrable big big hugs

GandT wrote: FionaS wrote: GandT wrote: was the floradix you got at the show no good - i thought she liked that one. We used to have hold them down and spoon or syringe it in and keep the boys lying down till it was swallowed. Maybe if it is in a syringe she could do it herself ??? (or think she is anyway) That's actually a vitamin thing, not an iron thing. The iron is from the doc. She doesn't swallow, she screams and then chokes. I don't think bribes or doing it herself would work as she simply doesn't understand. dont floradix do an iron suplement too tho...? or perhaps mix the two together... or pretend you are giving her the other stuff... what do you do differently to give her the floradix than medicine?

She only like the floradix at the show...has refused it ever since though it is offered the same way. She does that with most things...ok first time but won't eat it again. We will persevere. Tried Clements Iron, Incremin and the stuff from the doctor. I think perhaps you underestimate how picky and determined Gabrielle is. She will be a politician one day!!!   

At the show she had it out of a little cup at the same time as I had mine. I did exactly the same thing at home. No change. I don't stress about it at the time either so that is not an issue. I very much take a causal approach with her.

The floradix iron is not suitable for children of this age and doesn't contain enough iron. To put it in perspective, the stuff from the pharmacy has about 5mg iron and her one from the doc has 150mgs.

And yes, DH has tried too but she is a very determined girl and doesn't like many flavours at all. She is determined and absolutely loses the plot if she doesn't want something...that is what I mean about having underdeveloped self-regulation skills. They will improve with time.

Today we've put it in some water/juice and she will drink it grandually through the day.