Canine Vasculitis and Pentoxifylline-need advice

[Juliealfies mum]

I hope your little one is doing better today. It is such a worry when they are ill.

[TxVicki]

Originally Posted by Jenna AK

Really? Cool I'll have to look that up.
I wouldn't have thought to look for one there. I'd actually tried to find needle-less 1 ml syringes there and when I got them they had needles on them. They wouldn't let me return them either. >

Your vet should be able to give you some. My Vet supplies with me with various different sizes.

With that particular med you give Jenna I put the 1/4 pill in the syringe and then add enough warm water and let it sit and dissolve. Shake it up before giving.

[Marhcarter]

Originally Posted by Jenna AK

Yes ma'am, I have to split and grind the tablets and water them down. Wish I had a proper mortar and pestle but I'm using a butter knife handle and a juice glass...haha. We'll put more time between that and the other meds and food from now on. D

Try somthing for me. Take a WHOLE carafate tablet, put it in the cup or small glass that you are using to mix the dose, and put about a teaspoon of water on it. Then just watch. It should melt completely in less than a minute. I have found that when crushed, carafate wants to float but when water is added to the whole tablet, it melts completely. This could make your life a lot easier. I have used many different brands over the years and every one of them has dissolved in H2O.
Let me know if this works for you. I really hope it does!

[kimp5]

ask a pharmicist for a kids syringe they use for giving antibiotics...They hold up to 10ml....

[dottiesyrky]

Sorry you are all going thru this, pray she is having a better day today.
I never knew the sucralfate would dissolve in water, it was such a pain to crush and mix with water. It was hard to get the dose into the mouth as it stayed in the bottom. My vet gave me a nice syringe with a plastic 'needle' that had a wide hole. Good luck with your poor baby.

[Marhcarter]

Originally Posted by dottiesyrky

Sorry you are all going thru this, pray she is having a better day today.
I never knew the sucralfate would dissolve in water, it was such a pain to crush and mix with water. It was hard to get the dose into the mouth as it stayed in the bottom. My vet gave me a nice syringe with a plastic 'needle' that had a wide hole. Good luck with your poor baby.

I don't know what dose is given to small dogs, but I guess I should clarify...PEOPLE carafate dissolves in water, and since it is the same med, I can't imagine that doggie carafate wouldn't. I learned that trick as a new nurse after the old nurses watched me struggle trying to mix it a few times (giggling at my efforts, I'm sure) and finally took pity upon me.

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Marhcarter

I don't know what dose is given to small dogs, but I guess I should clarify...PEOPLE carafate dissolves in water, and since it is the same med, I can't imagine that doggie carafate wouldn't. I learned that trick as a new nurse after the old nurses watched me struggle trying to mix it a few times (giggling at my efforts, I'm sure) and finally took pity upon me.

Same Carafate and yes, it dissolves in water. The instructions I was given was to do it in the syringe. TXVicki described it well.

[Marhcarter]

Originally Posted by ladyjane

Same Carafate and yes, it dissolves in water. The instructions I was given was to do it in the syringe. TXVicki described it well.

Yes, she did. I somehow overlooked that post. oops!!! All my superfluous information, she condensed so well!

[ladyjane]

Originally Posted by Marhcarter

Yes, she did. I somehow overlooked that post. oops!!! All my superfluous information, she condensed so well!

[dottiesyrky]

I think the instructions given on the container were to crush the tablet first , so like a lemming I followed! I used to crush it in a polythene bag, collect the powder, put it into water and try to suck it all up. My what a task! 'Mar' I feel now like you did when the nurses laughed at you. LOL!

[TxVicki]

Originally Posted by Marhcarter

Try somthing for me. Take a WHOLE carafate tablet, put it in the cup or small glass that you are using to mix the dose, and put about a teaspoon of water on it. Then just watch. It should melt completely in less than a minute. I have found that when crushed, carafate wants to float but when water is added to the whole tablet, it melts completely. This could make your life a lot easier. I have used many different brands over the years and every one of them has dissolved in H2O.
Let me know if this works for you. I really hope it does!

BUT if you take the whole tablet you would be over dosing, if the dog is only supposed to get 1/4 Tab. I score mine and then just put the correct dose amount in syringe, add water and let sit to dissolve and then shake and give the meds.

[dottiesyrky]

I am sure the whole tablet meant the whole dose amount of tablet, or that is how I understood it. It was the principle of dissolving the tablet portion that was the important point IMHO?

[dottiesyrky]

I guess I made the same error in my post and called the dose tablet, the tablet!!

[Jenna AK]

Thanks so much everyone.
Boy do I feel like a dumb cluck...what on earth kept me from doing the sensible thing of just adding the water instead of smacking it to break it down? >_<
Sometimes the obvious is just....not. (headdesk)
As of this evening, dr. wants me to up her dosage to the .8 ml twice a day. Very nervous about doing that, but he feels we need to get this therapy ramped up. We were supposed to wait for four days of dosing at the .4 mls.
All on a holiday weekend too. *sigh* I would hate for her to suddenly react overnight. Is it likely she might have a problem after only two days of treatment so far or has she had enough at the low dose so that she should tolerate the higher one? Or can it wait till morning do you think?

Just looking for opinions, not trying to cause controversy.

[ladyjane]

I would give it when the vet said to.