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| Equine Medi-Yums | | Detailed Instructions for Use
What you Need
A clean, dry, flat surface . Scissors . Pill crusher or other method to pulverize pills .
Your horse's medication or supplement in pill, powder, granule or paste form | | | |
- Medi-Yums work best at room temperature. Assemble the medication or supplement your horse will be taking, a scissor, a method to crush pills if necessary, and the supplied Medi-Yums products: wraps, honey, and the knife.
- To prepare your horse for a new taste without wasting medication, peel off one Medi-Yums wrap from the stack. Place about a teaspoon of honey onto the center of the sticky side. Honey has many amazing properties and one of them is that it will from a neat, firm paste when combined with soluble materials like medicine. Lightly work the honey into the wrap with the knife so that the honey begins to combine with the molasses on the wrap. It will thicken slightly, just enough to slow the flow of the honey. Spread it around the wrap leaving ½" around the edges so the wrap can stick to itself. Now fold in half with the sticky side together. Using the scissors, cut the folded wrap in half going from the folded end to the "open" end so that it forms two small squares. Feed one of the small squares to your horse. Keep your hand under his mouth so that if he expels it, you can easily hand it back to him. Keep offering him the wrap until he either consumes it or refuses to try eating it again. If your horse ate the empty wrap, please go on to step #3.
Both the texture and taste of Medi-Yums will be a novel experience for your horse. If your horse will not attempt to put the Medi-Yums into his mouth, we suggest you try again with a new Medi-Yums prepared as above once a day for another few days. We know from working with hundreds of horses that the taste is very appealing, however many horses are wary of new taste and texture experiences. We've found that assuring the horse that this is a treat and not a trick; he will soon overcome his natural aversion to new experiences and relish the treat. It might be helpful to give the Medi-Yums at a time when you normally give your horse a reward, like after a ride or when you first greet him, rather than a time he normally gets his medication. We welcome the opportunity to provide individual coaching for difficult horses. Please feel free to e-mail at info@gcoopersmith.com or call toll free at 866-516-YUMS.
- Take another Medi-Yums wrap from the stack, place the wrap sticky side up on a clean, flat surface. If the medication is in pill form crush it into powder, however, please confirm with your veterinarian that changing the format of the drug is acceptable. If the medication is time release, for example, you would not crush the pill. If you are medicating a small or medium pony please see the "pony instructions" at the bottom of this instruction set.
- In this step, keep about ½" space around the edge of the wrap clean so that it can stick to itself when folded. Place a small amount of honey approximately equal to the size of a quarter onto the center of the wrap. If you are using a pill, place the pill in the center of the honey, making sure the pill is well coated by the honey and go to step #6. If you are using crushed pills, powder, granules, or paste, place a small amount of the medication (about ½ teaspoon) on top of the honey. Use the knife to work the medication into the honey until it has absorbed completely and has made a thick paste. Add another small amount of medication and work the mixture again. Keep adding medication and working the mixture until it becomes very thick and the honey can absorb no more. If you have more medication you may add more honey and continue adding medication, making sure to keep the mixture very thick. Stop adding medicine when the honey-paste has reached approximately one and a half tablespoons of total volume, or you have used all of the dosage. It is important not to overload the wrap, making sure the horse will have substantially more Medi-Yums than medication in his mouth. If you have more medicine for this dosage, you may make up a second medicated wrap. Another method would be to combine the honey and the medication in a dish, again making a firm paste from this mixture. However, be very sure that you have transferred all of the medication out of the dish and onto the wrap so that the horse receives all of his dosage.
- Spread the medicated honey-paste over the sticky side of the Medi-Yums wrap, leaving 1/2" around the edges so the wrap can stick to itself.
- Fold the loaded wrap in half, or if you prefer, roll into a tight cylinder, so that none of the medication is visible. Press firmly at the sides to seal the wrap being careful not to squeeze the medication out. The wrap may not seal completely at the folded edge, which is perfectly fine.
- Cut the loaded wrap in half, going from the folded end to the "open" end, taking care not to squeeze out the medicated center. You now have two even squares, or two even cylinders if you have rolled it.
- Hand feed one of the loaded squares or cylinders so that the horse takes the Medi-Yums in one bite. Once he has swallowed all or most of the wrap and indicates he is now ready for more, hand feed the other half to complete his dosage. It is good practice to observe the horse until you are sure he has ingested all of his medication.
| Pony Instructions
We prefer that small and medium ponies receive their medication using ½ a Medi-Yums wrap. However, mixing medication on to a ½ wrap is difficult. For an effective work-around to this problem, follow all of the above instructions except use 2 dosages of the medication on one wrap. Once you have made the double-dose honey-paste, carefully and evenly spread the medicated honey-paste over the entire wrap (leaving ½ inch around so the wrap can stick to itself), then cut it in half as directed above. Feed the pony the loaded ½ wrap for his first dosage for the day. Enclose the second ½ wrap in plastic wrap or aluminum foil for storage. This will keep the wrap clean and closed. When it is time for the second dosage for the day, take off the plastic or foil and feed him the second ½ wrap. |
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