Taking meds - behaviour

[MissGuardian]

I´ve noticed something slightly strange with Nirvana..
She´s on allergy meds, and she HATE them.. She´s been on them for around 2 weeks or something mow, twice a day.. Until a couple of days ago, I´ve had to force them into her..
Now she takes them on her own, but she don´t seem to like it..
Is it possible she takes them because she know she gets a treat afterward?(She ALWAYS does)
Just a strange thought that popped into my head, since you´d think she figured out if she liked the meds earlier? I´ve got a video of her taking the meds, but She behaved a bit different on her morning dose.. A LOT more paw shaking and a "eww this is gross!" expression on her face than this time..

[BBvideo 425,350:1x4461hz]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KLoNIP3E098&feature=plcp&context=C369d02cUDOEgsToPDskKTzjNK3e58aXBL2_C3ieA-[/BBvideo:1x4461hz]

Might be me that´s just plain dumb, but I´ve never seen something like this before.. They either hate them, or love them.. Not hating them, but taking them anyway..

 

[mamarat]

I don't have the answers but she is cute taking the meds. I know they shake their paws if it's sticky or cold.

Are the meds helping her?

 

[MissGuardian]

I don't have the answers but she is cute taking the meds. I know they shake their paws if it's sticky or cold.

Are the meds helping her?

It shouldn´t be either, so I don´t think it´s that(I usually wash the meds off the syringe before they get it).
They seem to be, she makes less noise, but she got it because of a "breathing attack".. And it usually varies a lot how often she gets them.. But she hasn´t have any since that I know of.

 

[jorats]

She's taking that very well. Rats can be conditioned to do something in order to get a reward but she looked liked like she took it too readily for her to hate it. When a rat really hates a med, they usually drag their chin on the ground and salivate.

 

[MissGuardian]

She's taking that very well. Rats can be conditioned to do something in order to get a reward but she looked liked like she took it too readily for her to hate it. When a rat really hates a med, they usually drag their chin on the ground and salivate.

Thats why I'm wondering, because she did that up until å couple of days ago? Or tried to anyway.. her behaviour has changed slowly, but when I started her on it, there is no doubt she hated it.. she refused to take it, tried spitting it out etc.. I have no explanation to why that would change?

 

[Dahlas]

Could be she is getting used to it...the taste.

 

[lilspaz68]

Most rats hate hate hate having anything sticky on their paws...she likes her meds but really doesn't want it on her paws LOL

I hated having to give the old cherry zithro, because it was very thick and sticky. I am now using the new thinner, less sticky caramel flavour and its the new Treat with no paw shaking or trying to figure out how to get the meds but not actualy let it touch them at all...lots of head turning and holding the paws away, etc.

 

[jorats]

Oh, are you saying she used to hate it and now takes it like a champ? Then yep, that could be the conditioning.

 

[MissGuardian]

Oh, are you saying she used to hate it and now takes it like a champ? Then yep, that could be the conditioning.

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. If I didn't give her the treat immediately, she spat it right out..
The conditioning is getting the treat afterwards?

 

[lilspaz68]

Oh, are you saying she used to hate it and now takes it like a champ? Then yep, that could be the conditioning.

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. If I didn't give her the treat immediately, she spat it right out..
The conditioning is getting the treat afterwards?

Definitely.

I had rats that I had to give sub-q injections to who became champs at it. They would stay very still for the injection, but would insist on the treat ASAP afterwards...before this conditioning they were very squirmy.

 

[MissGuardian]

Oh, are you saying she used to hate it and now takes it like a champ? Then yep, that could be the conditioning.

Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying. If I didn't give her the treat immediately, she spat it right out..
The conditioning is getting the treat afterwards?

Definitely.

I had rats that I had to give sub-q injections to who became champs at it. They would stay very still for the injection, but would insist on the treat ASAP afterwards...before this conditioning they were very squirmy.

I guess it could be that then.. Its so unlike her to suddenly start behaving.. Or to behave at all :giggle:
She seems to have forgotten a bit about it on her morning dose, because she resists it more then, and is like the film on the evening those, more or less.. In the morning she has an attitude that to me only says "eww this is gross!! but I´ll try to behave anyway" :giggle: