Filing Capsules

[Remolacha]

Anyone ever have to fill empty capsules with powdered meds? I seem to recall some talk about it, sometime . Looks like I will have to start doing that, I was wondering if anyone had any tips for making it easier. Thanks!

[deboosh]

I would think that your vet could help out with that; they must have some sort of teeny tiny "funnel" or tool that they use. Or how about the pharmacist. Or maybe even Michael's might have something in the cake decorating dept.?

[KF_in_Georgia]

You can take a plastic straw you've cut short and pick up powder by holding your finger over one end. But that doesn't solve the measuring part of the operation.

 

When Sam was taking Tylan powder, the vet gave me a little plastic thing with measurement marks on it. It was about the size of a pencil tip. I dipped up powder with the straw, then tapped the straw until I got powder into the plastic thing up to the right point. Then I dumped all that powder into a piece of lunchmeat where I wanted to hide it. All very messy, and not massively accurate. (Close enough, though.)

[3DogNite]

I did it for a while - but I never found an easy/clean way do it.

 

If i put the powder/supplement into a shot glass - then by pushing 1/2 a capsule down into the space, they seemed to "fill" quickly.

at least this was better than a shallow dish, where it seemed like i just pushed the powder around.

 

can you have a compounding pharmacy do it for you?

[Blaidd49]

I have to divide a 5mg capsule into five doses. I found that a piece of pegboard made a great support for my empty capsules (# 2 size).

[Remolacha]

Thanks for the ideas! I am going to try and see if I can figure out if there is one particular med that he is suddenly not liking, maybe I won't have to capsule all of them

[EllenEveBaz]

I used to use something like this:

 

http://www.medical-and-lab-supplies.com/the-capsule-machine-00-size.html?___store=default&gclid=CM-OhMj7lrcCFUPc4Aod6mAAdg

 

You buy capsule halves and put the larger halves in one tray of holes, and the smaller halves in the other tray. Pour the med powder over one side until the halves are filled, then fit other tray of capsule halves on top. It's a miracle -- capsules! The excess powder drifts down into the bottom of the tray and you just use it on the next batch. It's a little tedious but mindless fitting the capsule halves in the holes -- I used to sit down in front of the tv and make 100's while I watched a show.

Edited May 15, 2013 by EllenEveBaz

[GeorgeofNE]

If it were me, I'd just put the powder into a chunk of meat or cheese and try and get him to eat that.

 

Is it actually MEDICATION or just supplements?

[Remolacha]

Some is Chinese meds from his acupuncturist (believe what you will, I have seen them make a difference for him), some are supplements. I am not so concerned about the supplements, I can find another format or skip them, but I can see a difference without the meds, even after just a couple of days. Last night and today he ate the pain med mixed with pumpkin. If I can get him to eat that and the hind end weakness med, I'll be OK. I might try some Velveeta, that should mold around powder pretty well, right?

 

I might look into those capsule filler thingys, though. Like a pill splitter, might be handy to have around.

[Guest adoptagreyhound]

For the Tylan powder, I measure out 1/2 tsp and fill two capsules - one large (that I recycle from their calcium supplement, which we just sprinkle into their food) and one small (that I bought from eBay). Those two capsules hold a perfect dose. I keep two filled all the time so they're ready at 3:00 in the morning when Sandy usually gets her diarrhea.

 

To fill the capsules I put the 1/2 tsp into a cereal bowl and just scoop it up and put the top on. It takes about 3 seconds and it's done. I always wash my hands first and I've found that if I leave my fingers slightly damp, it's easier to hold onto the little capsules.

 

I can understand why you would need the auto-fillers if you had to do many a day but we just use one or two a month at most. I like the pegboard idea!

[cello]

I just started having to give Lady Tylan powder antibiotic. Since she is dealing with severe GI issues and not eating well there was no way I was going to sprinkle nasty tasting powder over her food! I am not able to give her anything like lunch meat or other smelly foods, so I am using capsules. I bought size 00 at Chamberlin's Food - 100 for about $5. I use a large size syringe that has no needle in the end. I use a 1/4 teaspoon measuring spoon and load the dose in the needle with my finger over the open end. Then I let the powder trickle into the large and then the small half of the capsules. The 1/4 teaspoon dose just barely fits into the 00 size capsules. Bring the two halves together and 'voila' you have an easy to administer dose of nasty meds!

[Remolacha]

Well, I am still struggling with getting him to take all his meds, so I ordered on of those "capsule filler machines" Good to know you can get 1/4 tsp in the 00 size, that's what I ordered.