# Is Calpol okay?



## Babs (Jan 26, 2012)

For Sir Edgar's back wound I've been giving him liquid infant nurofen, but we're all out. We've got some Calpol in the press, which is suitable for babies 2 months and up. It's got a strawberry flavour for the kiddies (it's actually really good. A small portion of my childhood revolved around faking illness for a spoonful of calpol, which is probably worrying! xD) so I think the ratties would take it easier. 

Is this safe? Should I post ingredients or anything, or is it a sure deal? I just wanted to make sure, but I'm pretty sure it's gentler on the tummy than nurofen and is very child/rat friendly. 

Thank you


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Calpol is what we call tylenol here and it is used for rats...the only worry I have is the sugar-free part. If Aspartame is being used to sweeten it that is dangerous for rats. Can you look at your bottle and tell us 

1) mg/ml
2) what the non-medicinal ingredients are?


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## Babs (Jan 26, 2012)

It is? Huh, I always wondered about tylenol!

Okay according to the leaflet here it contains 120mg of "the active ingredient paracetamol in every 5ml of medicine" and for ingredients it doesn't have a medical/non-medicinal section, just: Maltitol liquid, glycerol, polysorbate 80, sorbitol solution [E420] methyl parahydroxybenzoate [E218], propyl parahydroxybenzoate [E216], ethyl parahydroxybenzoate [E214] dispersible cellulose, xanthan gum and purified water, plus flavouring (strawberry and colouring is carmoisine [E122]) 

It then says each 5ml spoonful contains 0.7g of sorbitol. 

Is that the correct information you were looking for? I couldn't find much else on the box or the leaflet other than dosage, which obviously just applies to children.... 

Thank you again for walking me through this, I'd be pretty lost otherwise.


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## jadeelizabeth (Jul 26, 2012)

Is it sugar free?


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## Babs (Jan 26, 2012)

It is. Which is where the worry of them using aspartame to sweeten it instead comes in, I think. I'm not too sure though...


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## jadeelizabeth (Jul 26, 2012)

Hmm, do they still sell the regular stuff? They used to when I was faking illness for that delicious strawberry goodness XD As far as I know, aspartame is used in rat poison? Which also makes me wonder why its in alot of our food


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## Babs (Jan 26, 2012)

I'm not too sure, actually. I've just been mooching off of my six year old niece's supply, lol! I think most places just stock the sugar free version now because parents associate "sugar free" with "This is GREAT for my child's health!" but I'm not sure. I should check that when the chemist opens tomorrow because calpol is only 3euro a bottle, I can easily afford another.


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## jadeelizabeth (Jul 26, 2012)

If not I'm sure there will be an alternative children's painkiller. We just usually buy the asda stuff for my sisters, I'm sure thats sugar free, my mums quite funny about stuff like that XD


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Babs said:


> It is? Huh, I always wondered about tylenol!
> 
> Okay according to the leaflet here it contains 120mg of "the active ingredient paracetamol in every 5ml of medicine" and for ingredients it doesn't have a medical/non-medicinal section, just: Maltitol liquid, glycerol, polysorbate 80, sorbitol solution [E420] methyl parahydroxybenzoate [E218], propyl parahydroxybenzoate [E216], ethyl parahydroxybenzoate [E214] dispersible cellulose, xanthan gum and purified water, plus flavouring (strawberry and colouring is carmoisine [E122])
> 
> ...


Perfect, I checked my old Tylenol and it also has sorbitol in it 

The concentration is 24 mg/ml

This is our recommended dosage, now we just need a weight on him.

100 mg/kg to 300 mg/kg, PO (oral), q4hrs

BUT I warn you its a LOT...a lot more than ibuprofen. a 550 gram rat getting 100 mg/kg would get over 2 syringe-fulls (2 ml/cc's)


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## Babs (Jan 26, 2012)

Thank goodness! Okay, I'm gonna weigh him tomorrow and if it's okay I'll double check a dosage with you? 

Thank you very much!


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## Babs (Jan 26, 2012)

I only got around to weighing Ed today, and he is 14 ounces  Would .1ml of the calpol be too little do you think?


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Babs said:


> I only got around to weighing Ed today, and he is 14 ounces  Would .1ml of the calpol be too little do you think?


Does he need it by now? Has he been scratching at it? Seems to be in pain?

If so, he is 397 grams and his dose would be 1.65 mls (as I said a HUGE amount, which is why I prefer ibuprofen)


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## Leanne.2468 (4 mo ago)

Hi hope you are all well.
both of our boys..(rats) have respiratory issues They have been the vets and the stuff they give them was.. I think making them a little better.. but it ran out after 3 days I couldn't get them another appointment untill a few days later  they still need treating, my daughter bought a small humidifier for them so we put that one now and again, but they need medicine I have been reading some of your messages and seen that you use calpol we have that here only the sugar free one though? They are about 2 years old maybe little more and one weighs 8/ half oz & the other 1lbs 2oz I'm un-sure of how much to give them if they can have any? can anyone help please.

Thank you x


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