Hello Sundar Khadka

Antibiotics especially Metronidazole and Ampicillin give unpleasant taste to drinking water. So, it is but natural for mice not to consume such water. Administration of antibiotics by gavage should be considered.

Please have a look at the research article below for more details.

Article Depletion of Murine Intestinal Microbiota: Effects on Gut Mu...

Highlight:

Our protocol for depletion of intestinal microbiota is based on the same composition of antibacterial agents as others have applied for ad libitum administration in drinking water. Ampicillin, vancomycin, neomycin, and metronidazole offer in combination bactericidal activity against the full spectrum of bacteria and, notably, dual activity against both Gram positive (ampicillin and vancomycin) and Gram negative (ampicillin and neomycin) aerobic and facultative strains, which is potentially important for preventing antibiotic resistance. We therefore used this combination of antibiotics and overcame the delivery problems by administering the antibiotics by gavage twice daily which the mice tolerated well.

I hope this helps.

Best Wishes.

The most preferred method of antibiotics administration is through gavage, however, professionalism and technicality are involved in using cannula, otherwise, this may lead to rats death as a result of injury.

Another alternative method is by incorporating the antibiotics into a little portion of their feed. This portion could be given first before the complimenting feed in other to make up for the daily requirement.

Antibiotics are usually administered in mice using gavage. Adding antibiotics directly to water may alter the taste of water and hence it is not palatable by mice. Adding antibiotics in mice feed can also help.

The best method is gavage feeding administration of antibiotics in mice. It is highly effective.