Handling while medicating

[Yoshipanther]

So recently I have been medicating my panther, "Flash". He is on injectable Fortaz every 3 days. He had a culture done and this was the only medication the bacteria was sensitive to. My question is, would it be better or worse for me to handle him about 1 minute every day versus only taking him out every 3rd day for a shot? I don't want him to think I am going to hurt him every time I get him out. He's only 4 months old now and since the injections he "runs" away when I go in to get him. He's fine if I have his crickets but other then that he is not a fan of mine! I figure if I take him out every day and give him outdoor time (when it's warm) or just weigh him and put him back he won't associate pain with everytime I get him out. Would this make it worse? I just feel so bad that he's so scared of me now. Before he would tolerate me reaching in to get him and even crawl on my hand.
On a side note health wise he seems to be doing better but I feel bad stressing him out with those injections. He is very good for his shot and doesn't try to bite, just wigggly then inflates himself and curses at me with his eyes!

Thank you!

My previous thread if interested:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/baby-panther-help.159812/#post-1375093

 

[jajeanpierre]

Don't handle him other than to medicate him. All you will be doing is increasing his stress.

 

[davthevieled]

As Jajeanpierre stated, you definitely don't want to be pulling him out daily. Let him relax and give him some much needed space because his treatments are going to stress him to all heck. He isn't going to trust you for a bit, and to be honest they aren't the handling type. Best way to earn his trust back afterwards is just leave him alone, give him the space he needs, and let him realize you don't want to hurt him.

 

[Yoshipanther]

Thank you! I will leave him alone. Stinks because I think these are the last few days that I could have him outside. I can't wait till these injections are done. Poor little guy.

 

[paleopossum]

When I first got my female panther she was so friendly and wanting to come out fast forward to having to give her oral medicine (which tasted and smelled like banana bread kinda cool my vets have different flavors) for a very mild case of mouth rot. She hated me and would run from me and not take any food for me. Finally when the medicine was done with after two weeks of doing it she was still scared and wouldn't let me touch her or take any food from me. Slowly she got back into it and would take one cricket from my hand and nothing else and this kept going for a month before she was i'd say even more friendlier. Now every time I open the doors she races to grab onto me to come out (also I bribed her into wanted to be around me cuz during the summer i'd take her outside) and she eats whole meals from my hand. If my mom opens the doors to mist in there when I can't she tries to climb on her as well (which my mom is scared/freaked out by my reptiles and would rather watch so that's funny.) Just give him time after the injections are done.