one of the things in the pedialyte that makes it do it's thing (get
the electrolytes back in order) is the sugar. that's the dextrose you
see listed in the ingredients.

all the items on the ingredient list are included in a precise and
balanced manner and should not be manipulated in any way. that means
that the stuff shouldn't be mixed with water or food. basically, if
you need to use it, give it by itself and give some time before and
after other food and/or plain water so that it can do it's thing to the
fullest.

they do offer smaller sizes of unflavored - 16 oz, i think...not every
store carries that, though.

you can order small bottles (8 oz bottles or maybe it's 4 oz, i don't
remember) of the unflavored one directly from the company. they will
deliver to your home - only thing is you MUST buy a case of it. since
shelf life is pretty good, it's not a bad investment especially if you
have a little one that's going to be a bit long-term with whatever
illness they're experiencing. and losing a few small bottles would
still be less of a loss than having to chuck most of one of those 32 oz
bottles! they're expensive and the stuff is only good for 48 hours
after you open it...

here's a link to the contact info on the pedialyte portion of the
abbott website. there's an 800 number you can call for info about how
to order for home delivery and they'll also help you locate a retailer
in your area that carries the 16 oz bottles of the unflavored.

http://pedialyte.com/contactus.aspx

oh, and just an fyi, the flavored types have some artifical flavorings
(as well as natural) and they won't tell you exactly what they are (the
real stuff or the fake) or which ones contain them. i wouldn't chance
using the flavored stuff at all - for the furkids or the skinkids!

oh, and another thing, unless it's the one that is specifically made to
be frozen, you can't freeze it. there's something added as a buffer so
that freezing it doesn't negate the formula and that buffering thing is
not in the regular bottled version - so, freezing it basically kills it
from being effective. heating it also negates it's abilities, too.

[Posted in FML 6254]