giving small capsules

phelana

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I am having a hard time giving my sweet calm cat her twice a day phenobarbital capsule. I open her mouth with thumb and forefinger near and toss it in..it sticks to her throat or she chews it out. Accidently she has bitten me twice badly. HELP.
 

violet

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Cover the capsule with LOTS of butter and it will slide down very easily. (Do not use oil because oil will make the capsule dissolve instantly, before you can even put it in kitty's mouth.)
If this is a very small, No.4 capsule, another option is to put it in a bigger,
No.0 capsule (I get mine at the Vitamin Shoppe), cover that with lots of butter, and give it. (I've noticed that for some strange reason it's easier to deal with the bigger capsules, so I don't even use small capsules any more.)
I hope this helps.
 

violet

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I think I had better clarify what I just told you. What I meant by "cover the capsule with lots of butter" was dip one end in butter, but naturally not where you're holding it, LOL. Sorry about not being clear the first time.
 

audiocat

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Originally Posted by stephenq

Pill Pockets, hollow soft treats for pills at amazon and at many vets.

Totally agree with trying the Pill Pockets. I've had to give antibiotics capsules and other hard pills (cut in 1/2). The Pill Pockets were the only way. My cats looked forward to their "treats" at pill time. I got my Pill Pockets at PetSmart. They are made by Greenies.
 

laureen227

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i haven't used the pill pockets [Pixel doesn't like treats except for the shaved tuna - impossible to wrap around a pill!]. i do have a pill popper, which i sometimes have used. but w/Pixel [she's the senior, so i'm more likely to have to medicate her] i have better results simply buttering the pill & sticking it in w/my fingers.
in a pinch, you can use a vaginal suppository dispenser as a pill popper - doesn't work quite as well, tho.
 
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phelana

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Well I did this, I took a dab of butter and hid the pill in it and she ate it..is a dab of butter twice a day bad for a cat?
 

ktlynn

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Originally Posted by phelana

Well I did this, I took a dab of butter and hid the pill in it and she ate it..is a dab of butter twice a day bad for a cat?
The butter is fine unless she has liver problems - diseased livers have a difficult time metabolizing fats.

Pills and capsules should *always* be followed with water. If not, as you've already experienced, they can get stuck in the throat where they can burn the esophagus as they dissolve.

Even with the butter, it would be a very good idea to give your cat at least 5cc of water to wash the pill down.
 

river

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I found giving them a bit of food with gravy seems to coat their throat and gets them ready to swallow a pill. I also coat the pill in the gravy or butter.
 
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