Important info re: Pilling a Cat (Vet article) - please read!

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the_food_lady

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http://www.catinfo.org/pillingcats.htm

This is a very important article written by a well respected Vet who used to frequent a cat health message forum I belonged to. Up until reading it, I had never been aware of "Erosive Esophagitis" ..how many of us pill our cat and assume the pill has gone down the throat but there's a good chance it has not and it will dissolve in their esophagus and do damage there, cause a lot of inflammation -- UNLESS you chase the pill down with a bit of fluids following. She gives other excellent tips on pilling and alternatives to pilling.

If someone wants to "STICKY" this article, they're more than welcome!
 
sharky

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surprisingly there is considerable advise on this topic on this site .. try doing a search next time


great article
 
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Lisa, *thank you* very much for posting this information! I'm always distressed to see how many people still pill their cats without water.

Years ago my vet told me about the importance of following pills or capsules with water. Unfortunately, not all vets tell their clients about this.

Great info - hope lots of members read it and remember it!
 
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Originally Posted by the_food_lady

http://www.catinfo.org/pillingcats.htm

This is a very important article written by a well respected Vet who used to frequent a cat health message forum I belonged to. Up until reading it, I had never been aware of "Erosive Esophagitis" ..how many of us pill our cat and assume the pill has gone down the throat but there's a good chance it has not and it will dissolve in their esophagus and do damage there, cause a lot of inflammation -- UNLESS you chase the pill down with a bit of fluids following. She gives other excellent tips on pilling and alternatives to pilling.

If someone wants to "STICKY" this article, they're more than welcome!
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I didn`t know that! My vet has never told me to give anything after pilling so Thank You for sharing that
 
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Hi Jaffacake and KTLynn,

I know!! Not once did I ever have a vet tell me any of this in fact most never even gave me any suggestions on how to pill a cat, period. I've had cats for 16 yrs and knew none of this until about 5 yrs ago; it made me feel so bad for all the years I'd give pills and didn't chase with water or liquid. I had no idea of the damage it could cause, I just assumed that if the cat didn't spit out the pill that it had been properly swallowed. It's a shame that a lot of Vets don't take the time to really do more teaching about these basic things, it certainly would be in the best interest of our pets.

To add, never once did I have a vet suggest a compounding pharmacy, that some meds can be made into flavored liquids or transdermal gels. I try to tell people this (friends, coworkers, etc) whenever I can because I know how hard it can be to pill cats and it's a shame for the cat when the owner gives up because they're having such trouble and in the end it's the cat that suffers. I know years ago, when I was a new cat owner and had to give nasty tasting stuff, I too would just give up. I learned a few years ago, too, about the use of empty gelatin capsules that you can get at health food stores or online (www.iherb.com), and you can put bitter tasting pills into them and then when you pill kitty, kitty doesn't taste it/drool/foam, etc.
 
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Originally Posted by the_food_lady

Hi Jaffacake and KTLynn,

I know!! Not once did I ever have a vet tell me any of this in fact most never even gave me any suggestions on how to pill a cat, period. I've had cats for 16 yrs and knew none of this until about 5 yrs ago; it made me feel so bad for all the years I'd give pills and didn't chase with water or liquid. I had no idea of the damage it could cause, I just assumed that if the cat didn't spit out the pill that it had been properly swallowed. It's a shame that a lot of Vets don't take the time to really do more teaching about these basic things, it certainly would be in the best interest of our pets.

To add, never once did I have a vet suggest a compounding pharmacy, that some meds can be made into flavored liquids or transdermal gels. I try to tell people this (friends, coworkers, etc) whenever I can because I know how hard it can be to pill cats and it's a shame for the cat when the owner gives up because they're having such trouble and in the end it's the cat that suffers. I know years ago, when I was a new cat owner and had to give nasty tasting stuff, I too would just give up. I learned a few years ago, too, about the use of empty gelatin capsules that you can get at health food stores or online (www.iherb.com), and you can put bitter tasting pills into them and then when you pill kitty, kitty doesn't taste it/drool/foam, etc.
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I don't understand why some vets don't educate their clients about this.

My eldest kitty is getting Norvasc, a blood pressure med that usually comes in pill form, compounded in a chicken-flavored liquid (we can also choose from tuna or liver as well!). Compounded liquid meds can really make life easier, as can the transdermals.

I get those empty gel caps from iherb too! It's another good way to help get meds into our little guys.

Just remember to chase it all down with water (at least 5cc)!
 
sharky

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Careful using glycerin as it has been linked to diabetes in cats
 
mews2much

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Coco is taking Norvasc also and it is compounded into a liquid.
The last bottle said Tuna on it but this one dosent say a flavor.
We get it from Road Runner in Arizionia and it ships to the vet.
KTLynn How long does abottle last you?
 
sharky

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Originally Posted by the_food_lady

Sharky, I'm confused - what are you referring to that contains glycerin? :-)
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it is often used as a substitute in herbal s for alcohol ... also found in many common methods of treat pilling
 
violet

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it is often used as a substitute in herbals for alcohol
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Oh yes, like in milk thistle for instance.

Careful using glycerin as it has been linked to diabetes in cats
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So sharky, are you saying that taking glycerin based milk thistle for the liver can cause diabetes in a cat?
 
sharky

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Originally Posted by Violet

Oh yes, like in milk thistle for instance.



So sharky, are you saying that taking glycerin based milk thistle for the liver can cause diabetes in a cat?
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according to the studies my vet was showing ... there is a link to it .. to the pt that she recommends neither cats nor dogs have it ...

I would say be cautious there are many strait up milk thistles avail ... Pm me if you need brands ... dog has a liver issue
 
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