TheCatSite.com › Forums › Our Feline Companions › Cat Health › Is it a good idea to give pills to cats in a Greenies pill pocket?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Is it a good idea to give pills to cats in a Greenies pill pocket?

post #1 of 7
5/22/10 at 5:57pm
Thread Starter 
I have to give pills to my cat by myself, which is not easy without some struggle. This can be stressful to my boy. Is it a good idea to give the pill in a Greenies pill pocket? Would the pocket make the pill less effective, slower to release, or otherwise altered? Please advise.
Reply
post #2 of 7
5/22/10 at 6:02pm
That is a great way to give cats a pill if they take it. I don't believe it affects the way the medication works. I think they swallow the pill better than if you have to pill them. Pilling can get caught in the esophagus.
Reply
post #3 of 7
5/22/10 at 6:03pm
When my boy had to take Baytril, the vet said I could use pill pockets - and he ate them right down! I'd check with the vet if there's any reason not to, but I'm thinking if it lessens the stress for both yourself and you, that's a good thing.

Here's a line that might be useful - sounds like the key item is whether or not the pill can be taken with food (e.g., a pill pocket)

http://pets.webmd.com/cats/guide/give-medications-cat
Reply
post #4 of 7
5/22/10 at 8:12pm
Pill Pockets are designed for pills! They're safe!

With our 6-pound Persian, a Pill Pocket is too big for her mouth, so we pinch it in half and wrap her pills in it. She won't eat it but we can pill her more easily with it.
Reply
post #5 of 7
5/22/10 at 8:17pm
My vet recommended the pill pockets even if the cat wouldn't eat it on their own. She suggested to use them anyway to cover any bitter taste so they'll accept the pills easier and be less likely to spit it out if I have to pill them.

As someone else mentioned it depends on whether it's ok to give it with food. Although the pill pocket is so small that it might be ok anyway so I'd check with the vet in that case.
Reply
post #6 of 7
5/28/10 at 6:22pm
Pill pockets are great for giving cats their meds. Just be sure when you do it to not touch the pill pocket with the hand that had the meds in it. Hold the pill in one hand, pill pocket in the other. They can smell it on the outside of the pocket and not want it. Try to give a few with nothing in it as treats then give the one with the meds in it if they seem suspicious. I have a shelter in my area that loves them for all their shelter cats.

Good luck!
Reply
post #7 of 7
5/28/10 at 9:56pm
It might slow the absorption of the drug for a short time, but not for long. I just gave Sam his appetite stimulant drug Mirtazapine in a pill pocket yesterday, and some say they've seen some effect (mood, some mewing, increased appetite) within an hour...for Sam it was more like two and a half. But is that because of the pill pocket or his individual metabolism of the drug? Who knows, right?

Keep in mind that there is an increased risk that pill can get stuck in the throat in the forced pilling process...so there is a tradeoff there. If you opt for that instead, my vet says to flush it down with 3ml of water via syringe to make sure it doesn't get stuck.

Some Tips from Experience:

I've found that pill pockets work very well as long as your cat is not a big chewer. I second NutroLori's point about making sure you don't touch the meds to the outside of the pocket...otherwise the game is up!

If your cat refuses the pill pocket the first time: crumble a favorite treat over the pill pocket. This has saved me some trouble, the treats that work best for my guy are Purina salmon flavor Whisker Lickins...which crumble into a fine but soft powder.

Have heard that the chicken pill pockets are more pliable than other flavors, if you need to give a bigger pill...but have only gotten chicken ones myself so I can't be 100%. Hope this helps!
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Cat Health
TheCatSite.com › Forums › Our Feline Companions › Cat Health › Is it a good idea to give pills to cats in a Greenies pill pocket?