tips on pill consumption?

hi, i have to give half of a VERY small pill to Shiraz every day... she eats only canned wet food (rx) twice a day, and so the vet suggested to crush the pill and mix it up in her food (only a little at first so i know she ate it)... well i did that today and left for work and the little bit i gave her was barely touched... i dont know how she can smell the crushed pill in there, when it's so small and like powder, mixed into the wet food... i just tried it again tonight (she was crying so i thought she was hungry enough) and put more food with it, and she took like a few bites, then left it. she has to be hungry... i guess she'll have to eat it sooner or later... she has to have a half of a pill for 40 days....
any tips on how to get her to eat this tiny pill? if i put it in uncrushed, she will eat around it, she's done it before... smarty cat.

just looking for some tips from you pro cat owners...

thanks!

For pilling, I advise this: use a dot of something soft and wet she likes. You can try mayonnaise, yogurt, even a little soft butter. Jusr a drop will do. Make sure you have everything ready, in a bowl is good. Pill, and spoon with a little mayonnaise (or whatever)

Use the holding position. Kneel on the floor with your feet crossed behind you, hold kitty between your knees facing out. She will try to back away and will not be able to.

With cat in holding position (as described above) hold pill in one hand, pry open mouth with other, poke pill in, toward side of mouth and as far back as you can. While still holding her with left hand, get a bit of yogurt (or mayo or...) on your finger and put a dot on her nose and mouth. She will lick off the yogurt and swallow, pill and all.

this can work with liquids too.

I make it sound easier than it is, at first. but once you master this method you'll be able to pill any cat, any time. I know I can!

What is the medication? Some pills (baytril for instance) are very bad tasting. For those it helps to put the pill into a plain empty gel capsule. gel caps go down easier too. Check with vet or pharmacist before using capsules, as a capsule may affect the dissolving time and this may be an issue for some meds.

ps, the wet treat on nose trick works with ear drops, eye care, anything really,even nail trims! the idea is, 1)she associates the nastiness with something good, and 2) she's so busy licking her nose she forgets about the other stuff.

By the way: A cat will not eat sooner or later if there is something in the food she doesn't like the smell of. Most cats would rather starve than eat something they don't like the smell of. Since she needs this med, better to get skilled in administering the pill.

I don't know what her dietary restrictions are, but I use Greenies Pill Pockets whenever I have to give Genever a pill. http://www.greenies.com/en_US/Produc...llpockets.aspx She loves them. They're not the cheapest, but they work for us, and usually the pill is small enough that I can give half a pill pocket at a time. My vet has also told me she uses the regular moist treats like Whisker Lickins or whatever brand, and smooshes a pill in the treat. That would be cheaper than Pill Pockets.

The one time Genever wouldn't take the Pill Pockets was when she had giardia, I guess the metronidazole she got to treat it is VERY bitter and she could taste it through the treat. So BF and I had to resort to holding her down and shoving the pill in the back of her throat and hold her mouth closed, rubbing her throat til she swallowed. Not fun, and I hope you don't have to resort to that.

Good luck!

Oh yeah, after reading otto's post, I remembered that with the metro. when we had to shove the pill in her mouth, we globbed some margarine on it to try to help it slide down easier. I don't know if it really worked or not, it seemed to a bit.

wow, thanks, good tip, i just hate doing stuff to her that will make her struggle (i.e. getting her into the crate lol) but i will have to do it i guess! for the next 38 days! ugh!! lol...
the med is an anti-depressant (sorry i just think it's kinda funny) i dont have the name right here, but i'm sure it tastes bad cuz she takes a lick and then starts trying to cover it.

Amitriptyline? Is she licking bald spots on herself?

I used the Pill Pocket too, but Tallulah will probably eat anything so it wasn't a problem with the pill pockets (not sure if she'd have taken the pills straight tho! Since it was antibiotics I didn't want to waste a dose).

I read that you can try giving her the pill pockets by themselves first as a treat to see if the cat will eat it. Then when you put the pill in, they're more likely to accept the pill pocket with the pill in it.

Also read should store the pill pockets in the fridge after you open it so it will still "stick" when you squeeze the hole shut.

I use a piller. It is a contraption that has a plunger and a pocket to put the pill in. You position the cat as mentioned earlier so it can't move. With one hand you can pry open the mouth and with the other put the pill in the cats mouth and use the plunger. You have to get it as far back in the mouth as you can so the cat will swallow it. If it is a big pill then I give a syringe of water to make sure it gets washed down.

Originally Posted by blueyedgirl5946

I use a piller. It is a contraption that has a plunger and a pocket to put the pill in. You position the cat as mentioned earlier so it can't move. With one hand you can pry open the mouth and with the other put the pill in the cats mouth and use the plunger. You have to get it as far back in the mouth as you can so the cat will swallow it. If it is a big pill then I give a syringe of water to make sure it gets washed down.

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A piller, or pill "gun" works great. Most vets sell them, they're only about $2.
Don't go too far back with the gun, as you can make your kitty choke.
The plunger on the gun "shoots" the pill out. Experiment a few times with the gun and pill so you can see how it works before you try to use it with Shiraz. You can use the gun to help pry open her mouth by inserting it at the side of her mouth. Once it's in, position the gun so that it's aiming straight toward the back of the mouth. You'll be amazed how fast you can do this once you get a little practice! Always praise Shiraz for being a good girl and taking her meds as you're giving them. You can also give her a small treat.

The only drawback to pill guns is that the opening for the pill can sometimes be too large to hold very small pills. Very important : Always follow pilling, whether by hand or with a pill gun, with a syringe of water, at least 6cc. Do a cc at a time, squirting slowly down the side of your cat's mouth. Let your kitty swallow after each cc. It's not necessary to stroke a cat's throat to get them to swallow. Throat-stroking and holding the chin up can actually impede swallowing.

Just another idea: since the pill you're giving your cat is very small don't crush it. Try putting it whole in a little meatball of food, or a pill pocket as was already suggested. Don't have any other food available before it's medicine time. You want Shiraz to be hungry. Make sure that Shiraz takes the meds before you leave for work. Once she does, then put down the rest of her food.

Good luck!!!