Cherry flavored Azithromycin for diabetic cat?!?

All - kitty has upper respiratory infection and vet wrote a prescription for Azithromycin to be filled at human pharmacy. Kitty is diabetic. Pharmacy gave me a pink, cherry flavored version. What does this stuff have in it that makes it cherry flavored? The vet is out until tomorrow and Kitty had a dose this evening. Called the vet as it is a specialist/ER and hey said if it's not sugar it's artificial sweetener which is toxic to felines!!!!!!

Hello!

So without his internist in until tomorrow I'm basically on poisoning watch. And monitoring his BG throughout the night.

Anybody have any info they can share that would help a worried human mommy?

can you call the pharmacy and ask if they can make it without flavoring?

This is unusual. When I bought stuff for the Rogue at the pharmacy (used by both humans and my vet), they had flavor options of fish, beef or chicken (not that any helped).

Good luck to poor kitty!

I have given azithromycin to a diabetic cat before but it was chicken flavored.

Call the pharmacy and ask if the medicine can be made without flavoring or with a pet friendly flavoring. As a general rule it's a good idea to tell the pharmacist as you are dropping off a prescription for a pet that you need unflavored medicine or a pet friendly one (bacon, cheese, chicken, etc) so you don't get a flavor more for kids' taste buds like cherry or bubble gum. If your cat has a common Human name like Suzy, the pharmacist may just assume that the medicine is for a child. And some pharmacists won't even question an obvious non-Human name like TCS member Mammyt1953's cat HeKitty.

You may also want to ask this question on the FelineDiabetes.com message board.