Giving tablets

I tried giving my cat half a tablet the vet gave me, and he spits it out and starts drooling. Is the drooling normal? Iâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]ll ask the vet tomorrow, but I was wondering if any of you know. thank you

drooling can be normal, especially if the tablet is broken or crushed - the inside of the tablet can sometimes be very bitter, causing the cat to drool.

try putting the 1/2 tablet in either a piece of tuna, or smush a small piece of american cheese around it, or use a pill pocket if you can find a package of them at your local pet store.

This is normal, especially if the pill tastes bad (and most do). You have to poke the pill way, way to the back of the throat. This is easiest if you either grasp your cat by the scruff so he kind of goes limp, or if you use a pill popper (available from your vet for about $5). It also often helps if you put the pill in an empty gel cap, which you can get at most pharmacies.

Crushing a pill and mixing it with some tuna, plain chicken baby food, or Fancy Feast also often works well. If this works, it's often the least stressful for you and the cat.

thank you so much for the comments.

The pill popper worked for us...You just need to make sure you shoot the pill right to the back of the throat to make the cat swallow by reflex.

Looks like I have to check out this pill popper. The other night when I joined this forum I read about how to give a cat a pill. I was hapy to see I was doing it right.Well Molly figured it out too and even though I am holding between my legs and gripping her jaw she still manages to spit the pill back UP. She is amazing.

I crush the tablet and mix it with a couple table spoons of can cat food. I mostly dry free feed; I just place the can in the fridge, and use the one can for the entire medicine using a little each day.

I scruff my cat, and shove the pill down his throat... you might want to get a piller if you think your cat is going to bite you. But when you scruff them they usually relax their mouth a bit... and I toss it back there, and stick it down with my finger. It's kind of hardcore.. but my cat still loves me.

Thank you so much, I will try your suggestion if there is a next time, I hope not. The vet told me that it wasnâ€[emoji]8482[/emoji]t necessary to give the tablet if he was doing fine.

I have no luck with mine! All these days my hubby was giving him pill and managed to do so very well- this morning Mishka was hiding from us, when hubby left for work, so I am the one who had to give him the pill- and no luck whatsoever! He is spitting it right back and then starts drooling- I got scared!!!! I tried to cover it up in tuna- but my smart cat figured it out and got underneith our bed!!! It is kind a hard to get him out of there for me ( with my belly)

It might seem kind of mean, but you have to be, I dont wanna say rough, but more like in command when pilling an animal... being confident about it is step 1 - your kitty will sense nervousness. All these suggestions are wonderful! The most important thing, physically, for a successful pilling is to get that pill ALLLLL the way in the back of the throat... once it's back there, I hold the jaw shut and briskly (not too hard, but you need some pressure) rub the throat kinda where the adam's apple would be, this will force a swallow and most likely than not, the pill will go down.... occasionally it'll still get spit out, but I'd say I've got about a 98% success rate (I do have experience as a kennel nurse though, so I've had lots of practice, hehe)

As for crushing pills, please check with the prescribing vet first.... crushing is not recommended for some drugs, so just be certain first. (I know on human drugs, these kinds of meds will come with a "do not crush" sticker... different vets can dispense things in different ways though and may not put stickers or notations like that)

My dog is on thyroid meds for the rest of her life, so she gets her twice daily pill in a bit of cream cheese - works like a charm! (alot of cats are lactose intolerant though, haha, Ollie steals cream cheese from my bagel sometimes and pays me back with stinky poos!)

That is what I am missing- confidence! As soon as I hear Mishka growling on me- I get scared, that I hurt him or something and that he wil never forget me for doing this curel act of pilling him... he hehe I know it is stupid, as we were kids our moms had to do what they had to do in order to keep us healthy- and I remember how my dad would hold me and my mom would force-feed me with medicine, or give me a shot ( I am afraid of needles) - so for kittys best I have to be strong and be able to pill him easily... BUT, I can not. I have to wait till my hubby wil get home- he is so much better at this. I tried to pill kitty in the afternoon- no luck at all.... I can not manage to put that pill all the way dawn his trhoat- it keeps falling closer and he spits it out and drool after that... I feel so sorry... I am such a bad mommy....

aw! you're not a bad mommy... like I mentioned, I've had lots of practice pilling cats - you'll get it though... if you're husband's good at it, can you try some of the time, while he's there kind of coaching you? That way if you cant get it, then he can take over and kitty will still get his meds on time.... good luck!