Alternatives to the pill form of Benedryl (diphenhydramine)?

[theorangecat]

Pilling my cat has been a traumatizing nightmare to both of us.

His vet prescribed him Benadryl to calm the scratching he’s been doing after having been (presumably) bitten by something last time he was outside a few weeks ago.

I’ve gotten two hard-won doses in him, but this morning I could barely get his jaw open, and he bit down on the pill while fighting to get it out. There was foaming (him); there were tears (me); there was betrayal and fear (him).

I’m not putting him through my incompetence at pilling again. I have tried every way known to mankind to hide this half pill, but he’s just not buying it. The scratching has decreased, so I know it’s helping, but he needs a few more doses for it to be eliminated.

My vet doesn’t sell liquid Benadryl. I’m really not comfortable giving him the liquid children’s Benadryl you can buy at the drugstore because of the terrible ingredients and the fact I’m sure the flavor is just as bad to him. (Is it even safe to give? I don’t know. I couldn’t get a straight answer out of the vet’s office last time I called.)

What are my options here?

 

[LTS3]

Have you tried Pill Pockets to hide the pill in? Maybe give one of these TCS member suugestions a try:

Pilling Cats: Must-know Tips For Hiding Pills – Cat Articles
The Best Pill-taking Secret I Know...
Pilling Cats and Dogs Safely
How We Give Our Pill Hating Cat A Pill
Getting Cat To Take Pills... Post Tips Here.

A compounding pharmacy can make an alternate form of generic Benadryl. Wedgewood Pharmacy is a popular place among TCS members and has these options listed: Diphenhydramine Medication & Information for Animals A local compounding pharmacy can also do this.

 

[Twylasmom]

Ask if you can use a different antihistamine, like Zyrtec. Benadryl is notoriously bitter. You would still need to pill the cat, of course.

 

[kittenmittens84]

Try a pill popper if you can’t get a liquid form - it’s like a plastic syringe with a rubber tip to hold the pill, and it’s really helpful because you can much more easily get the pill far back in the cat’s mouth (and you don’t have to get their mouth open very much), press the plunger to pop it out, and then stroke the cat’s throat to make sure they swallow.

You can also try wrapping him in a towel before doing it, a lot of cats get calmed down/neutralized by being wrapped up.

 

[stephanietx]

We use tuna juice. When we open a cat of tuna. I drain it into a small ziploc bag and freeze it. When frozen, I break it up into chunks. Then I put a chunk in a bowl, let it defrost, add the pill and crush it. Then I offer to my kitty and she eats it up. We also wrap pills in cheese, if you kitty is a cheese head.