Can the cantharis be given inside a pill pocket?

[Radtech49]

I have a cat that is very hard to syringe anything into her mouth. I can do it a couple of times but then she avoids me like the plague and it took years to build a bond with her, so I tend to steer away from syringing anything. I use pill pockets and they have worked superbly. She occasionally will have stress cystitis because of agression between her and another older cat. She is usually the aggressor.

I have the cantharis tea pills. My question is, can I put a tea pill in a pill pocket so she will just swallow it? Will the effects be just as good as if dissolved in water ahead of time? I've been putting a half teaspoon of water in a measuring spoon and dropping the pill in that. Takes a minimum of 20mimutes to dissolve which isn't ideal at 4 in the morning when she's screaming for her breakfast. Also. The measuring spoon is stainless steel. Is that a problem? I know not to touch the pill.

A vet told me years ago that cosequin was excellent for preventing inflammation of the bladder. That had slipped my mind for some reason until now. Anyone use that? I just open the capsule and mix with her food and I figure it could help with joints as she ages. I do have corn silk and d mannose on hand but I've never really seen results with either of those and another person said that it could change the ph of the urine and not for the better.

Anyone. All that to ask....can the cantharis be given inside a pill pocket?

 

[tnrmakessense]

Obviously, this is an old post, but one of the few that I've found where someone posted dose and how to.
I have a cat that is very hard to syringe anything into her mouth. I can do it a couple of times but then she avoids me like the plague and it took years to build a bond with her, so I tend to steer away from syringing anything. I use pill pockets and they have worked superbly. She occasionally will have stress cystitis because of agression between her and another older cat. She is usually the aggressor.

I have the cantharis tea pills. My question is, can I put a tea pill in a pill pocket so she will just swallow it? Will the effects be just as good as if dissolved in water ahead of time? I've been putting a half teaspoon of water in a measuring spoon and dropping the pill in that. Takes a minimum of 20mimutes to dissolve which isn't ideal at 4 in the morning when she's screaming for her breakfast. Also. The measuring spoon is stainless steel. Is that a problem? I know not to touch the pill.

A vet told me years ago that cosequin was excellent for preventing inflammation of the bladder. That had slipped my mind for some reason until now. Anyone use that? I just open the capsule and mix with her food and I figure it could help with joints as she ages. I do have corn silk and d mannose on hand but I've never really seen results with either of those and another person said that it could change the ph of the urine and not for the better.

Anyone. All that to ask....can the cantharis be given inside a pill pocket?

Sorry, I don't have experience with cantharis, but Tinkle Tonic ( Chewy) in wet food has helped some of my guys who had cystitis. I've tried other herbal remedies and supplements with no luck.

 

[FeebysOwner]

I did a search on this site for cantharis, and there were a few threads, but all older and I didn't see any of the members as still active. A couple of them mentioned switching to UTI-Free by PetAlive as it was easier to administer - one of the ingredients is cantharis. See link below for the UTI-Free product.

I don't know if it is because what you are using are cantharis tea pills, but only one thread I saw mentioned anything about being careful when handling them. The instructions for the item below do not mention any such precaution.

As a general rule of thumb, I see more recent threads recommending pure D-Mannose and corn silk or marshmallow root, and even slippery elm bark. Some other things you might want to research to see if they could be used in lieu of cantharis. I use D-Mannose for my cat to stop her from having UTIs from baterial build up in her bladder. Many bacteria adhere to the D-Mannose and are flushed out of the bladder through urination.

UTI-Free™ | Natural Pet UTI Treatment for Cats & Dogs | PetAlive® (nativeremedies.com)

 

[JamesCalifornia]

~ I am doing some research on apple cider vinegar to treat & prevent cystitis/urine crystals. Apparently some give this dilution with water to acidify the urine and devolve crystal. Maybe someone here has more information ... ?

 

[shadowsrescue]

I have a male cat that has blocked 3x. After the second time he had PU surgery. Two years later he blocked again. Somehow he manages to survive. I started using Cornsilk daily years ago with him. I give 7 drop 3x a day. If I even try to drop down to 2x a day, his pee clumps start to get bigger and bigger and less frequent.

This past April, he had a terrible bout of cystitis. He was back at the ER vet. He is a very stressy boy as well as being quite aggressive to some of my other cats. I have tried many things to keep him calm. I tried every natural remedy out there (Composure, Zylkene, flower essences, and other natural calming remedies ) yet after a short time they would stop working. We tried Prozac and that led to urinary retention. Most calming prescription meds for cats have the side effect of urinary retention. At the ER vet in April, it was recommended we try daily gabapentin. Off label it is used to calm cats. He has been on it since late April and seems so much better. At first it is a bit sedating and it was hard to find the right dosage.

The other thing that really helps water water water. No dry food. I am not a fan of the prescription diets. I fed the highest quality wet food I could afford and then added extra water to his food. I sometimes would even syringe him extra water. Recently I switched to a mostly raw food diet.

 

[Maurey]

~ I am doing some research on apple cider vinegar to treat & prevent cystitis/urine crystals. Apparently some give this dilution with water to acidify the urine and devolve crystal. Maybe someone here has more information ... ?

ACV doesn’t impact urine pH, but it can be used prophylactically to prevent oxalate formation (your average cat typically gets struvites). Up to 4 drops a day can be given, but you need to build up to it slowly.

would recommend joining Feline Lower Urinary Tract | Facebook for more info if you have FB

 

[JamesCalifornia]

ACV doesn’t impact urine pH, but it can be used prophylactically to prevent oxalate formation (your average cat typically gets struvites). Up to 4 drops a day can be given, but you need to build up to it slowly.

would recommend joining Feline Lower Urinary Tract | Facebook for more info if you have FB

~ Thanks. I was thinking that the ACV theory was too good to be true ...

 

[Remi&RiRi]

I have a male cat that has blocked 3x. After the second time he had PU surgery. Two years later he blocked again. Somehow he manages to survive. I started using Cornsilk daily years ago with him. I give 7 drop 3x a day. If I even try to drop down to 2x a day, his pee clumps start to get bigger and bigger and less frequent.

This past April, he had a terrible bout of cystitis. He was back at the ER vet. He is a very stressy boy as well as being quite aggressive to some of my other cats. I have tried many things to keep him calm. I tried every natural remedy out there (Composure, Zylkene, flower essences, and other natural calming remedies ) yet after a short time they would stop working. We tried Prozac and that led to urinary retention. Most calming prescription meds for cats have the side effect of urinary retention. At the ER vet in April, it was recommended we try daily gabapentin. Off label it is used to calm cats. He has been on it since late April and seems so much better. At first it is a bit sedating and it was hard to find the right dosage.

The other thing that really helps water water water. No dry food. I am not a fan of the prescription diets. I fed the highest quality wet food I could afford and then added extra water to his food. I sometimes would even syringe him extra water. Recently I switched to a mostly raw food diet.

Hi I don’t know when you’ll see this. But my boy has been having this problem for the past two months. Now on our third blockage. I am feeling so helpless at times and just lost on what to try. What brand of corn silk do you use? And you had to get a prescription for the gabapentin I’m sure. I’ve never had to get a prescription for my cat but I’m willing to try anything. I have been researching about PU surgery. It seems it’s seems the outcomes are fairly good but that the blockages can eventually come back like your boys did? I’m willing to try PU surgery for him but I’m just afraid it won’t work. These problems get expensive fast. My boy is only 3 years old and I just feel so bad for him. Any advice is appreciated! Also bless you for taking such good care of him. It feels like dealing with this problem has become my full time job. It’s a lot!

 

[shadowsrescue]

Hi I don’t know when you’ll see this. But my boy has been having this problem for the past two months. Now on our third blockage. I am feeling so helpless at times and just lost on what to try. What brand of corn silk do you use? And you had to get a prescription for the gabapentin I’m sure. I’ve never had to get a prescription for my cat but I’m willing to try anything. I have been researching about PU surgery. It seems it’s seems the outcomes are fairly good but that the blockages can eventually come back like your boys did? I’m willing to try PU surgery for him but I’m just afraid it won’t work. These problems get expensive fast. My boy is only 3 years old and I just feel so bad for him. Any advice is appreciated! Also bless you for taking such good care of him. It feels like dealing with this problem has become my full time job. It’s a lot!

I think because he is so young the PU surgery would be a good idea. You will never know until you try. I know it's very expensive, but many cats do so very well after it. Yes, they can block again after PU surgery but it is less common. My boy is just a very stressy cat. When he gets stressed it shows up as urinary issues. He is still on gabapentin but now he gets quite a high dosage. He's on 75 mg 2x a day. This keeps him stable. I try to get him to drink as much water as possible.

Be sure to find a good vet to do the surgery. It can make all the difference. You want someone who does this frequently.

What kind of food does your cat eat? How much water does he get?

I still use cornsilk daily. You must get the kind with no alcohol. I use this brand https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Z96GFY/?tag=thecatsite

You start with 7 drops 3x a day. I add it to his wet food or put some in baby food or churu. After 90 days at 3x a day, you can reduce to 2x a day as long as pee clumps stay normal size. I would use cornsilk after PU too.

If you do the PU surgery be sure you are prepared. It's a long recovery. My boy had to wear an e collar for 3 weeks. We had to confine him to a mostly empty room and for the first week we had to watch him almost 24/7. If they pull the stiches out it can ruin the surgery. Special litter has to be used after the surgery too. The first week was rough. We were back to specialty vet 3x. Yet once the first week was over it was smooth sailing.

I wish you the best with your boy. Three years old is so young. If you have the funds available PU surgery is a good option. With my boy, the first time he blocked they put in a catheter. After 24 hours he blocked again. Catheter put back in. Then it was removed after another 24 hours. He blocked again 36 hours later. There were no options let as they could not catheter him again due to all of the scaring.

 

[Remi&RiRi]

I think because he is so young the PU surgery would be a good idea. You will never know until you try. I know it's very expensive, but many cats do so very well after it. Yes, they can block again after PU surgery but it is less common. My boy is just a very stressy cat. When he gets stressed it shows up as urinary issues. He is still on gabapentin but now he gets quite a high dosage. He's on 75 mg 2x a day. This keeps him stable. I try to get him to drink as much water as possible.

Be sure to find a good vet to do the surgery. It can make all the difference. You want someone who does this frequently.

What kind of food does your cat eat? How much water does he get?

I still use cornsilk daily. You must get the kind with no alcohol. I use this brand https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000Z96GFY/?tag=thecatsite

You start with 7 drops 3x a day. I add it to his wet food or put some in baby food or churu. After 90 days at 3x a day, you can reduce to 2x a day as long as pee clumps stay normal size. I would use cornsilk after PU too.

If you do the PU surgery be sure you are prepared. It's a long recovery. My boy had to wear an e collar for 3 weeks. We had to confine him to a mostly empty room and for the first week we had to watch him almost 24/7. If they pull the stiches out it can ruin the surgery. Special litter has to be used after the surgery too. The first week was rough. We were back to specialty vet 3x. Yet once the first week was over it was smooth sailing.

I wish you the best with your boy. Three years old is so young. If you have the funds available PU surgery is a good option. With my boy, the first time he blocked they put in a catheter. After 24 hours he blocked again. Catheter put back in. Then it was removed after another 24 hours. He blocked again 36 hours later. There were no options let as they could not catheter him again due to all of the scaring.

The vet put him on Purina Pro plan urinary dry food. He has struvite crystals. I was also mixing half of the diet with wet food. We were only doing this for about a week because his last blockage was just around a week ago. I talked to an online vet and they said “he is on prescription food, that's all he can have, as introducing any other food negates the benefits of prescription food.” This was confusing to me because I heard about how good wet food is and the hydration it provides when it comes to this problem. He is a picky eater when it comes to wet food which is why they prescribed the dry. This has been a very complicated situation for us because we also think he’s experiencing stress as well. We got a dog in October and his crystals started beginning of March. He does not like the new dog and will usually walk the other way when our dog gets to close. We have been training our dog to stay away from Remi. Our dog is also a lot bigger than he first was when we brought him home and are thinking any stress related to this is probably making it worse. When I talked to the online vet she said “The cystitis caused stress doesn't typically have a cause, usually called idiopathic cystitis. If he was having struvite crystals and bacteria secondarily that is typically a medical cause, and less likely stress induded, but the two can happen simultaneously so it can be very confusing.” I am just concerned that if we go forward with the PU surgery that his environment wont be ideal for healing. My idea is to keep him in the guest bedroom while he heals, but I know this would only be temporary. I am hoping that maybe gabapentin or some type of stress relief could help but I am just grasping at straws here. How is your boy doing now?

 

[shadowsrescue]

To me it makes no sense to have a cat with urinary issues on dry food. Moisture is needed. Yes, the prescription dry food diet has ingredients that promote urinary health but the rest of the ingredients are garbage. This is just my opinion. I don't understand why vets prescribe it and do not push foods that have moisture. I do agree that when a cat has crystals prescription food may be needed temporarily to help break up the crystals. I have only used the prescription food for short periods. I prefer wet food only and then add even more water to it. My boy doesn't drink water at all. He used to drink out of a fountain when our dog was around. When she passed away, he stopped using the fountain. You might see if there is a prescription wet. I know there is one made by Royal Canin called multi stress SO. It comes in dry, wet pate and wet chunks. It has something in it to help with stress. I now feed canned food with 3 T. water added in the morning and raw food with extra water for his evening meal.

Cisco was on prozac for about 8 months. It never helped him with his stress but it did lead to urinary retention. This is a common side effect is many stress/anxiety meds used on cats. For that reason, Cisco cannot go back on any of them. It's just too risky. Many cats do well on them. So gaba is used off label as a calming drug. Cisco is a big cat so he requires a hefty dosage. We started at 25 mg 2x a day and it did nothing. Bumped to 50 mg and he did well for about 4 months. Now he is on 75 and doing well. He can go as high as 100 mg 2x a day.

After healing from the surgery, he will need to be confined to a room. You cannot have him wandering. It might even be necessary to sleep in the room with him for awhile. It depends on how he does with the cone. It is an absolute must as if he pulls out the stiches it will ruin the surgery.

It does sound like the dog has contributed to his stress. Do you play with Remi? Play therapy is excellent for cats. Jackson Galaxy, the cat guru recommends a regime called Hunt Catch Kill Eat Groom Sleep. The idea is that you get a great wand toy (something like the da bird) and really get your cat moving. You want him to expend lots of energy. This will act as the hunt catch kill. Next you offer an extra special treat or small meal for the Eat portion. After a play session and small snack, many cats will groom and then take a nap. Daily play sessions help to reduce stress as well as build confidence in cats. Be sure your dog is not in the space.

It has been almost a year since Cisco's last flare. He had a major cystitis attack the end of April in 2022. He didn't block, but it was a rough few weeks. He hasn't blocked since 2019!! I am diligent about his water requirements for the day as well as his supplements.

 

[Remi&RiRi]

To me it makes no sense to have a cat with urinary issues on dry food. Moisture is needed. Yes, the prescription dry food diet has ingredients that promote urinary health but the rest of the ingredients are garbage. This is just my opinion. I don't understand why vets prescribe it and do not push foods that have moisture. I do agree that when a cat has crystals prescription food may be needed temporarily to help break up the crystals. I have only used the prescription food for short periods. I prefer wet food only and then add even more water to it. My boy doesn't drink water at all. He used to drink out of a fountain when our dog was around. When she passed away, he stopped using the fountain. You might see if there is a prescription wet. I know there is one made by Royal Canin called multi stress SO. It comes in dry, wet pate and wet chunks. It has something in it to help with stress. I now feed canned food with 3 T. water added in the morning and raw food with extra water for his evening meal.

Cisco was on prozac for about 8 months. It never helped him with his stress but it did lead to urinary retention. This is a common side effect is many stress/anxiety meds used on cats. For that reason, Cisco cannot go back on any of them. It's just too risky. Many cats do well on them. So gaba is used off label as a calming drug. Cisco is a big cat so he requires a hefty dosage. We started at 25 mg 2x a day and it did nothing. Bumped to 50 mg and he did well for about 4 months. Now he is on 75 and doing well. He can go as high as 100 mg 2x a day.

After healing from the surgery, he will need to be confined to a room. You cannot have him wandering. It might even be necessary to sleep in the room with him for awhile. It depends on how he does with the cone. It is an absolute must as if he pulls out the stiches it will ruin the surgery.

It does sound like the dog has contributed to his stress. Do you play with Remi? Play therapy is excellent for cats. Jackson Galaxy, the cat guru recommends a regime called Hunt Catch Kill Eat Groom Sleep. The idea is that you get a great wand toy (something like the da bird) and really get your cat moving. You want him to expend lots of energy. This will act as the hunt catch kill. Next you offer an extra special treat or small meal for the Eat portion. After a play session and small snack, many cats will groom and then take a nap. Daily play sessions help to reduce stress as well as build confidence in cats. Be sure your dog is not in the space.

It has been almost a year since Cisco's last flare. He had a major cystitis attack the end of April in 2022. He didn't block, but it was a rough few weeks. He hasn't blocked since 2019!! I am diligent about his water requirements for the day as well as his supplements.

You’ve been super helpful. Thank you. I play with him but not consistently enough. I am going to start start doing this. And that makes sense regarding the food. Random question but did you have pet insurance when getting the procedure? It’s probably too late but I’m uneducated on how that works. And I’m so glad to hear about your boy!

 

[shadowsrescue]

You’ve been super helpful. Thank you. I play with him but not consistently enough. I am going to start start doing this. And that makes sense regarding the food. Random question but did you have pet insurance when getting the procedure? It’s probably too late but I’m uneducated on how that works. And I’m so glad to hear about your boy!

Unfortunately I did not have pet insurance. It all happened so quickly. I don't know anything about pet insurance. I knew absolutely nothing about cat blocking. Through the years I have learned so much. If you are on facebook there is a fabulous group called Feline Lower Urinary Tract. You have to get permission to join, but it's very simple. I don't do facebook, but joined just to be on this group. They have so many many suggestions. One thing is that they are very very very against dry cat food of any kind and really do not care for prescription food either. Yet you can join and just browse all the info.

Feel free to ask lots of questions. We are here to help.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

To me it makes no sense to have a cat with urinary issues on dry food. Moisture is needed. Yes, the prescription dry food diet has ingredients that promote urinary health but the rest of the ingredients are garbage.

~ I agree. Veterinarians seem to cause as many problems as they solve ...