Pill Taking Problems!! Need Ideas For Meds!!

[mikameek]

I am having the hardest time getting medication into my cat. I wrap her in a kitty burrito, scruff her and hold her mouth open but she thrashes her head around, drools and foams, and actively pushes everything out her mouth as much as she can. I have a pill pusher but because she drools and foams so much it makes the pill stick to the pill pusher. She is slightly anorexic and barely eats so I can’t mix it in her food yet. I need other ideas of how to get it in her!! She is also on two liquid medications which is also hard to get in her for these reasons!

 

[LTS3]

Pill Pockets and other similar pill doughs work great I use a bacon flavored one for my cat's pills, Pill Paste for Cats - Bacon Flavored Most chain pet stores (Petco, etc) sell Pill Pockets. I bought the bacon flavored one from Amazon. You can also coat the pill dough in FortiFlora or crushed up treats to make it even more appealing.

You can also ask your vet about compounding the pill into another form, such as a flavored chew treat or transdermal gel. Wedgewood Pharmacy is a popular place if you don't have a local compounding pharmacy.

Liquid medicines can be flavored although even that might not help. Some medicines just taste nasty to cat no matter what. You can ask the vet about compounding the liquid medicine into another form. Holding the syringe between the teeth and cheek helps as you slowly squirt small amounts of the medicine in allowing the cat to swallow.

 

[KarenKat]

When my roommate’s cat Leia was sick we used pill pockets for her pills. When she started getting suspicious we dipped them in a coffee (she always loved the smell and we figured a few drops could t hurt).

When this stopped working he got the pill made into a treat at a lab and special ordered them. She really liked those until the end. I’ve never tried a pill shooter but these enticements worked on Leia.

 

[Furballsmom]

You could try prosciutto, I read somewhere that worked like a charm.

Also, if you're having trouble getting her to eat, try some of these ideas;

• Chicken or beef flavored baby food such as Gerbers stage 2 - you want to avoid garlic or onions in the ingredients

• Tuna and/or the juice

• Salmon

• Sardines (make sure there are no bones)

• boiled cut up chicken or turkey with no seasonings

• canned kitten food - it's usually smelly. See if it's eaten on its own, then mix it in or put on top

• Try mixing in Kitten Milk Replacer - there are recipes on the internet

• Fish, tuna or BBQ flavored canned wet food (I personally have never seen BBQ flavors, but...)

• Lickable cat treats or pouch treat gravy poured over the food

• Pouch cat foods - these typically have more gravy
• Fancy Feast

also Nutri Cal for when it is an urgent situation of no eating at all

• goat milk, or low/no lactose cow milk
• whole cooked eggs (both yolk and white)
• broth with no salt and no garlic or onion or seasonings of any kind
• kitten glop (recipes are on the internet, look for some with goat milk)
• bonito flakes
• fortiflora

There are also commercial toppers, Applaws is one brand that can work well as a topper, and you could crumble kibble or a favorite treat onto the wet food.

 

[catlady18]

My cat is on medication currently and I completely understand the challenge with a pill.

I took some of his favorite wet food and put the pill in the center of a piece and rolled it into a ball so that the pill was completely covered and he couldn’t see it. It has been working very well.

 

[mikameek]

You could try prosciutto, I read somewhere that worked like a charm.

Also, if you're having trouble getting her to eat, try some of these ideas;

• Chicken or beef flavored baby food such as Gerbers stage 2 - you want to avoid garlic or onions in the ingredients

• Tuna and/or the juice

• Salmon

• Sardines (make sure there are no bones)

• boiled cut up chicken or turkey with no seasonings

• canned kitten food - it's usually smelly. See if it's eaten on its own, then mix it in or put on top

• Try mixing in Kitten Milk Replacer - there are recipes on the internet

• Fish, tuna or BBQ flavored canned wet food (I personally have never seen BBQ flavors, but...)

• Lickable cat treats or pouch treat gravy poured over the food

• Pouch cat foods - these typically have more gravy
• Fancy Feast

also Nutri Cal for when it is an urgent situation of no eating at all

• goat milk, or low/no lactose cow milk
• whole cooked eggs (both yolk and white)
• broth with no salt and no garlic or onion or seasonings of any kind
• kitten glop (recipes are on the internet, look for some with goat milk)
• bonito flakes
• fortiflora

There are also commercial toppers, Applaws is one brand that can work well as a topper, and you could crumble kibble or a favorite treat onto the wet food.

This was seriously very helpful but I cannot believe how finicky this cat is when she is sick! I have gotten her a large selection of foods but if she eats something once (not to the point of finishing a can though), she wont touch it again.
She hated the Applaws flavors I got -- mainly because they're chunky and she is avoiding anything she can't lick.

I had her on a mother and baby cat food that I really thought would get her through the woods until she decided that food wasn't for her. I haven't found another kitten food she likes.

The lickable treats was great but all she did was eat the treat pouch. She ate none of the food under it.

She likes the fancy feast pates though. Any ideas on keeping her on the same food?

 

[mikameek]

My cat is on medication currently and I completely understand the challenge with a pill.

I took some of his favorite wet food and put the pill in the center of a piece and rolled it into a ball so that the pill was completely covered and he couldn’t see it. It has been working very well.

She isn't eating solids really. :/ She eats by licking so if she even attempted the chunk of food, she'd lick it off the pill.

 

[mikameek]

When my roommate’s cat Leia was sick we used pill pockets for her pills. When she started getting suspicious we dipped them in a coffee (she always loved the smell and we figured a few drops could t hurt).

When this stopped working he got the pill made into a treat at a lab and special ordered them. She really liked those until the end. I’ve never tried a pill shooter but these enticements worked on Leia.

She isn't eating solids completely. I tried the pill pockets but all she did was put it in her mouth and then dropped it. I don't know that I can get any of the pills I have made into treats since I don't live near a large town.

Thank you for the advise though!

 

[mikameek]

Small update that I'm hoping to get advice on:

My cat has been diagnosed with a UTI and apparently a particularly nasty one that is resistant to most antibiotics. The new antibiotic is a liquid and there is a lot to give in one dose every 12 hours. I can get some in her but she mostly spits it all out.

Anyone have any tips to make sure she's getting all her liquid in her? I have to flip her on her back to get her to have her head up. She bites, spits, hisses and wails. I cannot hold her head still during medicating. I need 3 people to help me for just one session of medications. Anyone have some tips for liquid medications?

 

[catlady18]

Small update that I'm hoping to get advice on:

My cat has been diagnosed with a UTI and apparently a particularly nasty one that is resistant to most antibiotics. The new antibiotic is a liquid and there is a lot to give in one dose every 12 hours. I can get some in her but she mostly spits it all out.

Anyone have any tips to make sure she's getting all her liquid in her? I have to flip her on her back to get her to have her head up. She bites, spits, hisses and wails. I cannot hold her head still during medicating. I need 3 people to help me for just one session of medications. Anyone have some tips for liquid medications?

Small update that I'm hoping to get advice on:

My cat has been diagnosed with a UTI and apparently a particularly nasty one that is resistant to most antibiotics. The new antibiotic is a liquid and there is a lot to give in one dose every 12 hours. I can get some in her but she mostly spits it all out.

Anyone have any tips to make sure she's getting all her liquid in her? I have to flip her on her back to get her to have her head up. She bites, spits, hisses and wails. I cannot hold her head still during medicating. I need 3 people to help me for just one session of medications. Anyone have some tips for liquid medications?

I would suggest wrapping her in a blanket like a burrito so her paws are covered and it’s easier to have control.

 

[mikameek]

I would suggest wrapping her in a blanket like a burrito so her paws are covered and it’s easier to have control.

I have definitely done that. I wrap her every time, I scruff her too. She does not drop her lower jaw the way that everything says when I grab her by the sides of her jaw and lift her head up. Instead she howls and tries to bite, throws her head around and foams.

I had the vet check out her mouth to see if she was in pain or if there was something wrong and he said nothing looked wrong. She's just bad about her mouth apparently.

 

[catlady18]

My cat is on liquid meds right now too and I’ve tried taking the steps they tell you to do so they open their mouth but after failing I’ve just poked the syringe in the side of his mouth and when I see it partially opened I squirt it in. Sometimes it misses a little bit but I’ve been doing it for a few days and have been able to gain enough control to get him to open just enough for it to get in there.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

Ask your vet about compounding the med into a transdermal gel. I know doxycyline (sp?) can be compounded and can be used to treat UTI's. I don't know about Clavomox, not sure that one can be compounded. Also, if you are giving her Clavomox, make sure it is refrigerated - not sure if the vet told you that.

You just put in the tip of the ear and it gets absorbed (the syringe has the doses indicated). It sounds like she is getting really stressed out at this point. Compounding can be expensive, but I think it is worth it.

 

[sweetblackpaws]

Since your kitty is a "licker" of food, have you tried putting small portions of the med into Fancy Feast broths? There is something about that stuff, kitties love the flavor. I think Sheba makes broths, too, but I have only tried the FF.

 

[Columbine]

You've had some great suggestions here. Some cats just are incredibly hard to pill. I've never used a pill pusher (though I have syringed liquid meds orally for one kitty), and instead have always pilled by hand. I think that can be easier sometimes, so that might be worth a go. I always try to pick my moment when it comes to meds - choosing a time when they're settled and relaxed can make everything go much more smoothly, even with the most resistant kitties. Having an extra yummy treat on hand for afterwards can help too, or even just giving them some scritches in a favourite spot. That way, you always end on a good note which, over time, can make a huge difference.

My preferred method is to get alongside the cat, use my left (non dominant) arm to gently restrain forward movement and gently open the mouth, use my body to block backward movemement, and use my right (dominant) hand to slip the pill in. If kitty is totally chilled to start with, you can almost have it over before they realise what's happening It does take practice, though, and you need to stay calm and chilled yourself too. If you're tense, that will transmit to your cat and make her more nervy too.

I know the burrito method can be extremely beneficial for both cats and owners, but it doesn't suit every cat. It's always worth experimenting with new techniques until you find what works for you and your cat best. I've had to use different techniques for different cats, as they are all as individual as we are

There are more great ideas and tips in these articles:-
Pilling Cats: Must-know Tips For Hiding Pills
How Can I Give A Pill To My Cat

 

[Dangerbunny]

I wrote you a massive message on how I specifically give medication to my cats but I won't rehash it here since most of it is just a long rambling version of what Columbine has already said!

I tend to prefer pills over liquid medication because getting the right dose into your kitty has always been a little problematic for me as well! The burrito hasn't worked for me, and neither does sitting alongside my cat, so I have to basically hold him between my knees and hover over him. It's like a big loving hug he can't scoot away from! Then I give the liquid very slowly and gradually. More than I'd like inevitably dribbles or is spit out, though.

I second the gelcaps for solid medications, especially for something notoriously gross like metronidazole (but it also helps to be able to cram multiple medications into one convenient little capsule - we use size #4 because it's the smallest).

I give water before and after pills with a 1ml syringe to prep their mouth for pills and to help it go down afterward.

And again, Columbine is so right with staying calm and gentle with your cat! My husband gets easily frustrated and the boys pick up on that and will repeatedly spit out pills (funny enough, once I take over we usually get it done in one or two tries...). I think he does that on purpose so I get to be the meanie that pills them every day while he gets the cuddles!

 

[Dangerbunny]

Oh, and I usually use my fingers to give pills. I feel like I have more control than with the pill popper and can get it to the back of the throat within swallowing range more easily. My mom, on the other hand, swears by the pill popper for her cats so your mileage may vary.

On the other, other hand, my way leaves your fingers in easy chomping range, not that my cats have ever made me bleed during a pilling session or anything like that.

 

[Columbine]

The burrito hasn't worked for me, and neither does sitting alongside my cat, so I have to basically hold him between my knees and hover over him. It's like a big loving hug he can't scoot away from! Then I give the liquid very slowly and gradually. More than I'd like inevitably dribbles or is spit out, though.

I used this method for my old boy, and probably will for my current boys. Yet my girl totally freaks out when I try it with her! Proof that you really do need to tailor your technique to the individual cat

 

[mikameek]

My cat is on liquid meds right now too and I’ve tried taking the steps they tell you to do so they open their mouth but after failing I’ve just poked the syringe in the side of his mouth and when I see it partially opened I squirt it in. Sometimes it misses a little bit but I’ve been doing it for a few days and have been able to gain enough control to get him to open just enough for it to get in there.

I have basically been doing the same! I have gotten pretty good at it but sometimes she just sprays her medicine everywhere. I worry because if she doesn't get all the medication that she needs, I don't know she will get better.

 

[mikameek]

Since your kitty is a "licker" of food, have you tried putting small portions of the med into Fancy Feast broths? There is something about that stuff, kitties love the flavor. I think Sheba makes broths, too, but I have only tried the FF.

I have! She stopped eating that brand of food completely. She is so particular about her stuff. I'm afraid to mix anything because she doesn't eat much to begin with.