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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / May 2005Giving Pills With Water
I have to pill one of my cats twice a day, two-halves of two different pills each time. (I plan to look into flavored liquids etc. that Phil has mentioned, but have not done it yet. My regular pharmacy does not have these things, I have at least checked that.) Most times, she really hates this and some times she fights it and has become very crafty about pretending she has swallowed when she has not, then spitting them out when I am not looking. Today I found her after I gave her breakfast and put her on my lap on a towel, and when I tossed the pills gently to the middle of the back of her throat, I followed up with just a little splash of water that I had ready in a juice glass. It is messy, as some of it runs out the sides of her mouth. I followed up with another little drink and waited with her and she had definitely swallowed the pills. I then dried her off and gave her some petting and she seems fine. Is there any reason I should not do this? It seems the water just makes it easier for her to swallow the things without tasting them. (One is generic Tapazole, a very foul tasting pill.) >(One is generic Tapazole, a very foul tasting pill.) Mary you really need to look into the chicken flavored soft chewables. They can easily be cut into 2 halves to economize on small dosages vs small dosage tablets. These are available through your vet and not the pharmacy. -mhd > >(One is generic Tapazole, a very foul tasting pill.) > > Mary you really need to look into the chicken flavored soft chewables. > They can easily be cut into 2 halves to economize on small dosages vs > small dosage tablets. These are available through your vet and not the > pharmacy. You have mentioned these before, but they slipped my mind. I am taking Boo next week to have her thyroid levels checked and other stuff done so I will ask. Thanks. > Is there any reason I should not do this? It seems the water just makes it > easier for her to swallow the things without tasting them. (One is generic > Tapazole, a very foul tasting pill.) Yes. She can aspirate the water. Very bad. Instead, try putting a little butter on the pills.  Signature-- ~kaeli~ A man needs a mistress... just to break the monogamy. http://www.ipwebdesign.net/wildAtHeart http://www.ipwebdesign.net/kaelisSpace > > Is there any reason I should not do this? It seems the water just makes it > > easier for her to swallow the things without tasting them. (One is generic > > Tapazole, a very foul tasting pill.) > > Yes. She can aspirate the water. > Very bad. That never occurred to me! > Instead, try putting a little butter on the pills. Okay. I'm glad I asked. She's fine right now. She was just dogging me for part of my burrito. Suddenly, without warning, kaeli exclaimed (5/13/2005 6:41 PM): >>Is there any reason I should not do this? It seems the water just makes it >>easier for her to swallow the things without tasting them. (One is generic [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] > > Instead, try putting a little butter on the pills. Another suggestion I've seen, but not tried yet, was to crush or break the pill in to small bits, and put that into a gel capsule, which can then be coated with something yummy (I'll try peanut butter, or a piece of bread, two of the rare human foods my cat likes). The capsule at least avoids the cat tasting the icky stuff. I've saved a bunch of gel caps from her glucosamine supplement, but I think they're pretty easy to get at healthfood stores. jmc > Suddenly, without warning, kaeli exclaimed (5/13/2005 6:41 PM): > > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > > jmc Another good suggestion. Thank you. > I have to pill one of my cats twice a day, two-halves of two different pills > each time. (I plan to look into flavored liquids etc. that Phil has > mentioned, but have not done it yet. My regular pharmacy does not have these > things, I have at least checked that.) Methimazole (Tapazole) and Carbimazole (NeoMercazole) must be reformulated into flavored suspensions or transdermal gels by a compounding pharmacist. If you can't find a compounding pharmacist in your area, contact Island Pharmacy Services (1-800-328-7060)- they specialize in reformulating prescriptions for pets- especially imidazoles for hyperthyroidism. You'll need to fax them a script from your vet. Call them for details. Most times, she really hates this and > some times she fights it and has become very crafty about pretending she has > swallowed when she has not, then spitting them out when I am not looking. I get a kick out of how they know not to spit out the pills while we're looking! Smart! LOL! After you drop the pill into her laryngopharynx hold her mouth closed and scratch the base of her tail- this makes some cats lick their lips- which means she swallowed the pill. If she still doesn't swallow, direct a sudden gentle puff of air at her nose- this also prompts some cats to swallow. http://maxshouse.com/Medicating_Your_Cat.htm > Today I found her after I gave her breakfast and put her on my lap on a > towel, and when I tossed the pills gently to the middle of the back of her [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > easier for her to swallow the things without tasting them. (One is generic > Tapazole, a very foul tasting pill.) Absolutely not! A water bolus or canned food following pilling is very important to avoid medication-induced esophagitis- which is not only painful and might cause strictures- but also leads to pill-pain association which will make pilling her almost impossible. Instead of forcing her to drink, give her about 5 ml of water with a feeding syringe between the teeth and the buccal wall so she doesn't choke or aspirate the water. You can also place a dab of canned food on her nose or lips- when she licks it off she'll swallow the pill along with the food. Phil > > I have to pill one of my cats twice a day, two-halves of two different > pills [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > prescriptions for pets- especially imidazoles for hyperthyroidism. You'll > need to fax them a script from your vet. Call them for details. Okay! > Most times, she really hates this and > > some times she fights it and has become very crafty about pretending she [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > I get a kick out of how they know not to spit out the pills while we're > looking! Smart! LOL! This cat is a major hoot. First, you have to imagine her usual demeanor: she swaggers around, is built like a little bull, and when she wants something, has no qualms about marching up to you, facing you squarely and staring a wide-eyed hole in you while she gives you an indignant "MEH MEH!" With the pills, as soon as she hears the bottle, she shifts into slink mode, and like some fat tuxedo low rider slinks very rapidly away--downstairs to hide, usually. I have to trot to catch her! Then as soon as I open her mouth she makes these totally pathetic little grunty groans, like "ohhhh why meeeeeee, WHYYYY MEEEEEE, ohhhh ...." Then, if I manage to get the pill in the very middle of the back of her throat and get hold of her head quickly enough that she does not shake the pills to the side and spit them out, she flattens her ears, freezes, and waits for me to stop rubbing her throat and let go. Then, ears still flattened, she looks at me innocently like "I swallowed, it I did. She does not move at all until I have gone out of sight then I hear her collar and tags jingle and I go back and find the spit up pills. It really is funny. > After you drop the pill into her laryngopharynx hold her mouth closed and > scratch the base of her tail- this makes some cats lick their lips- which > means she swallowed the pill. If she still doesn't swallow, direct a sudden > gentle puff of air at her nose- this also prompts some cats to swallow. She has hyperesthesia so it makes her wag her head and say mow mow mow and bite her arm. :) > http://maxshouse.com/Medicating_Your_Cat.htm Thanks I will check it out. > > Today I found her after I gave her breakfast and put her on my lap on a > > towel, and when I tossed the pills gently to the middle of the back of her [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > aspirate the water. You can also place a dab of canned food on her nose or > lips- when she licks it off she'll swallow the pill along with the food. Super. I will not do the water thing without a syringe, to ensure she will not aspirate the water--until I can find an alternate means of medicating her. If her levels are good she can go in soon to Radiocats for her radioactive iodine treatment--but I wanted to get some pounds off and make sure she is in good shape before I do that. Thanks as always. > Super. I will not do the water thing without a syringe, to ensure she > will not aspirate the water--until I can find an alternate means of > medicating her. If her levels are good she can go in soon to > Radiocats for her radioactive iodine treatment Hey Mary! Maybe kitty and i can get our treatments together. newly thyroidless, pam > > Super. I will not do the water thing without a syringe, to ensure she > > will not aspirate the water--until I can find an alternate means of [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > newly thyroidless, > pam Pam, what happened? I hope it was just a node. >>>Super. I will not do the water thing without a syringe, to ensure she >>>will not aspirate the water--until I can find an alternate means of [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Pam, what happened? I hope it was just a node. i had a malignant nodule. it has been a long, scary month. get this though...the only reason it was detected right now? I went to see the ALLERGIST because I'm so allergic to Jasper. I wanted to try allergy shots. He gave me a brief exam and discovered the nodule. After an ultrasound and a biopsy, the diagnosis was made and i had surgery this past thursday. It's a good thing I am so stubborn and refuse to live without cats despite my allergies! ;) Pam > i had a malignant nodule. Oh no. > it has been a long, scary month. God I guess so. > get this > though...the only reason it was detected right now? I went to see the > ALLERGIST because I'm so allergic to Jasper. I wanted to try allergy > shots. He gave me a brief exam and discovered the nodule. After an > ultrasound and a biopsy, the diagnosis was made and i had surgery this > past thursday. I'm so glad they caught it early. Clearly Jasper is good luck! > It's a good thing I am so stubborn and refuse to live without cats > despite my allergies! ;) We're the same that way, I am allergic too! Now I want to go have my thyroid checked too. > I'm so glad they caught it early. Clearly Jasper is good luck! > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > We're the same that way, I am allergic too! Now I want to go have > my thyroid checked too. Jasper is definitely my little guardian angel. The good news is that thyroid cancer is HIGHLY treatable. Since I am young (just turned 33 last Monday) and the nodule was seemingly caught quite early, I have no reason to doubt anything but a full recovery. I may have to go thru some of the iodine treatments though. We'll see. For now, I am just glad the little cancer beast is OUT and I am home recuperating. I have a lovely gash in my neck...but otherwise am doing pretty well. It helps having a large support network (husband, parents, friends and family) but lemme tell ya...being diagnosed with ANY kind of cancer is terrifying and I am so glad to be on the road to recovery. FYI, nodules in the thyroid are very common in women. One out of 12 have them and 95% of them are benign. I got to be part of the elite 5%. :\ So, there ya have it! Pam > The good news is that thyroid cancer is HIGHLY treatable. Since I am > young (just turned 33 last Monday) and the nodule was seemingly caught > quite early, I have no reason to doubt anything but a full recovery. Super. > I may have to go thru some of the iodine treatments though. We'll see. Pam, my mother was diagnosed with thyroid cancer when she was about 42. It was, as with you, a node. She had a great surgeon who left her right there on the table during surgery to do a biopsy because the tissue looked "suspicious." It was cancer and he removed most of her thyroid and she had the radiation therapy. She had to take thyroxin (or synthroid) her whole life, but the good news is, she was completely cured. She died 30 years later of something completely unrelated. For > now, I am just glad the little cancer beast is OUT and I am home > recuperating. I have a lovely gash in my neck...but otherwise am doing > pretty well. It helps having a large support network (husband, parents, > friends and family) but lemme tell ya...being diagnosed with ANY kind of > cancer is terrifying and I am so glad to be on the road to recovery. You have borne it with grace. I'm sorry you had to go through it. Best wishes for a total recovery. Your post has motivated me to have my thryoid checked next month when I go to the doctor for a physical. Thanks. > You have borne it with grace. I'm sorry you had to go through it. > Best wishes for a total recovery. Your post has motivated me to > have my thryoid checked next month when I go to the doctor for > a physical. Thanks. You definitely should! I always wondered what the heck the doctors were feeling around for when they were feeling the neck area! :) thanks for the kind words, pam |
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