 |
 | Home | Contact Us | FAQ | Search & Site Map | Link to Us |
 | Sign In | Join | Other 45 Sites in Network |
| HomeDiscussion GroupsGeneral TopicsCat AnecdotesHealth and BehaviorRescue CatKB.com Contact UsLink To UsSearch & Site Map |
Cat Forum / General Topics / February 2006Help needed on how to medicate the kitty...
We're at wit's end with Buffy our tortoise shell, who needs antibiotics and she violently rejects pills and liquid. Every time we try to medicate her she gets more difficult. The first time we pilled her she spat it out in goobers for several minutes....the second time my we got it down and it stayed down. The third time, this morning, my husband had to do it alone and he got it in and held her mouth shut and rubbed her throat and she swallowed twice so after about a minute and two swallows he let go. She spat it out again. She goes nuts--foaming at the mouth and spitting and hacking it out. We went back to the vet tonight to get it in liquid form (another 16 bucks) and tried that but she got even more violet (I guess she doesn't like the fruit flavor?) and spat and goobered it out everywhere. She clawed us like mad so we had to wrap her in a towel on the second attempt and she tore some of her claws up struggling to free herself. My husband and I have both tried putting crushed pills in everything from canned catfood, to canned kitten food to TUNA and she won't eat it. Does anyone have any ideas that we haven't tried to help us get her medicated and regain her trust? We are as traumatized as she is and at wit's end. Any help is appreciated... Thanks for Buffy! http://www.davidandmollie.com/kitties/ put the liquid onto her fur, she'll clean herself and get the medicin. rub it in, if you need to. >We're at wit's end with Buffy our tortoise shell, who needs antibiotics and >she violently rejects pills and liquid. some cats behave like this (only one among our six does). IMHO pills are more convenient than liquid. DO NOT CRUSH THEM, for they are often disgustingly bitter and your cat will be foaming like crazy. The trick to place a coated pill as deeply as possible into the kitty's mouth (ideally, on the base of her tongue) and then hold her by the mouth, caressing her throat gently. Make sure you do not place the pill on either side of her mouth near her cheak, for she'll spit it out. I usually do this alone: Stand in front of the cat; take her by the lower jaw with my left hand (palm turned toward my face, thumb against my LEFT eye); gently press the thumb and the middle finger against the jaw joint to make her open her mouth; put the pill deep into her mouth with my right hand. Of course, she'll avoid you for a couple of days, but will generously forgive you in the end. Best regards Y. > We're at wit's end with Buffy our tortoise shell, who needs antibiotics > and she violently rejects pills and liquid. [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > Thanks for Buffy! > http://www.davidandmollie.com/kitties/ I've been there. It is tricky, but there are real solutions. For Liquid, the previous comment is excellent: put it on her fur so that she has to lick it off. I often get one of my cats to take Laxatone this way. As for pills, pick up some pounce treats. Break a pill in half and put each half inside of a pounce treat. If necessary you might need to really smush the treat up and compress it around the pill, but you'll figure it out. If your cat is like mine, she'll wolf down the treat without even pausing to notice the medicine in it. Good luck and let us know how you make out. Steve i use a piller that my vet gave me. it's a long plastic thing with rubber on the end to hold the pill. i call it a pill gun. i get behind the cat and with one hand open their jaw, with the other hand i shoot the pill into the throat. they swallow automatically. i don't even need anyone to help me. zip zip done in 2 seconds. everyone is happy. barbara > some cats behave like this (only one among our six does). IMHO pills are > more convenient than liquid. DO NOT CRUSH THEM, for they are often [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] >> Thanks for Buffy! >> http://www.davidandmollie.com/kitties/ > We're at wit's end with Buffy our tortoise shell, who needs antibiotics and > she violently rejects pills and liquid. Use one of these: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=11938&Ntt=pill&Ntk =All&Ntx=mode+matchallpartial&Np=1&pc=1&N=0&Nty=1 or http://tinyurl.com/9bzlc  SignatureVictor M. Martinez Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM) Send your spam here: uce@ftc.gov Email me here: pistorLITTER@BOXaustin.rr.com > We're at wit's end with Buffy our tortoise shell, who needs antibiotics and > she violently rejects pills and liquid. [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > Thanks for Buffy! > http://www.davidandmollie.com/kitties/ Hi, Poor Buffy and poor you! I know just how distressing this can be. I've done the wrapping in towel trick, but it works best on a cat that is inclined to be compliant anyway. When I had difficulty with Cheetah (my torteshell) I resorted to padded clothing (quilted gardening jacket) and this helped me stay relatively unscathed. As YP says, it's best to get a pill down whole, due to the grim taste of some of them. However, since you've got a fluid form, it may be worth using a plastic syringe - available from your vet or good pet shops - and firing it into the back of her throat and then snapping her mouth shut and stroking her throat. When I've had no option but to give a pill, I endeavour to place it at the back of her tongue ..snap her mouth shut and blow on her nose! Oddly, this was a vet's tip to me years ago .. a cat automatically swallows when you blow on its nose. Truly! It still means you've got to risk life and limb getting the pill in the right place ... but it's worked for me. Another tip: never feed your cat a pill when you have long finger nails. Since the pill needs to be at the back of the tongue, you're almost bound to scratch kitty's throat while placing the pill. A violent reaction is guaranteed. A possible second tip (I've never tried this): If your cat likes catnip, use some to get her deeply laid back ... then ambush her. It may be worth a try! Good luck. Spider >Poor Buffy and poor you! I know just how distressing this can be. I've >done the wrapping in towel trick, but it works best on a cat that is [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >from your vet or good pet shops - and firing it into the back of her throat >and then snapping her mouth shut and stroking her throat. Way I usually hold the is to knell or squat and put them between my knees / legs and kind of set on my heels so they can not back out from between my legs plus the are held between my legs and can not squirm too much. ...snip... > A possible second tip (I've never tried this): If your cat likes catnip, > use some to get her deeply laid back ... then ambush her. It may be worth [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > Good luck. > Spider I've never given my 18 year old cat catnip, so I don't know how to get her sufficiently 'stoned' to perform a pedicure, which she has grown to hate despite my gentility. Can anyone suggest the proper administration or delivery of catnip? Thanks > ...snip... > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Thanks Hi U-i-L, Catnip is supplied in a number of forms but, in my experience, all one has to do is add cat to catnip .. the cat works out the rest. The only problem arises when the cat doesn't respond to catnip. Hope your elderly lady cat responds - sounds like she needs it! Spider Shake a toy up in a bag of catnip...give her a catnip filled toy...sprinkle some in her favorite blanket....all of those should suffice...if you can get fresh catnip (Petsmart sometimes stocks it) just give her a sprig! good luck! > ...snip... > [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] > > Thanks "User-in-law" <go_spam_yourself@nosuchISP.not> wrote in message > I've never given my 18 year old cat catnip, so I don't know how to get her > sufficiently 'stoned' to perform a pedicure, which she has grown to hate > despite my gentility. After trimming my cat's claws, I'M the one in need of medication. As well as a large amount of bandages. > After trimming my cat's claws, I'M the one in need of medication. > As well as a large amount of bandages. I assumed mine would get better as time went on but it isn't playing out that way. Most the time one is pretty good and one is a little squirrelly. The odd time one is totally nuts but I go through the same routine every time so I don't know why. Thankfully, they've never gone nuts at the same time. >> After trimming my cat's claws, I'M the one in need of medication. >> As well as a large amount of bandages. > > I assumed mine would get better as time went on but it isn't playing > out that way. I was able to trim my cat's claws at first, it took a while but I would trim 2 or 3, let him settle down while I petted him for a few minutes, then do a couple more. Now I can't even get him to sit still for one claw, he's about 20 pounds of pure energy and I don't have a chance once he gets serious. Signature-Don (using cat's email) Ever had one of those days where you just felt like: http://cosmoslair.com/BadDay.html ? ie wrote the following on 2/1/2006 11:13 PM: > We're at wit's end with Buffy our tortoise shell, who needs antibiotics and > she violently rejects pills and liquid. One of mine was like that. I finally found that a combination of a cat bag -- http://www.cat-in-the-bag.com/ and a pill shooter (available from the vet) was the best option. I'd get her into the bag, squat over her holding her between my knees, 'shoot' the pill in, and hold her mouth shut while tickling her throat and blowing on her nose until she swallowed. She was a master at spitting the pill back out after she had swallowed, so I would hold on to her for a minute after letting go of her mouth to make sure she had swallowed it. Then lots of loving and a treat before I let her out of the bag. Karen R. >We're at wit's end with Buffy our tortoise shell, who needs antibiotics and >she violently rejects pills and liquid. [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > >Any help is appreciated... Mine are all like that so I just mix it in something they love. If it is a pill I mash (SP) it up or liquid I mix it in. Mine love meat based baby food such as turkey and turkey gravy, chicken and chicken gravy, ETC and eat it right down. Before someone says it is not good the vet said it was ok!! One light turkey lunch meat also so I mash the pill and put it between two peices of lunch meat like a sandwich. Not to big thouh or will not eat it all. Occassionaly I use a dap of tuna to put it in. That covers the taste or smell of anything!!! :-) As always I would check with you vet first and she what they say. Also have you tried a pill pooper (Pill syringe) to get it into the back of the cat's throat?? I put the cat on the kitchen counter, hold him by the scruff of the neck, lift him a little so he's sitting on his haunches with his head slightly bent back. He can't clamp his mouth shut, or move his head in this position so it's easy to take the syringe an shoot the liquid into the back of his mouth. When it hits the back of is throat, swallowing becomes a reflex action so he can't spit it out. This is a one person procedure and only takes a couple of seconds. Guys, I hope some of you will at least try the liquid on the fur / pill in pounce treat techniques described above. They don't involve sticking anything down your cat's throat or physically restraining them in any way. So, they're easier on both you and the cat. Steve I crush my cat's tablets between 2 spoons, then mix it in with his dinner, he eats it and apparently it tastes nice! > I crush my cat's tablets between 2 spoons, then mix it in with his > dinner, he eats it and apparently it tastes nice! If the pill is small enough, I find a large treat, dig a little hole in the center, and stuff the pill in. This method works very well with my Winston. It did not work at all with my Kimmy, who in her entire life, managed not to take a pill at all and, boy, did I try with her. Joan >Guys, I hope some of you will at least try the liquid on the fur / pill >in pounce treat techniques described above. They don't involve sticking >anything down your cat's throat or physically restraining them in any >way. So, they're easier on both you and the cat. > >Steve On fur is fine but how much of the dose are they really getting this way ?!?!?! > We're at wit's end with Buffy our tortoise shell, who needs antibiotics and > she violently rejects pills and liquid. [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > swallows he let go. She spat it out again. She goes nuts--foaming at the > mouth and spitting and hacking it out. That happens. It takes a while to get good at giving cats pills. Confidence and speed is the key and you only get better by practicing. When I first had to doit with our two cats, it took 2 of us, a lot of scratching and about 5 minutes to get them to take a pill. Now I can do it on my own in about a second with no fear of scratches. If you've only done it 3 times, then it sounds like you just need a bit more practice. I use this method which seems to work (I'll amend it for using two people, one to hold, one to administer the pill. :) Get your assistant to hold the cat firmly on a counter or table. Make sure the cat can't scratch with its front legs. Hold the pill in your right hand. Put your left hand above the cats head. Place your thumb and a finger at the corners of the cats mouth. Quickly, gently and firmly move your thumb and forefinger upwards whilst pressing inwards to open the cats mouth.[0] Put the pill at the back of the cats throat. Use your left hand to hold the cats mouth closed and head back. Use your right hand to stroke the cats throat until it swallows.[1] [0] Yes, this is the hard bit which takes practice. Once you get it right though, you don't even need to hold the cat still. [1] If you get the pill in the right place in their throat, they'll usually just swallow it and you don't need to go stroking their throat. If you do it quick enough they barely notice. > We went back to the vet tonight to get it in liquid form (another 16 bucks) > and tried that but she got even more violet (I guess she doesn't like the [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > tried putting crushed pills in everything from canned catfood, to canned > kitten food to TUNA and she won't eat it. I'd give up on trying to get a cat to take a pill voluntarily. I've never known a cat who'll eat a pill hidden in food. > Does anyone have any ideas that we haven't tried to help us get her > medicated and regain her trust? We are as traumatized as she is and at wit's > end. > > Any help is appreciated... Practice is the only way I think. It does get easier! Signaturehttp://www.ollieclark.com/acronyms.html > We're at wit's end with Buffy our tortoise shell, who needs antibiotics > and she violently rejects pills and liquid. There's a lot of good advice here. I'd just add that - we've had a lot of success with the "tucked between the legs on the floor" method. Tilt the head back with the left hand on the joints of the mouth, shove or toss the pill as far back in the throat as possible, close the mouth with the free hand and continue to hold the head back until the cat swallows. Then praise and treats. - you can almost always tell the cat's swallowed when he licks his nose - so don't let go until he does. - but practice makes perfect. Real success takes place in the first 3 seconds. After that, everybody's frazzled. - a cat piller or shooter can give you confidence but you've got to get it down deep very quickly. Our vet is very good but I'm too chicken to shove it in as far as she does. Also, good luck. >- we've had a lot of success with the "tucked between the legs on the floor" >method. Tilt the head back with the left hand on the joints of the mouth, [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > >Also, good luck. One question. How can it lick it's nose when his mouth is being held shut ?? :-) >>- we've had a lot of success with the "tucked between the legs on the >>floor" [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > One question. How can it lick it's nose when his mouth is being held shut > ?? :-) Very funny. But seriously, it's not a vice like grip of death you've got the cat in. And I'm sure you've noticed that no cat every has its mouth held so tight it can't get a lip or two over your finger if it wants to. Most of the effort really has to go into holding the head up and back - it seems to interfere with getting the tongue into action and spitting out the pill. If the liquid isn't working I would go back to the pills. There are places that compound medicines into more tolerable flavors (tuna beef etc) you could look into that too. Pill guns are VERY handy for those who are intimidated by the cats teeth. The way I suggest that a cat be pilled is mostly the same as others. When I do it, I sit on the floor with the cat between my legs so she can't back up. I grab the cat's head with the left hand (Im right handed.. reverse if you aren't) and put my fingers on one side and my thumb on the other with my palm over the top of the head. You'll feel ridges in her skull, grab those for best control, and tilt the head upwards until her nose is pointing at the ceiling. Once it is, the mouth will open slightly. With my pointer finger, I pry open the mouth by pulling slightly on the small teeth between her canines. (with my cat missing a tooth, I usually slide my finger in that area). Once the mouth is open, and the back of the throat is parallel to the wall, drop the pill down the middle of the back of the throat. This will get the pill as far back in as it can go, and usually just releasing the head will cause her to swallow. If you miss and it hits her tongue, You should be able to poke in with a finger and push it further back. If need be you can use your left hand to keep the mouth open by pushing your finger into the mouth and keeping a piece of her lip between your finger and her mouth. This will stun her a smidge when she tries to bite, and give you a few precious moments to get that pill down. Would recommend trying it with small pieces of kibble first, so that way if you really miss, when you let go she has yummy kibble to eat instead of a pill that is going to get wet and gross. If with the pill you try and it gets wet, let her spit it out, and let it dry completely before trying again > We're at wit's end with Buffy our tortoise shell, who needs antibiotics > and she violently rejects pills and liquid. [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > Thanks for Buffy! > http://www.davidandmollie.com/kitties/ have you tried pill pouches > If the liquid isn't working I would go back to the pills. There are > places that compound medicines into more tolerable flavors (tuna beef etc) [quoted text clipped - 55 lines] >> Thanks for Buffy! >> http://www.davidandmollie.com/kitties/ How to medicate a cat or dog 1. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat's mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow. 2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process. 3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away. 4.Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm, holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten. 5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden. 6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat's throat vigorously. 7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later. 8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down drinking straw. 9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink 1 beer to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse's forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap. 10. Retrieve cat from neighbor's shed. Get another pill. Open another beer. Place cat in cupboard, and close door onto neck, to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band. 11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Drink beer. Fetch bottle of scotch. Pour shot, drink. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Apply whiskey compress to cheek to disinfect. Toss back another shot. Throw Tee shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom. 12. Call fire department to retrieve the d------ cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap. 13. Tie the little #*&$*$'s front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of filet steak. Be rough about it. Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to wash pill down. 14. Consume remainder of scotch. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and removes pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table. 15. Arrange for ASPCA to collect mutant cat from hell and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters. ======== HOW TO GIVE A DOG A PILL 1. Wrap it in bacon or peanut butter. Albert > have you tried pill pouches > [quoted text clipped - 57 lines] > >> Thanks for Buffy! > >> http://www.davidandmollie.com/kitties/ ROFLMAO Wow--This would have been the troll of the week if it were a troll! Thanks for all the great responses. With everything on my plate (two sick cats, sick elderly mother, 11 hours a day of continuing ed classes and 26 man hours of docs and ER visits since Saturday) I can't reply to all the posts right now but I will say that while I was in class today my husband tried the catnip approach and went back to pilling and it worked like a charm. A "stoned kitty" is a compliant kitty. Thanks again, I'm going to read all the post this weekend and post a follow up! off to bed! ie > We're at wit's end with Buffy our tortoise shell, who needs antibiotics > and she violently rejects pills and liquid. [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > Thanks for Buffy! > http://www.davidandmollie.com/kitties/ > We're at wit's end with Buffy our tortoise shell, who needs antibiotics and > she violently rejects pills and liquid. [quoted text clipped - 18 lines] > medicated and regain her trust? We are as traumatized as she is and at wit's > end. Didn't you discuss this problem with your vet? I am sure if you had, your vet would have suggested hiding the medicine in a bit of food and then feeding the food to her in a teaspoon. > We're at wit's end with Buffy our tortoise shell, who needs antibiotics > and she violently rejects pills and liquid. [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > Thanks for Buffy! > http://www.davidandmollie.com/kitties/ I guess there are enough ideas amongst the other posts but this is my method which works for me. Hold the cat by the scruff of it's neck and gently increase the tension. The mouth will open slightly and a bit of further tension will yield a gaping mouth. Push pill over back of tongue. It looks cruel , sounds cruel but it causes no pain and little distress. I would like to claim this as my original idea but it's what the local vet does. There's only one thing works on my naughtie torties, and it works every time. You have to get hold of a product called Vegemite (see http://about-australia-shop.com/vegemite.htm). Made by Kraft. Rhymes with Dolemite, not Yosemite (I used to think Yosemite was the US version of Vegemite when I was a kid). We Aussies eat it spread *extremely* thinly on well-buttered toast, but cats love it neat. It's a yeast concentrate, quite sharp and salty and well, yeasty. About the consistency of ointment. It has vitamins and stuff. You can buy it quite cheaply at the above site, online. The technique is simple. 1. Relax. Give the cat a cuddle and stand it on a bench. Have the tablet nearby. 2. Put a little dollop of Vegemite on your index finger, and use it to pick up the pill- you'll have to adjust the dollop to the size of the pill. 3. (for a right hander). Gentle the cat's head with your left hand and tap down its lower jaw with the tip of the ring finger of your right hand. Don't force it, or the cat will panic. Just tap downwards gently. Cats seem to have a gape reflex and will pop open their mouths when you do this. Don't do something dumb like cover its nose or make the experience frightening. 4. Immediately the cat gapes, poke the index finger (with the Vegemite and pill) towards the back of the cat's mouth, wiping off the pill on the far end of the tongue. 5. Wipe the rest of the Vegemite from your fingers onto the cat's forelegs afterwards. This causes mine to immediately plop down and happily lick off the Vegemite for a good 5 minutes afterwards. Another cuddle at this point doesn't hurt, either. My Tosca used to be impossible to pill. Now I have to give her two pills every night for her hyperthyroidism and she actually starts hanging around me at pill time, waiting for the Vegemite. She's what we call a happy little Vege-mite. And the other cat is jealous. > We're at wit's end with Buffy our tortoise shell, who needs antibiotics > and she violently rejects pills and liquid. [quoted text clipped - 23 lines] > Thanks for Buffy! > http://www.davidandmollie.com/kitties/ |
Reply to this Message |
 Sign In
 Join
 My Latest Posts My Monitored Threads My Blog My Photo Gallery My Profile My Homepage Start New Thread Enable EMail Alerts Rate this Thread
|
©2008 Advenet LLC Privacy Policy - Terms of Use
This website includes both content owned or controlled by Advenet as well as content owned or controlled by third parties.