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Cat Forum / General Topics / March 2004Giving the cat a tablet
Hi all! There's a very funny story in the net about giving the cat a pill - the owner ends up in hospital, and his garden shed is completely destroyed. But I'm being serious here. I can force down a tablet for fifteen minutes until the cat swallows - and then I find the tablet on the floor. Or I put the tablet into coffee cream: cat waits until the tablet has sedimented and licks the cream off, leaving the tablet behind of course. Or I mix the tablet in with wet food. Cat just puts it's nose up and ignores the food completely. This morning I forced down a worming tablet with a syringe :-(. But I have to give two tablets per day against diarrhoea for the next nine days and after a scratched thigh and a scratched back I humbly ask: *HOW* do you give your cat a pill?? -- Carola ^..^ ~~ , =?`= ___ ) (_ <snip> > But I have to give two tablets per day against diarrhoea for the next nine > days and after a scratched thigh and a scratched back I humbly ask: *HOW* do > you give your cat a pill?? Wondering how you got the scratched back (rhetorically, I *do* have cats <g>)... Currently (small pills) I just grab the cat, plop him down on the table, butt him up against the crook of my shoulder (so he can't back up), stroke his chin so he looks up, squeeze the corners of his jaw so he opens his mouth and plop the pill in hopefully to the back of his tongue so he swallows automatically (I have an 85% success rate so far). Then give him a kitty treat so he forgives me. Another cat I dissolved the stuff in tuna-juice then applied with a (needleless of course) syringe more or less into the mouth. Mind you, these were both relatively docile cats to begin with. pat | Currently (small pills) I just grab the cat, plop him down on the table, | butt him up against the crook of my shoulder (so he can't back up), | stroke his chin so he looks up, squeeze the corners of his jaw so he | opens his mouth and plop the pill in hopefully to the back of his tongue | so he swallows automatically (I have an 85% success rate so far). Then | give him a kitty treat so he forgives me. That's exactly how the vet assistant showed me how to do it with an artificial cat. - And that's how I got my scratched back because cat leapt up there and held on. | Another cat I dissolved the stuff in tuna-juice then applied with a | (needleless of course) syringe more or less into the mouth. This morning I dissolved the tablet in the very canned meat that madam cared to like last week - it was being ignored. Then I topped the stuff with coffee cream - madam sniffed at it. I sprinkled some grated cheese over the pill cocktail: it's still there. At last I had a better idea: She just loves cheese. I put a new tablet into a bit of cheese, it was being examined, and left behind. I thought that can't be true! Tried another type of cheese, and the pill - at last - is gone. Sorry miss, didn't know you only like hard cheese ... After all this procedure I had a desire to finally eat my breakfast. Argh - who's taken over my chair? | Mind you, these were both relatively docile cats to begin with. The other cat is no problem at all, a bit of nice canned chicken meat with the tablet and it's gone. Carola >Hi all! > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >days and after a scratched thigh and a scratched back I humbly ask: *HOW* do >you give your cat a pill?? I don't - I value my fingers too much. I got the vet to agree to me going home with a supply of sticks as it's easier. However my neighbour has a pill popper which is like a mini icing syring with a blunt probe that holds the pill at it's tip. Insert into mouth and push release - one pilled up cat.  Signature79.84% of all statistics are made up on the spot. The other 42% are made up later on. In Warwick - looking at flat fields and that includes the castle. Take out the planet to reply by email I coat the pill with margarine, kneel on the floor with the poor victim on the ground between my knees - they try to scootch back but can't - pry open their mouth, quickly pop in the pill, hold victims mouth shut and rub victims throat. I've also heard blowing in their nose after popping the pill in makes them swallow. May I also suggest before you put the cat between your knees that you wrap him/her up in a towel. I've had a few instances where they didn't swallow the pill. Or they start foaming at the mouth or drooling quite a bit. Can't your vet give you a liquid worming med? Getting liquid down is slightly easier than pilling. JoJo http://home.comcast.net/~zookeepr/fosters.html (I've got new fosters, come take a look! :)) > Hi all! > [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > =?`= ___ ) > (_ | I coat the pill with margarine, kneel on the floor with the poor victim on | the ground between my knees - they try to scootch back but can't - pry open [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] | I've had a few instances where they didn't swallow the pill. Or they start | foaming at the mouth or drooling quite a bit. This cat is a true stray, but has settled in fairly well now. But if she doesn't like things being done to her she growls badly. | Can't your vet give you a liquid worming med? Getting liquid down is | slightly easier than pilling. She even got injected against worms which of course is the easiest way. But she still suffers from this diarrhoea and has to be treated. She gets one pill in the morning and one in the evening. This is a pill especially designed for cats with a meat covering. She just loves it! But then there's this other one to be given twice a day too for the next ten days :-( Plus a liquid at lunchtime, that usually goes down with a lot of growling. It gets to me too that the built up trust over the last month is fading away again when I have to give her this harsh treatment. Carola >Hi all! > [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >days and after a scratched thigh and a scratched back I humbly ask: *HOW* do >you give your cat a pill?? Crush the tablet into power. Mix the powder with human grade chunk light tuna in water, along with a bit of the liquid. A couple of table spoons of tuna should be enough. Place the bowl with the tuna and pill on the washing machine, and put the cat down beside it. End of problem, and the other cats won't get into it either. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu - e-mail must contain "T.E.D." or my .sig in the body) | Crush the tablet into power. Mix the powder with human grade chunk | light tuna in water, along with a bit of the liquid. A couple of [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] | | T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu - e-mail must contain "T.E.D." or my .sig in the body) Thanks for the idea but sweetheart doesn't like tuna ... Carola >Thanks for the idea but sweetheart doesn't like tuna ... Odd cat - many don't like cat tuna, but in over 35 years of living with cats, I've known or heard about only a small handful that don't like human tuna. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. >>Hi all! >> [quoted text clipped - 17 lines] > >T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu - e-mail must contain "T.E.D." or my .sig in the body) Why the "washing machine"? >>>Hi all! >>> [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > >Why the "washing machine"? I don't want the cats on the kitchen counters, but when giving a pill to one cat out of a dozen, I need to put the bowl where the others won't go, and if there is one cat on the washer, the others seem to think there isn't enough room for them to jump up (the fact that the top is slick may have something to do with that). The dryer would work as well, but I keep the laundry supplies on top of it so there isn't much free space. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. > Hi all! > [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > -- > Carola I have to pill Tigger every day. I lay her back belly up into the crook of my left arm (like you would a baby). Reach around with my left hand and grab her front paws (so I don't get scratched when she tries pushing my hand away) then with my right hand I sneak the pill in the side of her mouth between the back teeth. If I'm fast I can usually get it on the back of her tongue so she has to swallow without getting bitten. I've only gotten bitten once and have been pilling her daily since December. Lots of hugs and kisses to follow so she won't hate me forever - until the next time. It actually has gotten easier with time. The further back on the tongue you get the pill the less chance of it popping right back out. W | I have to pill Tigger every day. I lay her back belly up into the crook of | my left arm (like you would a baby). Reach around with my left hand and grab [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] | tongue so she has to swallow without getting bitten. I've only gotten bitten | once and have been pilling her daily since December. This works if you have a cat that likes to be held. She's now slowly come round to accepting being held upright. But on her back - never! | Lots of hugs and kisses | to follow so she won't hate me forever - until the next time. It actually | has gotten easier with time. The further back on the tongue you get the pill | the less chance of it popping right back out. | | W Hugs and kisses she does not want. She's been a stray for over a year and is rather difficult to handle. But is coming round surprisingly well though. Carola > | I have to pill Tigger every day. I lay her back belly up into the crook of > | my left arm (like you would a baby). Reach around with my left hand and [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > > Carola This morning I gave her a treat first. Then she ate the pill (capsule) out of my hand. Guess she thought it was another treat. I had rubbed the capsule on the treat so I guess it smelled good to her. I'll have to try that one again. W > This morning I forced down a worming tablet with a syringe :-(. > But I have to give two tablets per day against diarrhoea for the next > nine days and after a scratched thigh and a scratched back I humbly > ask: *HOW* do you give your cat a pill?? I feel for you. I have to pill 2 of my cats twice a day so they're used to it but I did have to pill a feral for 10 days after she was acclimated to my house and it wasn't fun, plus I lost a lot of her trust for a while. First things first, you need to make sure the pill is one that can be crushed if you give it that way. Coated pills generally aren't good if you crush them. Wormers (at least the ones I've used) are ok to crush. Personally, I don't try to hide pills in food. It is easier just to make sure you know the whole dose went down, and placing it in the back of the mouth and following it with a syringe of water guarentees me that my cats got their dose. One trick I learned with Shadow is to get his mouth wet first, (give small amount of water with syringe /before/ the pill and then after) the pill goes down quicker. Another trick is if the pill is bitter, buy some empty gelcaps, cut the pill if necessary and place the dose in there -- no taste. But gelcaps tend to get sticky so they really need to be washed down with either water or food. I also place the cats high enough for me to handle them comfortably; on my kitchen countertop. SignatureCheryl > Hi all! > [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > days and after a scratched thigh and a scratched back I humbly ask: *HOW* do > you give your cat a pill?? Ask your vet to give you or sell you a piller. This is a slender tube about 8 inhes long or so with a rubber tip. The tip is split so you can wedge the pill between the rubber halves. Down the middle of the tube is a small plunger that will "pop" the pill out of the rubber tip and into the cat's mouth. Now, armed with the piller, shut yourself (and the cat) into the bathroom or some other small room where they can't escape and hide under the middle of the bed for hours. Put the cat on the vanity or a table and with one arm, grab the cat between your forearm and your body and use the hand of the same arm to hold it's head. Put the tip of the piller against the side of it's mouth and it should start to instinctively open and shut it's mouth - when it does, push the piller to the back of the tongue and pop the pill right in. Have done this hundreds of times with a success rate of probably 98% or better. One word of caution though, make sure the pill is either small or that you break it into small pieces as this meathod tends to hurl the pill down Kitty's throat whole and doesn't give the opportunity to chew it up or spit it out. You can see what a piller looks like here: http://www.thecatconnection.com/page/TCC/PROD/BEST/SUP-2502 I think all cats hate taking tablets, mine was easily fooled though, we wiped some cat toothpaste she liked the flavour of all over the pill shje had to take, of course she began licking at it straight away and it took very little persuasion to get her to take the whole thing which she then swallowed down, she's usually wise to our tricks but it really didn't seem to bother her taking pills this way. Steve > > Hi all! > > [quoted text clipped - 36 lines] > You can see what a piller looks like here: > http://www.thecatconnection.com/page/TCC/PROD/BEST/SUP-2502 | I think all cats hate taking tablets, mine was easily fooled though, we | wiped some cat toothpaste she liked the flavour of all over the pill shje | had to take, of course she began licking at it straight away and it took | very little persuasion to get her to take the whole thing which she then | swallowed down, she's usually wise to our tricks but it really didn't seem | to bother her taking pills this way. I'm rather discouraged at the moment: Today cat bit on the cheese in which the pill was hidden - that's it: End of taking pills!! The problem is that Minka is suffering from bad diarrhoea, and she has to take the medication in order to get well. She was a former stray, and there's an option that we can just let her free again where she was trapped. But then again she shows clearly that she loves to be with us, she's so thankful and tries her best to be 'good'. Today she even played with me with a toy. But who wants a cat that's 'leaking'? Carola > | I think all cats hate taking tablets, mine was easily fooled though, we > | wiped some cat toothpaste she liked the flavour of all over the pill shje [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > The problem is that Minka is suffering from bad diarrhoea, and she has to > take the medication in order to get well. I've already mentioned how I manage it, but other methods... maybe ask the vet for a liquid version instead. > She was a former stray, and there's an option that we can just let her free > again where she was trapped. But then again she shows clearly that she loves > to be with us, she's so thankful and tries her best to be 'good'. Today she > even played with me with a toy. But who wants a cat that's 'leaking'? A towel on the lap Rick currently running around after 3 kittens with a paper towel and a mop for the next few days until they figure out the litterbox. | A towel on the lap And on the bed and on the table and on my chair and on the floor and ... feel rather towelled up ... | Rick | currently running around after 3 kittens with a paper towel and a mop | for the next few days until they figure out the litterbox. LOL They're so sweet though ... Carola >Today cat bit on the cheese in which >the pill was hidden - that's it: End of taking pills!! You can try warping the pill with liverwurst. The cat might just gobble it. It only works with some cats, however. Dik | >Today cat bit on the cheese in which | >the pill was hidden - that's it: End of taking pills!! [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] | | Dik Now *that's* an idea - off to the shops!! Carola "M.C. Mullen" <mcmullen@freesurf.invalid.ch> dumped this in news:40671521 $0$705$5402220f@news.sunrise.ch on 28 Mar 2004: > The problem is that Minka is suffering from bad diarrhoea, and she has to > take the medication in order to get well What medication is she on? Is it Metronidizol (Flagyl)? If so, this stuff is very bitter tasting. A gelcap is the best thing. Shadow gets Flagyl 2x per day for the last year and a half as maintenance for IBD. SignatureCheryl | > The problem is that Minka is suffering from bad diarrhoea, and she has to | > take the medication in order to get well [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] | -- | Cheryl Yes, exactly!! Why for such a long time? On the packet it says not for longer than 20 days. How much does he get? Minka gets 60mg twice a day. Last week it was 80mg. What's IBD? Carola > Yes, exactly!! > Why for such a long time? On the packet it says not for longer than 20 > days. How much does he get? Minka gets 60mg twice a day. Last week it > was 80mg. What's IBD? IBD is Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Shadow's was diagnosed by a biopsy of some intestinal cells. He's on long-term flagyl (125 mg 2x per day) for maintenance along with cortiosteroids. I think the short-term dose your cat was given is because that is usually enough for the common, non-serious GI tract upsets, including some tricky parasites. The first time Shadow was prescribed it, he seemed to have some improvement toward the end of the course, and the vet did prescribe another round. So if it doesn't work before it is gone, don't give up and ask if Minka can have more. Here is more about IBD and flagyl use: "When combination therapy is indicated metronidazole (Flagyl) is usually the first choice to be used in conjunction with prednisone. Metronidazole's mechanism of action includes an antiprotozoal effect, inhibition of cell-mediated immune responses, and anaerobic antibacterial activity. A dosage of 5 to 10 mg/lb two times daily is used for IBD. Ideally, at least several months of metronidazole therapy is given once it is started. In some cats with severe disease long term consecutive use or one to two month cycles of treatment may be required. Side effects to metronidazole at this low dose are uncommon in cats. Occasionally nausea or vomiting may be seen." http://www.vin.com/VINDBPub/SearchPB/Proceedings/PR05000/PR00427.htm Good luck, and I've tasted one of those pills just to see why the vet warned me about them and they do taste nasty, hence the foaming mouth you probably saw in Minka. SignatureCheryl | Here is more about IBD and flagyl use: | [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] | -- | Cheryl Thank you, this is extremely helpful. Hope Minka does not have this IBD then :-( Carola
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