Getting cats to take their pills
carolineglasgow
Posts: 828 Forum Member
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My 3 year old cat has recently been diagnosed with an enlarged heart. She also has other symptoms - fluid in her lungs, an enlarged liver and thickening of the spleen - and the vet says that these are related to the enlarged heart. He has prescribed medication for her heart and a diuretic to get rid of the fluid in her lungs. Even with the medication, her long-term outlook might not be great but, if she doesn't have it, then she may only live for a short time. I am devastated.
I have been trying for the past week to get her to take the pills, but to no avail. I have tried all the usual things........ putting it in with her food, crushing it over food, I made a little "pocket" with the pill covered in tuna, tried to use a pill syringe thing that the vet gave me, etc. I even crushed a pill and soaked it in the juice from the tuna overnight and then mixed the resultant paste with some tuna - she just looked at me as if to say "who are you trying to kid?" I have ordered two things online, pill pockets and chicken-flavoured empty gelatine capsules, but these are coming from the States and won't arrive for at least another week.
Whilst I'm waiting for these things to arrive, I was wondering if anyone had any other ideas that I can try. The vet has said that I should avoid getting her overly stressed, so holding her down and forcing her to take it isn't an option. The medication isn't available as an injectible or a transdermal gel, so it has to be the pills or nothing.
I'd be really grateful if anyone could let me know of anything they've tried successfully. I adopted her from the Cats Protection League just over two years ago, she was about 9 months old, had been abandoned and was FIV+. On this last point, I'm aware that her life may be shortened as her immune system is shot to pieces, but I would be heartbroken if I lost her so young.
Anyway, it would be great if anyone out there has any ideas.
I have been trying for the past week to get her to take the pills, but to no avail. I have tried all the usual things........ putting it in with her food, crushing it over food, I made a little "pocket" with the pill covered in tuna, tried to use a pill syringe thing that the vet gave me, etc. I even crushed a pill and soaked it in the juice from the tuna overnight and then mixed the resultant paste with some tuna - she just looked at me as if to say "who are you trying to kid?" I have ordered two things online, pill pockets and chicken-flavoured empty gelatine capsules, but these are coming from the States and won't arrive for at least another week.
Whilst I'm waiting for these things to arrive, I was wondering if anyone had any other ideas that I can try. The vet has said that I should avoid getting her overly stressed, so holding her down and forcing her to take it isn't an option. The medication isn't available as an injectible or a transdermal gel, so it has to be the pills or nothing.
I'd be really grateful if anyone could let me know of anything they've tried successfully. I adopted her from the Cats Protection League just over two years ago, she was about 9 months old, had been abandoned and was FIV+. On this last point, I'm aware that her life may be shortened as her immune system is shot to pieces, but I would be heartbroken if I lost her so young.
Anyway, it would be great if anyone out there has any ideas.
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when my old girl was on her meds i tried everything and had to resort to pulling her mouth open twice a day and pushing the pill down her throat until my vet told me to try cheese.
I used to sort of squidge the cheese around the pill and she loved it.
The sticks are really soft, i just break off an inch or two, and I just use my nail to open a pocket pop the tablet in and roll the piece of stick together.
I usually pop it on the floor with a couple of temptations or Dreamies and he gobbles them down.
Occasionally he will find the tablet and leave it but I just repeat the above and it gets swallowed.
Lost-Soul, I tried the cheese thing. I carefully made a pocket and put the pill inside and she ate it......... but the pill was then spat out. I halved it and crushed one half and made tiny cheese ravioli with crushed pill centres, but she just left them. When putting the cheese back in the fridge, I spied some cream and I crushed the other half and mixed it with some. She lapped up about half if it from the spoon, so this might be something worth exploring again tomorrow. For tonight, she has gone under the bed in the spare room without even touching her undoctored food as I think she's a bit pissed off with me trying to make her take the pill.
I'll get some of the sticks tomorrow and hopefully this will work. Thanks for your responses.
Thanks, there are a number of supermarkets nearby, so I'll be able to find them at one of them tomorrow.
It's horrible having to pill your pets when you know it's stressing them and the vet always makes it look so easy.
Wishing you lots of luck. Xx
http://www.jokefile.co.uk/numerical_order/1132.html
It was mission accomplished this evening with the Webbox sticks
I sat with a set of jewellers screwdrivers and bored holes in bits of the Webbox sticks and it took me an hour to get her three lots ready for tomorrow. I'm really pleased that this seems to be working, albeit it's early days and if the pill pockets I have on order are similar to the sticks, then this will cut down a lot on preparation time. The main thing is she's taking them and I'm so, so relieved.
Thanks again - I really appreciate it.
I was smiling as I read your post as what you say is so true...... I realised that the other night. I did the tablet hiding in the living room whilst watching tv (she doesn't often come in here as this tends to be my other cat's territory) and I've wrapped the sticks tightly in foil so that they don't dry out overnight.
Crack Cocaine for cats brilliant
1) Pick cat up 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 fore-finger. 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 glass of water 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. 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. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus jab. Throw Tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.
12) Ring fire brigade to retrieve 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 cat'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 fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to wash pill down.
14) 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 RSPCA to collect cat and ring local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.
HOW TO GIVE A DOG A PILL:
1) Wrap it in bacon.
It didn't work for me. They get suspicious.
Had to give him heart and water pills.
We had a successful pill taking session this morning, one of which was the diuretic so she's been in the litter tray quite a lot:eek: She's probably wondering what's going on, but she needs to get the fluid out of her lungs - I've tried explaining this to her but she just looks at me as if I've lost my marbles. I'm hoping the bedtime pill session will be equally successful.
Whilst I was sitting on the sofa earlier making up the Webbox sticks for tonight and tomorrow morning I had to keep pushing my other cat away as she was trying to wolf down the tablets. Typical, isn't it?
Poor little cat, I'm gutted for her. She was abused and abandoned as a kitten before the Cats Protection League rescued her. She is a Russian Blue pedigree cat apart from having a tiny white patch on her shoulder and that's probably why she was abandoned, ie she couldn't be entered in shows.
The CPL tested her for various things as they do, and she was found to be FIV+ - when they neutered her, she nearly didn't recover from the anaesthetic and they considered putting her to sleep, but decided to give her a chance. She was 9 months old when I got her and was only marginally over the minimum weight for releasing her....... I had to convince them that I was "responsible enough" to look after her. In the two years I've had her, she's been amazing..... she's a real little tough nut and I often think that she should wear a leather bikers' jacket whilst strutting about the place.
Anyway, the outlook isn't great at the minute - if she has a tumour then the FIV makes treating it not an option. The other thing she may have is a "collection" of ulcers - again, being FIV+ doesn't help. The vet has been amazing and he and I will work together to try to sort out what's wrong with her, but I need to be realistic.
Anyway, I really appreciate all the advice about getting her to take her pills. Thanks to all the tips etc I've addressed this successfully. Now we have another challenge.
I'd love to post a photo of her but don't have a Facebook, twitter, tumblr, etc account. Does anyone know how I can just post a photo?
I came into the thread to recommend Lick-e-Lix as a way to get her to take tablets. It was the only thing that worked with mine
Thanks, Bex. I have cried and cried these past few days but I'm finding some comfort in the fact that she was left for dead two years ago and, in the time since then, she's had as much love and care as it's possible to give. She is so beautiful, she really is. I'm hopeful that we'll be able to sort something out for her but, if the worst come to the worst, it won't be for the want of trying. Words from people like you really help.
I have only just read your posts, I wish I had seen it sooner. If medication is in tablet form, you could try this.
Crush tablet between two tea spoons until it is powder, get a blob of butter on your fingertip. Massage butter into tablet powder to make a paste. Daub paste all around cats lips and mouth. Cats like to be clean and will lick the mixture off and indjest it. In so doing take the medication themselves. No stress for you or the cat. Bless you both.
The other thing is that the vet doesn't now think she has a tumour - in fact, whatever it was seems to have sorted itself out........ he wants to wait another couple of weeks before he's sure but it's looking good.
Thanks for all the advice - if anyone wants a link for the gel capsules then let me know.