Administering cat meds

[wvjules]

One of our cats was at the ER on Friday due to him straining to pee. We were given a preliminary diagnosis of Feline Idiopathic Cystitis and sent home with two liquid medicines. We have tried putting it in food, he won't eat it. We have wrapped him tightly in a towel/blanked, but he is super strong and can get out (I have bloody stumps to prove it.) I need ideas! He needs this medicine but we can't get him to take it without me coming away with injuries.

Any other suggestions?

 

[sam_gordon]

What I can remember the last time we had to give our cats medicine was just hold them extremely tight, pry open their mouth, throw the pill in, then message their throat. It was definitely not enjoyable.

 

[dez1978]

Burrito wrap him like a baby in a towel or a thicker blanket but like below the scruff. have person who is holding cat grab by the scruff with one hand and hold the rest of the cat with the other arm. Idk how to describe it well. One person hold and the other force the meds in. Otherwise ask if there is an injectible med they/you can give.

 

[BrianL]

Oh, man, giving a cat liquid medicine is tough! My best technique is to be behind and over her, holding her between my knees. Take the syringe and poke into the corner of her mouth. As soon as she opens, go for it - fast! Speed is key. Also make sure you are pointed more back than to the side or it will come out the other side.

If it is an antibiotic, my vet can administer a shot called a "convenience" that does the job too. It is a bit more expensive, but my cat has a reputation at the vet and they will sometimes just do it. One time after getting her home, I noticed that they had trimmed her nails! They didn't ask nor charge for this service - it was in the name of safety for all involved!

 

[nw6675]

I know you tried in food, but if I add it to a bit of canned tuna both of mine will eat the meds. It is the only time they get tuna. Otherwise, it is the 2 person, pry the mouth open method which is traumatic for everyone lol

 

[mom2rtk]

I went through boot camp on this in the fall. Our cat was diagnosed hyperthyroid so I needed to medicate twice a day, plus a dose of liquid milk thistle for her liver. It was very distressing having such negative interactions tree times a day. At least I presume yours is not going to be long term?

I know you said you tried wrapping in a towel. The key if you're going to do that is to move fast, and wrap them very tight. You need to be in and out quickly and hold them very firmly. Much better to hold really tight for a couple seconds than to draw things out.

Try watching some YouTube videos on medicating cats. I found this one really helpful. This one is with pills, but the approach is the same. It was really helpful for me to change my hold and approach her from behind so she couldn't back away. This vet also has a video on liquid meds I believe, but as I said, the approach is the same.

 

[Imzadi]

I had the same problem when I had to give my cat drops in the mouth. I had to go back to the vet and say I can't seem to hold my cat down the way she does at the vet's office. It suddenly occurred to her that I wasn't trained on how to do it. You have to approach him from behind. If you do it head on, you end up in a face to face confrontation and YES, he will fight you tooth and nail that way, for everything he is worth.

But, when you either grab him by the scruff of the neck from behind, or drop a towel over him from behind, and then lean over him from behind, so your chest is over his back and his butt is in your elbow, or even stand over him from behind, with one foot on either side of him, kneel and place him between your legs from behind, his butt against your pelvis, grab the scruff of his neck and hold him down, you have power.

 

[Imzadi]

It was really helpful for me to change my hold and approach her from behind so she couldn't back away. This vet also has a video on liquid meds I believe, but as I said, the approach is the same. It's about the approach.

Yep. Just what I said above.

 

[mom2rtk]

I had the same problem when I had to give my cat drops in the mouth. I had to go back to the vet and say I can't seem to hold my cat down the way she does at the vet's office. It suddenly occurred to her that I wasn't trained on how to do it. You have to approach him from behind. If you do it head on, you end up face to face to face confrontation and YES, he will fight you tooth and nail that way, for everything he is worth.

But, when you either grab him by the scruff of the neck from behind, or drop a towel over him from behind, and then lean over him from behind, so your chest is over his back and his butt is in your elbow, or even stand over him from behind, with one foot on either side of him, kneel and place him between your legs from behind, grab the scruff of his neck and hold him down, you have power.

The approach from behind is a huge help. They can't back away, and you are holding the head, so their options for escape are limited. It also helps, like in the video, to have them on a raised platform. Either a table (which they have at the vet's, but most don't use for pets at home). I used a raised step in our house for the same thing. Our dining room is 6" higher than our living room. I knelt on the floor in the living room with the cat on the raised floor in the dining room. Made it much easier, although a table would likely be better. As would having a trained vet assistant.

I also agree when using the towel you have to approach from behind. I would come up drop the towel, and lean over to cover and scoop up in a tight burrito.

 

[NotUrsula]

What they all said. It's best done by 2 people, but you have to combine the burrito wrap with holding them from behind. If you don't have a second person, kneel on the edges of the towel to hold it down while you get the meds in and massage the throat to get it down. (Keep your tush down and trap the cat between your thighs.) I also second the tuna bribe.

 

[firefly_ris]

My cat is currently on a daily ear drop, plus a twice daily steroid pill. She will not take the pill in any food so twice per day we have to tightly wrap her in a large blanket and shove the pill to the back of her mouth and massage it down. It is not a pleasant experience and is definitely a 2 person job. My husband wraps and holds her and I administer meds. I'm not sure how else we would be able to do it, that's about as confined as we can get her. Good luck!!

 

[Suger Mag]

just make your life easier and spray the daily dose directly on your shirt, arms, shoes, counter, and hair... as that is where it will end up anyways....

LOL... but a good burrito wrap does wonders, also dont be afraid to scruff the neck, it helps with control, I had a method that worked well when I worked at the animal shelter, kinda of an arm tuck- upside down - neck scruff -quick shoot it down the throat... worked great on the shelter cats, but can I do my own cat? Nope...

 

[VandVsmama]

In our house, it's a 2 person job. 1 person holds the cat, the other opens the cat's mouth and uses the plastic syringe to get the liquid medication in his mouth. Our cat hates it. Fights it every time.

 

[SteveH]

I've never had scratches from my dogs giving them a pill like I've had with our two cats.

 

[Imzadi]

It also helps, like in the video, to have them on a raised platform. Either a table (which they have at the vet's, but most don't use for pets at home). I used a raised step in our house for the same thing. Our dining room is 6" higher than our living room. I knelt on the floor in the living room with the cat on the raised floor in the dining room. Made it much easier, although a table would likely be better. As would having a trained vet assistant.

Yes, I did it a few times when the cat was on the bed. I was off to the side of bed, kneeling so the cat was about chest high and could grab her from behind, wrap her in a burrito and pull her against my chest with my arm along her side and her behind in the crook of my arm.

 

[kcool]

My only suggestion other than what others have said and may not work with liquids, but with a pill we will blow in their face to make them swallow.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

My only suggestion other than what others have said and may not work with liquids, but with a pill we will blow in their face to make them swallow.

That's what Dr. Pol does!

 

[monsterkitty]

I sit on my knees/shins on the floor and place my cat in between my legs. He can't escape through the back because my feet are there. I then give him his poison, as he believes that's what it is, like the vet in the video did.

My cat will be 19 tomorrow and is on gabapentin for arthritis. He can smell that syringe from a mile away because it does have a gross smell to it. He usually runs to DH for protection, which doesn't work because DH hands him to me as soon as I kneel on the floor.

 

[DisneyOma]

My 14 year old cat has thyroid meds twice a day, chicken flavored, in a syringe. I just stick it in the back corner of her mouth and squeeze down the plunger. You administer it from the side, after you do the 'from behind' hold.

 

[holden]

We give our cat a pill every day. He takes it no problem. Here's what we do:

Put pill in a Greenie's pill pocket.
Feed it to him with a few Greenie's hairball preventing treats.

Cats love those pill pockets. We buy the tuna flavor.

Edited: Just saw your meds are liquid. Ask if it comes in a pill form.