Does anyone here have a successful way on HOW to give a cat it's medicine??

[Kitty 34]

My cat is 12 years old and rather set in her ways (in other words she's rather ornery!!!). Well she's sick right now (bladder infection) and the vet gave us some pink liquid medicine and told me I'm going to have to give her a dropperful for the next 20 days!!!

I would be more successful putting together a rocket and flying myself to the moon and back!!!!

I have tried for two days now!!! I have scratches and bite marks to prove it!! I've tried to hide it in her food...doesn't work. I even gave her a little "pink" milk today....Nope, didn't cut it.

I don't know how she's going to get better if she doesn't take the meds!!! HELP!! I even called the vet to see if she had a different form of medicine. She didn't.

What do you cat experts do???

 

[Randi]

It sure isn't easy to make a cat do something it doesn't want to do! I have had some success by wrapping them up in a bath towel ( an old one, it MAY get shredded!),with only the head showing, then holding (squeezing)the toweled cat under my left arm. Then with my left hand I reach over the head with thumb on one side of the jaw and fingers on the other side. Open the mouth and tip the head up and back. Squeeze the dropper into the mouth, and release your fingers slowly while keeping the head up. Then I usually rub the throat and talk softly to them. This usually works well the 1st time, and moderately well after that, if you can find them.
Good luck.

 

[DebbieB]

Here's how we did it:

My Mom would hold her on her lap, belly up, head back, with a towel wrapped around so she couldn't squirm as easy. Then I would pry open her mouth with one hand and squeeze the dropper with the other. I would give her half, let her swollow and then the other half. She ended up with pink all over her white chin! It's not easy but we got it done! Ours was 2 or 3 times a day for 10 days. Plus once she had other liquid meds, that was real fun! Good Luck!

 

[RNMOM]

Yep, towels are good. DH had a good technique where he gets them between his knees on the floor facing the same direction. He keeps them trapped between his knees then uses his left hand to lift the head. Putting the dropper inside the cheek works well too, don't even have to open their mouth. Keep the head gently tipped up till the start to try to lick their nose, they can't do that unless they have swallowed already. Then give them a nice kittie treat and tell them how terrific they are for mommy.

 

[Gaspode]

Hiya,

Good luck with this, I know how difficult it truly is!!!

This text always gives me a laugh :


HOW TO GIVE A CAT A PILL
by Source unknown


The following is purely for fun and must not be taken literally!

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 forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of 10.

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 the 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 neighbour’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 the date of last tetanus jab. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12. Ring Fire Brigade to retrieve cat from tree across the road. Apologise to neighbour who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid the cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.

13. Tie cat’s 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 Casualty, 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

16. Wrap it in bacon (sound familiar, anyone?)


Cya,
Gaspode

 

[NHAnn]

Years ago we had a big old tom cat (who was a biter/scratcher anyway God rest his soul) who hated his medicine too!! It usually took DH and I, leather gloves AND the towel! I was usually the "holder" wearing the gloves and holding him by the scruff of his neck with the towel wrapped tight around him. Then DH would approach, hold his head/neck with his left hand as much as possible and stick the dropper in his mouth with the right hand. In addition to clawing and biting, he'd shake his head and spit it out. DH usually had to let go of the dropper after squeezing it and try to hold his mouth closed while massaging his throat to get him to swallow. If one of us was home alone at medicine time, we'd do a variation of RNMOM's DH's trapping method on the floor between the knees. It was hard on ALL of us, but after the first few times I guess he knew we meant business, and by that time we had it down to a science and it wasn't as rough and traumatic after the first few times ~ thank goodness!!
HOpe you can get a technique to work for you and that your cat is better soon!!!

 

[cindysteve]

OK- this is what I did with my "not" declawed cat.

It took two of us. One person to hold the cat, the other to pry open the mouth, and shoot the medicine down the throat with a syringe. Once the medicine hits the throat, you need to close the mouth and massage the throat until you feel the cat swallow. The trick is to get it in far enough back and fast enough. Holding the cat either requires a bunting style towel or hogtie style hold.

An oral syringe works better than a dropper if you can get one.

 

[Boots]

We use the same method cindysteve does. We used a child's medicine syringe to do it. The real Boots is very stubborn when it comes to medicine. I had a tetnus shot once thanks to a bite from her. There is a spot on either side of her mouth that I would squeeze to make her open her mouth and someone else would squirt in and then rub her throat. Good luck!!!!

 

[Robinrs]

Yikes! Michael and I are DREADING giving Max another dose of Drontal but it looks like we have to....

Michael holds him wrapped in a towel like a burrito with only his face exposed. I hold his mouth in between my thumb and forefinger and squirt the pill in. I hold his mouth closed and massage his throat like cindysteve said. The doctor told me to look for his tongue to stick out, that is proof that he has swallowed.

Max is small and wiry and can just about squirm out of anything. It's a JOB to get a pill in him but we succeed MOST of the time!

 

[DISshopkeeper]

This usually works well the 1st time, and moderately well after that, if you can find them.

LOL!!!! IF you can find them!!

 

[helenabear]

I will also suggest using a syringe instead of a dropper... the further back in the throat as well as the quicker I can get it in, the easier it goes down. Good luck!!!

 

[Kitty 34]

Gaspode, thanks for the laugh!!!!

That's so-o-o-o my cat, tho!!! I will have to try the towel and pull in the troops (hubby and sons!!!!) and try again!

Thank you all for your wonderful suggestions.

I will definetly get a syringe tomorrow, too if I can find one. That sounds like it will be a LOT easier......I hope!

The worse part of this whole thing is Kelly (my kitty) is not a happy cat to begin with. She growls just when you walk by her!!! Right now I can't even visualize putting a towel near her let alone around her!!!

Thanks again all you kitty lovers out there!!!

 

[Cruisin]

Wow, I guess that I have been really lucky.

We had a cat on prednisone that she had to take several pills at a time several times a day. I just opened her mouth and popped them in, no problem. The same with liquid stuff, again no problem.

Now we have another cat that wasn't as easy, but if I took a pill and wrapped it in cheese slice pieces or a small piece of meat then he would just eat it up no problem.

I also found that getting them between your knees works pretty good, cause there is no way they can back out on you.

Have you tried sneaking up on the cat while it is sleeping and just slipping the syringe in it's mouth before it realizes you are there.

The vet should be able to give you a syringe to use, ours always does.

Good luck

 

[DocRafiki]

scruffing almost always works for me, don't need anyone else's help.

if they attack with back claws, hold one rear leg behind the head while scruffing (same hand). this is pretty impossible in large, fat cats.

a compounding pharmacy can make a transdermal formula of just about anything. just apply to the skin.

 

[chager]

Gaspode - What do ya mean those directions were just for fun....I thought that was how you do it!!!
I'm glad our oldest girl is fairly easy to give meds to. I crush a pill in catmilk everyday. (Not the milk we drink) She is a little harder to give liquid to though. Glad that is not an everyday thing The middle girl is a different story though. She will scratch, bite, cry, and poop. It can take 3 people to give her meds. ! holds the front and head, 1 holds the back end trying to stay unscathed and clean, 1 gives the meds. I haven't had to give the youngest girl anything yet. She is the biggest of the 3 so I'm sure she will be at least a 2 person cat
I wish I had some great idea for you but outside of putting it in the food I don't. Good luck.

 

[Kitty 34]

Originally posted by Cruisin'Kroezes


Have you tried sneaking up on the cat while it is sleeping and just slipping the syringe in it's mouth before it realizes you are there.

Yup!!! She woke up VERY fast!!!! She was NOT very happy either!!!

 

[janette]

I tried once to give my sweet persian declawed cat a pill. Gaspode has it about right I called the vet and thankfully they were able to do the meds in a shot instead. Opted for that and never tried again.

Don't forget that even if you get it down keep an eye on them. She had an amazing capacity to cough back up those pills after I'd held her mouth closed and I was convinced we were successful only to find the pill a few minutes later.

 

[lisajl]

The liquid meds should be easy. Make sure you give the right dose and if it is Clavamox it should be kept in the fridge.

SInce it's a liquid, have someone else hold the cat and put the syringe in the side of the mouth. Push the syringe, meds go in the mouth. Some times it helps to just blow air on the cats face. For some reason it makes them swallow. Works all the time at work for the really mean cats.

My cats take meds from me very well. But, mine are not too particular. I think if they were ever really ill at least one of them would fight me.

Plus, if you ever have to give pills, most vets sell pill poppers.

Good luck...hope your kitty is feeling better soon!

Lisa