Pet meds

LittleRusty · Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 2:19 pm Post subject: Pet meds

Anyone else had the fun experience giving a sick animal medicine?

I have a Balinese cat who has had a couple of recent medical issues. The vet prescribed pills and I have the tool that you put the pill in the rubber end, stick the device into the back of the cat's mouth and then push the plunger, releasing the pill into the back of the throat.

Needless to say a large grouchy cat isn't too thrilled having his mouth forced open nor having something stuck in the back of his throat. The vet and his techs are very careful with this cat as he growls and hisses whenever they are in the room. So far he has not tried to bite nor scratch them.

The last round of meds I appear to have about a 60% rate of getting the pill down the throat, since I have found pills on the floor the next day after the cat managed to spit them up.

So we had a compounding pharmacy make up a liquid medicine that would be more palatable to the cat. I had a choice of many flavors, bacon, beef, tuna, chicken, bubble gum, etc. I choose tuna since he likes the "tuna" flavored cat food.

Well, last night I filled the syringe with the appropriate dosage, grabbed the cat firmly, forced open his mouth and after a couple of tries got the majority into his mouth. He reacted by bringing it back up.

This medicine is the consistency of snail slime or mucous. He now is walking all over the bed trailing stringlets of medicine from his jowls. His fur, he is a long hair, is full of medicine, as is my beard.

I emailed the vet office telling them that the cat had bested me. They replied that if I wanted I could bring him in and they would demonstrated the technique.

So I did. The result was remarkably like my result, with the exception that the vet tech didn't have a beard and thus didn't get any medicine in her beard.

Back to pills.

Don Herman rev2 · Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 2:42 pm Post subject:

I don't have a cat. When we had a dog I would try putting the medicine in some sort of treat be it dog food, peanut butter, something, to get her to eat it. Sometimes it worked.
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LittleRusty · Posted: Fri May 10, 2019 5:42 pm Post subject:

My cat can find the pill in the middle of the treat. So it works seldom.

Brad361 · Posted: Sat May 11, 2019 8:13 am Post subject:

kehaulani · Posted: Sat May 11, 2019 8:33 am Post subject:

Why don't you put the liquid in your mouth and then give the cat a sloppy, wet kiss?

Seriously, though, what about getting a food/treat that the cat likes and mixing it with a like-flavor tasting medicine?
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LittleRusty · Posted: Sat May 11, 2019 9:46 am Post subject:

This particular medicine is extremely bitter. According to this vet that is why it isn’t offered in a liquid form and had to be produced by a compounding pharmacy. And the vet feels this is the only choice of medicine.

The primary symptom of the issue right now is a lack of appetite so getting the cat to eat anything is difficult.

pinstriper · Posted: Sat May 11, 2019 7:21 pm Post subject:

Ask whether there is an injectable form. Giving a sub-q shot is really very easy to do/learn.

Mind you, I'd wrap the cat in a towel to immobilize the claws. Take a soft pinch of skin and pull away from the body to create a pocket, then shoot through the pocket.

It is frankly safer for the animal as you always risk aspirating medicine into the lungs when force feeding.

Vets don't typically propose an injectable, but you should ask.
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LittleRusty · Posted: Sat May 11, 2019 7:38 pm Post subject:

My wife gave a previous cat insulin shots in his old age and he seemed to tolerate it.

At this point I am giving the pill and have had success the last few times.

As far as the claws, he isn’t shy about expressing his displeasure vocally with growls and hisses, but has not attempted to scratch or bite.

LittleRusty · Posted: Mon May 20, 2019 10:03 am Post subject:

We said goodbye to our cat this morning. They did an xray on Saturday and found he had advanced lymphatic cancer. The vet recommended euthanasia due to the stage of cancer and Indy's temperament to others.

It is amazing the bond we form with our pets and how much it hurts to make the decision to say goodbye.

Don Herman rev2 · Posted: Mon May 20, 2019 10:24 am Post subject:

Ouch, I feel for you. We had to put our 17 year old lab down last summer and it was really, really hard. The boys grew up with her and she's the only dog we've had since starting our family (30+ years ago). I could barely drive home.
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"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music" - Aldous Huxley

LittleRusty · Posted: Mon May 20, 2019 10:26 am Post subject:

Twelve years that Indy was with us. I was giving him pet treats last night, the only thing he was eating at the end.

He was purring as he enjoyed eating them and it tore my heart out thinking about today.

Alabamacoastie · New Member Joined: 20 May 2019 Posts: 6

I got really lucky with my dogs. They like eating anything, even meds.

pinstriper · Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 6:44 am Post subject:

Very sad news. I've been through it way too many times. All I can offer is my sympathies.
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Brad361 · Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 9:45 am Post subject:

VERY sorry to hear that LittleRusty. Euthanizing a pet is an extremely difficult decision, even when we know it’s in the best interest of the animal, I’ve had to do it twice.

I’m sure you have seen this before, but I have found it comforting.
https://www.rainbowsbridge.com/Poem.htm

My condolences to you and your family.

Brad
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nieuwguyski · Posted: Tue May 21, 2019 9:33 pm Post subject:

My 20-year-old cat is sitting in my lap as I type this. Tonight I gave him his first dose of blood-pressure medication. He's a sweet old guy and giving him pills or sub-Q fluids isn't too stressful. But telling myself I'm lucky to have had so many years with him won't make saying goodbye any easier.

My condolences for your loss.
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Bill_Bumps · Veteran Member Joined: 07 May 2019 Posts: 157

To all of you who've been through the misery of having to say good-bye to your fuzzy friends, I can only say that you're not alone. My wife and I have been through that more times than I care to remember.

lanzoar · New Member Joined: 02 Jun 2019 Posts: 4 Location: Iowa

My cat had a UTI and crystals in her urine so we had to give her pills everyday for awhile, and a special type of dry food for the rest of her life. We had to mix the special food in with her preferred food to get her to eat it at first.
Giving her the pill was fairly easy but she did not like it one bit. We did it by holding her mouth open and just dropping it down, but usually had to do it a few times because she liked to force it back out.