Cats & Medicine

[CandaceMM]

I had to take my baby to the vets yesterday ... and they gave me some pills to give to Gemmy.

Gemma = No likey pills.

The vet showed me a video from the 1980's on how to medicate a cat. The video said to lightly grasp the cat's upper gums and lightly pull their head back until their bottom jaw opens - then place the pill behind the ridge of the tongue.

While I'm watching this video, I'm thinking that the cat is uber-tranquillized because she's not moving, cooperating with the vet and letting the vet shove his finger in it's mouth to get the pill into her throat.

Gemma doesn't sit still and she doesn't want to take her medicine. I played with her a little this morning and then did a sneak attack and tried to get the pill down, but she spit most of it back up.

How do you guys give your kitty medicine?
Any tips?

 

[belvak]

I had to take my baby to the vets yesterday ... and they gave me some pills to give to Gemmy.

How do you guys give your kitty medicine?
Any tips?

My kitty doesn't like to be pilled either. She will let the vet do anything to her, but not us. When she needed medicine, we were able to go with liquid and I just mixed it in with some water drained from a can of tuna. Good luck!!

 

[Radiant1]

How do you guys give your kitty medicine?
Any tips?

The same way as described, but you have to make sure you put the pill back far enough that they have no choice but to swallow it. In other words, shove it down her throat. Gemma will temporarily hate you but she'll get over it.

 

[K_Jo]

You're going to need a syringe or flavor injector type object, containing a small amount of water. Put Gemmy on her back and scruff her. Her mouth will slightly open during the scruffing. Using your free hand, pry her mouth the rest of the way open and shove the pill down her throat, then use the syringe to squirt water down her throat to chase the pill, while keeping her scruffed. Close her mouth and tell her how pretty she is for a minute or two, then check to see that she's not hiding the pill like a mental patient. Once the pill has been swallowed, release the scruff hold and gently place Gemmy on the ground. She will hiss and walk away, offended, then furiously bathe herself in order to wash away your human nastiness. Good luck.

 

[Cowgirl]

Wrap her in a towel, making sure all of her legs are tucked in. Make sure the towel is wrapped pretty tightly. Then, you should be able to open her mouth and put the pill as far down her throat as possible. Hold her mouth shut until you feel her swallow.

 

[baileydog]

Crush the pill up and mix withabout a teaspoon of canned food. Dont use too much food, you want them to eat it all.

 

[baileydog]

Wrap her in a towel, making sure all of her legs are tucked in. Make sure the towel is wrapped pretty tightly. Then, you should be able to open her mouth and put the pill as far down her throat as possible. Hold her mouth shut until you feel her swallow.

No trauma for kitty here. I only use the towel if I have no other alternative.

 

[camily]

You're going to need a syringe or flavor injector type object, containing a small amount of water. Put Gemmy on her back and scruff her. Her mouth will slightly open during the scruffing. Using your free hand, pry her mouth the rest of the way open and shove the pill down her throat, then use the syringe to squirt water down her throat to chase the pill, while keeping her scruffed. Close her mouth and tell her how pretty she is for a minute or two, then check to see that she's not hiding the pill like a mental patient. Once the pill has been swallowed, release the scruff hold and gently place Gemmy on the ground. She will hiss and walk away, offended, then furiously bathe herself in order to wash away your human nastiness. Good luck.

Are you describing how C_Jo tried to get you to take your birth control pill or how to get a cat to take a pill?

 

[belvak]

Wow! You guys are good! When Kitty One had to have a pill, I ended up throwing her in the car and running to the Vet (we're only about 5 minutes away) who pilled her for me. BTW, the scratches healed nicely...

 

[Inkpen]

You're going to need a syringe or flavor injector type object, containing a small amount of water, and a bottle of Scotch .Put Gemmy on her back and scruff her. Her mouth will slightly open during the scruffing. Using your free hand, pry her mouth the rest of the way open and shove the pill down her throat, then use the syringe to squirt water down her throat to chase the pill, while keeping her scruffed. Close her mouth and tell her how pretty she is for a minute or two, then check to see that she's not hiding the pill like a mental patient. Once the pill has been swallowed, release the scruff hold and gently place Gemmy on the ground. She will hiss and walk away, offended, then furiously bathe herself in order to wash away your human nastiness...Then wash the blood off your hands and arms, wrap well with towels, grab the Scotch and have a few shots to calm you down. Good luck.

Minor edit with cat humor..

In the future, vets sell this neat Pill Pocket. A flavored treat in which you hide the pill. Not sure if PetCo carries them, but worth checking. I have 2 big guys that will fit to the end to keep a pill from touching their lips...got the Pill Pocker...now it is a treat for them...

Good luck!

 

[belvak]

Minor edit with cat humor..

In the future, vets sell this neat Pill Pocket. A flavored treat in which you hide the pill. Not sure if PetCo carries them, but worth checking. I have 2 big guys that will fit to the end to keep a pill from touching their lips...got the Pill Pocker...now it is a treat for them...

Good luck!

I've also seen the flavoring lists at the pharmacy with options like salmon, tuna, chicken livers, etc. I'm assuming these are for animal pills and not human pills!! I have never had the vet give me a prescription to get filled at the pharmacy though. They usually provide the meds there. Hmmm...

 

[toppick08]

I've also seen the flavoring lists at the pharmacy with options like salmon, tuna, chicken livers, etc. I'm assuming these are for animal pills and not human pills!! I have never had the vet give me a prescription to get filled at the pharmacy though. They usually provide the meds there. Hmmm...

Wow! A tuna scented pill for a puss.. How ironic...

 

[CandaceMM]

Minor edit with cat humor..

In the future, vets sell this neat Pill Pocket. A flavored treat in which you hide the pill. Not sure if PetCo carries them, but worth checking. I have 2 big guys that will fit to the end to keep a pill from touching their lips...got the Pill Pocker...now it is a treat for them...

Good luck!

Ink - Thank you. I have a Petsmart and a Petco 5 minutes away from work. I'll check both on my lunch break. Hopefully this will work!

 

[Mousebaby]

Ink - Thank you. I have a Petsmart and a Petco 5 minutes away from work. I'll check both on my lunch break. Hopefully this will work!

I bought a pill pusher online and it works great! Open the mouth stick the pill pusher down the throat then push the plunger and down it goes, no way for the cat to get sneaky and cheek the pill. Running to the vet everytime this old lady needs a pill could get time consuming and costly. I might as well move a cot into the vet's office now and set up house!

Here's a link to Valley Vet online, they call it the pill popper:

Pill Popper (Pet - Pet Health - Health Care - Instruments)

Good Luck

 

[jenbengen]

You're going to need a syringe or flavor injector type object, containing a small amount of water. Put Gemmy on her back and scruff her. Her mouth will slightly open during the scruffing. Using your free hand, pry her mouth the rest of the way open and shove the pill down her throat, then use the syringe to squirt water down her throat to chase the pill, while keeping her scruffed. Close her mouth and tell her how pretty she is for a minute or two, then check to see that she's not hiding the pill like a mental patient. Once the pill has been swallowed, release the scruff hold and gently place Gemmy on the ground. She will hiss and walk away, offended, then furiously bathe herself in order to wash away your human nastiness. Good luck.

Great advice!
Just had to put my cat on meds. Fortunately it is that pink antibiotic. I swear my cat opens her mouth when I go to give it to her. I remember liking that stuff as a kid.

 

[mamajo]

What I have found to work well is to sit on the floor with the cat between my legs facing forward. They by nature will try to back away from you. Once you have the cat in this position open her mouth and tilt the head very far back. At this point I just sort of toss the pill to the back of the throat. This done, I continue to hold her in position for a minute or so, holding her mouth shut with head up and rub under her neck to encourage swallowing. Works like a charm and doesn't traumatize the cat!
Good Luck

 

[CandaceMM]

I took the easy road ....

Before I went out and spent money on a pill popper, I decided that I would run home and try and smuggle a portion of her pill into a cat treat.

Much to my delight, it worked like a charm!!!

Now the syringe of liquid was a much different story!!!