Daily Medication - Experiences?

D12345

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Hi!
I’ve been told that my cat has some bowl issues. We have tried everything the vet has said we should change (diet/food, lactolose etc). We will now start Cisapride and I’ve been told my cat will need medication for the rest of her life - twice a day.

Is there anyone here who has similar life with their cat? How do you do it all? What do you do if you have to go away for work etc and can’t make it home for medication? How do you make the cat comfy with taking medicine?

My struggle is knowing if I’m doing the best for her. She hates getting medicine (I’ve tried hiding in food, nibbles etc), and she is already running from me after 4 weeks with lactolose.. now knowing this will be forever makes me sad for her, as I don’t want to cause her stress, but I also wants her to be healthy and good and not constipated. At the same time I know it for me can be difficult as I have a job where I all of a sudden have to go on a businiess trip for a night or two. I have colleagues that can help feeding, but my cat won’t let them pick her up (she knows which humans she likes - there is 6 of us, and just me that actually lives close by).

So I just need some experience how people have done it with their furry friends :)
 

verna davies

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I'm sorry you have this experience. I am in a similar situation. One of my cats has to have eye ointment twice a day for the rest of her life and hates it. This has been for 5 months to date. I apply her ointment and immediately give her a treat so that she associates the good treat following the bad stuff. It has taken a while but she no longer runs from me. Can you try that?. If it is in tablet form try pill pockets, many members seem to have success with them.
Can your friends call to make a fuss of your cat so trust can be built up or maybe she can be boarded at your vets when you go away. The former would be better as it would be less stressful. Have you looked at alternative medication that would work and be easier to administer?
 

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Hi! Have never had to give a cat meds on a long term basis. But, I feel for you; even short term meds have been a real pain with some of my cats.

Did the vet explain why meds are the only option left for treating her constipation? There have got to be more options than just standard food changes alone. Some of the others on this site will give you a whole list of things to try, many flavorful, that can be mixed in foods - so not like having to chase your cat down to squirt a liquid in her mouth, shove a pill down her throat, etc.

Hopefully one or more of them will work, and pet sitters can easily follow suit. I wish I could remember them all, but I can't. If I find one or more of the lists on another post here, I'll give you the link.
 
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D12345

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Hi!
Thank you both!
She has constant constipation and early signs of mega colon. She’s had a slow stomach as long as I’ve known her (4 years), but all the vets I met said some cats were just like that, and that although she likes dry food to add some more wet food. But she was “regular” to every other day, and every now and then it would take 3 days, but that was seldom and would just help to try and feed her some more wet food. And then about 4 months ago it turned worse - the vet I went to said she thought it was behavioral, and after three visits there I decided to go to another vet to see if they could take us serious. as my cat hadn’t pooped for 5 days and when she finally did it she spent hours to get it all out I wasn’t ready for a talk about behavioral when I knew that was not the issue now...

The new vet is great. She did checks and x rays and we then saw that she had a megacolon (although it’s not huge it is bigger than it should be). As the lactolose isn’t working great and an all wet food diet doesn’t do much difference (she is now “regular” every 5-7 th day!!), she wants to try Cisapride to see if that helps. The vet has mentioned the possibility of an operation, but she is skeptical of letting my cat having it as she knows sometimes it’s not a great solution either...

I’ve tried pill pockets before, and she will just spit out the pill :-/
I’ve had friends come over but she is still not a big fan of them, and it’s the lifting/moving that bothers here. It is ok if I’m home, but if they come when I’m not here she runs under the bed and talks to them (she can talk for hours, but she doesn’t want to come and say hello).
 

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Can this form of medication be administered in either a liquid form (to be put in the wet food that she does eat), or in a crushable form that could be sprinkled on food? Of course, if it can be, you would have to test it on small amounts of food so you could monitor those options as successful or not?

I am giving my cat Glyco Flex Plus (for arthritis). It is supposed to be a chewable treat, but way too big in size. So, I cut it up and put it with 4-5 hairball treats each day and so far so good. I have done similar things with shorter term meds and she was pretty good with that too.
 
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D12345

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Can this form of medication be administered in either a liquid form (to be put in the wet food that she does eat), or in a crushable form that could be sprinkled on food? Of course, if it can be, you would have to test it on small amounts of food so you could monitor those options as successful or not?

I am giving my cat Glyco Flex Plus (for arthritis). It is supposed to be a chewable treat, but way too big in size. So, I cut it up and put it with 4-5 hairball treats each day and so far so good. I have done similar things with shorter term meds and she was pretty good with that too.
As far as I know it is only available as pills here. But I can always ask the vet!
She is super picky on food - and we had an argument when I stopped giving her dry food completely - and she is still super difficult with what she eats. So the vet recommended not adding it to food as she doesn’t automatically go for it (and might spend three-six hours before she finishes everything)... but I’ll see what I’m able to trick her into ;)
 

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Can the pills be crushed? If so, maybe you can find her some 'extravagant' wet food that she will devour? I know others have talked about pates? A spoonful or something like that, if she would happen to like the food enough, would do the trick.

My cat also spends hours eating wet food - I have to prod her to finish it. She is used to grazing dry food a little bit at a time all day long, and with wet stuff it can't be left out that long. I end up putting the last bit in front of where ever she is to get her to finish. I'm just lucky that she's been eating hairball treats for years, and the Glyco Flex can be cut up to the same size - apparently to her liking!
 
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D12345

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Can the pills be crushed? If so, maybe you can find her some 'extravagant' wet food that she will devour? I know others have talked about pates? A spoonful or something like that, if she would happen to like the food enough, would do the trick.

My cat also spends hours eating wet food - I have to prod her to finish it. She is used to grazing dry food a little bit at a time all day long, and with wet stuff it can't be left out that long. I end up putting the last bit in front of where ever she is to get her to finish. I'm just lucky that she's been eating hairball treats for years, and the Glyco Flex can be cut up to the same size - apparently to her liking!
I am not sure if they can be crushed but I can ask my vet tomorrow.the thing with this cat is that she is so weird with food, I have never managed to get her to eat pate. She won’t even eat canned tuna!! :-o we tried some vet food that was supposed to help her bowel movement, and she looked at the food as it was made by the devil...

I think I would’ve been able to trick her to have something together with hairball treats too, because she LOVES those... so I will do some research ;) thank you so much!!
 
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D12345

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I just googled cisapride and it can come in transdermal gel. Rub onto cats skin 15 mins before food. That would be much easier.
Then I will check that out! The problem is that it is only one vet that gives this medicine out where I live in Scotland - so it must be ordered in from them, and I’m not sure exactly what they are able to get... but I will have a chat with my vet about it.
 

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I had a cat diagnosed with Endocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency at 4 months and was put on enzyme supplements (Lypex) that were to be sprinkled onto food for the rest of her life (she basically couldn't get any nutrients from food without them) . This was straight forward as she was always a greedy cat! Eventually, she was so used to the supplements anyone looking after her could sneak them into her food.

At 2 years and 10 months she was diagnosed with Restrictive Cardiomyopathy and heart meds were then also needed for the rest of her life - but her life was now going to be short as we were given a six month prognosis.

The cardiomyopathy needed 4 different medications once or twice a day. Again we were lucky she was a greedy cat and as she was used to the "crunchy" texture of meds in her foods three of those could be hidden in meals and she would eat them.

The last one (clopidogrel) is very bitter and would make her foam at the mouth if she tasted it. We originally tried pilling but after a couple days she could smell it being taken out the blister pack and would gag and run away. "Pilling" her directly quickly became a non option due to the stress with a heart condition and so we wanted to find a long term solution. After a lot of trial and error we eventually found if we crushed the pill small enough and mixed it with minced beef she would then eat that without foaming - she actually enjoyed them. Because of her very shortened lifespan we also fed her the cheap cat food filled with crap as she loved it so much she wouldn't question how many drugs were in it and was never going to live long enough to have the long term negative impacts.

I suppose technically anyone could've given her the drug laced meatball for the next six months and 2 days (at which point we lost her) but because we could've lost her at any moment either my husband or I were there for all her remaining meal times.

Now - the disclaimer:

This kind if approach needs to be agreed with your vet. Some pills must not be crushed and some must not be taken with food. Also, minced beef is high fat and it could result in pancreatitis so not recommended for long term daily consumption (our cat was on very limited time so we risked it). We worked closely with our vet on this but we did find a way of getting all her drugs in her with minimum stress and even made it a bit fun for her (daily treats!). Can you ask your vet about what forms this medication comes in (chewable flavoured pills, compounded liquid, transdermal gel etc) and then see what options could work for you?

My situation was a very unique and you won't be able to follow this directly but I wanted to reassure you that although it seems overwhelming now you will find a way to make it work.

Sending good vibes to you and your cat :hugs:
 

verna davies

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I get my cats medication online. I pay £15 to the vet for a prescription that lasts 6 months and £25 for a tube of ointment that the vet charges £60 for. Its worth discussing with your vet.
 
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D12345

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I had a cat diagnosed with Endocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency at 4 months and was put on enzyme supplements (Lypex) that were to be sprinkled onto food for the rest of her life (she basically couldn't get any nutrients from food without them) . This was straight forward as she was always a greedy cat! Eventually, she was so used to the supplements anyone looking after her could sneak them into her food.

At 2 years and 10 months she was diagnosed with Restrictive Cardiomyopathy and heart meds were then also needed for the rest of her life - but her life was now going to be short as we were given a six month prognosis.

The cardiomyopathy needed 4 different medications once or twice a day. Again we were lucky she was a greedy cat and as she was used to the "crunchy" texture of meds in her foods three of those could be hidden in meals and she would eat them.

The last one (clopidogrel) is very bitter and would make her foam at the mouth if she tasted it. We originally tried pilling but after a couple days she could smell it being taken out the blister pack and would gag and run away. "Pilling" her directly quickly became a non option due to the stress with a heart condition and so we wanted to find a long term solution. After a lot of trial and error we eventually found if we crushed the pill small enough and mixed it with minced beef she would then eat that without foaming - she actually enjoyed them. Because of her very shortened lifespan we also fed her the cheap cat food filled with crap as she loved it so much she wouldn't question how many drugs were in it and was never going to live long enough to have the long term negative impacts.

I suppose technically anyone could've given her the drug laced meatball for the next six months and 2 days (at which point we lost her) but because we could've lost her at any moment either my husband or I were there for all her remaining meal times.

Now - the disclaimer:

This kind if approach needs to be agreed with your vet. Some pills must not be crushed and some must not be taken with food. Also, minced beef is high fat and it could result in pancreatitis so not recommended for long term daily consumption (our cat was on very limited time so we risked it). We worked closely with our vet on this but we did find a way of getting all her drugs in her with minimum stress and even made it a bit fun for her (daily treats!). Can you ask your vet about what forms this medication comes in (chewable flavoured pills, compounded liquid, transdermal gel etc) and then see what options could work for you?

My situation was a very unique and you won't be able to follow this directly but I wanted to reassure you that although it seems overwhelming now you will find a way to make it work.

Sending good vibes to you and your cat :hugs:
Awww!!! Thank you for this! So sorry you lost your fur baby, but she seemed like a fun cat with a great personality ❤
I will certainly ask vet for some tips on how we can do this as smooth as possible for my weird cat ;)
 
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D12345

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I get my cats medication online. I pay £15 to the vet for a prescription that lasts 6 months and £25 for a tube of ointment that the vet charges £60 for. Its worth discussing with your vet.
I ordered online as well, but it is just the university of Edinburgh I could find that would sell this medicine. But maybe my searches weren’t good enough... for medicine for 50 days it cost 60£, but this is a medicine that is supposed to only be available at a few places. But I didn’t even think of asking if they had chew treats or anything as I’ve never heard of it before :)
 

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Awww!!! Thank you for this! So sorry you lost your fur baby, but she seemed like a fun cat with a great personality ❤
I will certainly ask vet for some tips on how we can do this as smooth as possible for my weird cat ;)
She was totally amazing! EPI is very rare in cats and more associated with German Shepherds. She played fetch so we always joked she was a German Shepherd in a 3kg cats body :lol:. It was sometimes tough with all the meds but it was worth every second we spent with her.

I promise you will find a way for things to work with your weird cat (aren't they all a bit weird?). I don't know if we have as many options for forms of medication here in the UK but regardless there will be a way (even for a picky eater!)

And because I can't resist, here is a picture of our dear, weird Tesla

IMG-20180119-WA0001.jpg
 
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D12345

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She was totally amazing! EPI is very rare in cats and more associated with German Shepherds. She played fetch so we always joked she was a German Shepherd in a 3kg cats body :lol:. It was sometimes tough with all the meds but it was worth every second we spent with her.

I promise you will find a way for things to work with your weird cat (aren't they all a bit weird?). I don't know if we have as many options for forms of medication here in the UK but regardless there will be a way (even for a lucky eater!)

And because I can't resist, here is a picture of our dear, weird Tesla

View attachment 256806
Omg!!! She was adorable!!!! :-o :-o :-o

I’m sure I will find a way. A bit frustrating as I am living alone and therefore have to deal with this myself. But we will work it out :) :) She was easier when I adopted her, because then it seemed like she sensed that I wanted to help - so although medication was a struggle we managed. But now she has turned into a diva!! Who would’ve thought that this super picky cat has lived on the streets for years ;)
 

SiameseMummy

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Omg!!! She was adorable!!!! :-o :-o :-o

I’m sure I will find a way. A bit frustrating as I am living alone and therefore have to deal with this myself. But we will work it out :) :) She was easier when I adopted her, because then it seemed like she sensed that I wanted to help - so although medication was a struggle we managed. But now she has turned into a diva!! Who would’ve thought that this super picky cat has lived on the streets for years ;)
Ah, she is now an entitled house cat! :lol:.

Living alone will make it a bit more complicated. My friend had a cat with CKD and when she went away she was friends with a nurse at a Vetinary practice who would pop in and feed the cats and give the kidney cat her medications.

I know we would go to the ends of the Earth for our cats but it's not always easy to find friends who would give meds to cats so I always thought her set up was unfairly easy!
 

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Honestly, I do not know what I can add to this.

My guy had IBD plus a motility issue, and borderline Megacolon.

While, originally, he fought the medicating, he did get somewhat accustomed to it.

I sat in an upholstered chair, kind of kitty-corner, pinning him behind me, on the left side (I am right handed). I blocked him with my body, without crushing him.

I found this easier for me to control his squirming.

I used a pill gun and put his pills in empty gel caps; washing them down with a syringe of water, after them.

Poor Artie RAN from the lactulose, spitting it out, getting it all over him, all over the apartment. I even wrapped a towel around him, as a bib~~ still got all over him.

I really preferred to use the Miralax, mixed with a bit of water, and added to his wet food; however, it does get to the point where you need to augment the Miralax.

I am not working, so it was a bit easier for me; however I live alone also.

I had his cisapride compounded into a flavored liquid suspension, from a compounding pharmacy. I gave it to him, and then gave a bit of water, in a syringe, to wash it down.

Sometimes, due to life, I had to miss a dose of cisapride; thankfully not often.
I know the guilt associated with this.

Yes, It seems that once Cisapride is begun, there is no turning back from it. It is lifelong.

Just a thought: Have you tried Royal Canin Fiber Response dry food? I used to give that to Artie to nibble on, during the night. He was free fed. It supplied a lot of fiber to his diet. Sometimes the Vet wants to use it exclusively; but, since I was using Miralax, it was easier to give wet food during the day and the Fiber Response at night.

I do not think any of this will help you, but it is what I did, under my circumstances.

Do you have a Vet Tech who could come in while you are away? That may be an option.

Or have one of your colleagues come over, often, so you kitty can get more acquainted with them.

My guy drove me crazy with his food fussiness. I swear, I spent thousands on finding food that he would eat, and was something he COULD eat. Fussiness.

He was raised on junk food, and that is all he wanted.

I wish you luck... and ((Hugs))
 
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