Full proof way to give cat pill

[mrw5641]

So my cat is getting smart, I was putting his pill in a orijen treat and he was eating it until this morning. He looked at it funny..

He has a chicken allergy

Any suggestions?

It's a tiny pill 1 mg Budesonide

 

[catloverfromwayback]

I don’t know any fool-proof way to pill a cat as they all so different. My Daisy is now on Cisapride twice a day. The first time she was given a pill, at the vet, she put up such a fight, squirming around and kicking, that the vet eventually gave up and dosed her by injection. That was a couple of months ago. Now she is so used to it she doesn’t even necessarily try to spit it out - my vet’s instructions are to poke the capsule into her gullet so she can’t bite it, because the contents are bitter.

My Katie, who crossed the bridge in 2009, was a tiny cat who nobody could pill. Didn’t matter what method one tried, those flailing claws prevented it - and I’m including all her vets in that (except the one with Really Long Arms who managed it, and boasted about doing it to his colleagues!)

 

[LTS3]

Is compounding the pill an option? If not, try the tips here:

Pilling Cats: Must-know Tips For Hiding Pills – TheCatSite Articles
The Best Pill-taking Secret I Know...
Pilling Cats and Dogs Safely
How We Give Our Pill Hating Cat A Pill
Getting Cat To Take Pills... Post Tips Here.

There are chicken-free pill doughs: https://thecatsite.com/threads/greenies-pill-pockets-without-chicken.448885

 

[game misconduct]

maybe crush it to a fine powder then mix up with a bit of canned tuna

 

[catmando2]

Is Pill Pockets an option?

I had to give pills to my cat this way after trying a transdermal gel on his ear that didn't work at all for him.

It all varies. He likes the chicken flavored pill pockets. I tried giving one as a snack (no pill) to another cat of mine and she could care less.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Feeby got wise to treats, pill pockets, even pill masker after a bit. I am able to give her some meds with lickable treats - I presume some do not have chicken in them. I am still - knock on wood - pretty much successful with baby food meats (Gerber Stage 2 or Beechnut), and there are beef, turkey, and ham as options other than chicken.

The pill masker I used contains no chicken; it is bacon flavored - not the greatest of ingredients, but you are only using it for meds.
Amazon.com : Tomlyn Pill-Masker (Original) for Dogs and Cats, 4oz : Pet Antioxidant Nutritional Supplements : Pet Supplies

 

[LTS3]

Is Pill Pockets an option?

No, all the varieties of Pill Pockets for cats contain chicken.

There are similar pill doughs / wraps / maskers that do not contain chicken. There's a link in my post above to a thread that discusses this in more detail.

 

[catmando2]

No, all the varieties of Pill Pockets for cats contain chicken.

There are similar pill doughs / wraps / maskers that do not contain chicken. There's a link in my post above to a thread that discusses this in more detail.

Sorry, I missed the chicken allergy part.

You sure are right. Even the "tuna and cheese" pill pockets contain chicken.

 

[Margot Lane]

Someone suggested butter on another thread. Num num num.

 

[iPappy]

Someone suggested butter on another thread. Num num num.

I've done this with butter or canned food, I crush the pill up and hide the pill in a small amount of whatever I'm using and smear it in/around their mouth. I hate doing it but with dedicated pill spitter-outters, it keeps me from having to attempt repeated pillings which upsets everyone. I pill dogs (pills not crushed) with peanut butter if they won't take it any other way, same method, usually smeared behind the front teeth. The downside is there's no guarantee they get ALL of the pill if it's been crushed, so if you're fairly confident, you could try this method with the pill intact.

 

[maggie101]

So my cat is getting smart, I was putting his pill in a orijen treat and he was eating it until this morning. He looked at it funny..

He has a chicken allergy

Any suggestions?

It's a tiny pill 1 mg Budesonide

After putting her on the counter, quietly talk to her and pats. I have gotten lucky. After so many times pilling her she no longer fights. I dip it in churu or tiki sticks so it slides down easier, tilt her head back,put in as far as you can, close mouth and wait til she swallows. It helps to give more of the treat to be sure she swallows. If your cat likes being brushed you could also do that before pulling her

 

[Alldara]

mrw5641 Take a Churu cat tube and put a little dob on your finger and then place the pill and then more Churu. If he doesn't get it the first bite add more treat and resume.

Our young cat will just eat most pills off the hand now due to this.

Our 16 yr old cat uses to act like a crocodile when trying to pill him and now he just takes a syringe and I don't even have to hold the tube.

If that doesnt work, message again or PM and I'll post a video on how I pilled my late cat with a syringe and water. (I didn't know about Churu).

 

[catloverfromwayback]

After putting her on the counter, quietly talk to her and pats. I have gotten lucky. After so many times pilling her she no longer fights. I dip it in churu or tiki sticks so it slides down easier, tilt her head back,put in as far as you can, close mouth and wait til she swallows. It helps to give more of the treat to be sure she swallows. If your cat likes being brushed you could also do that before pulling her

That’s essentially how I pill Daisy, but without the treats - open her mouth and put the pill right down the back. Main difference is I do it in bed, because I keep her pills on my bedside table and pill her around 7am, before we get up, and at 7pm she’s curled up on the bed snoozing, so it’s easiest to get the second pill and wake her up just enough to take it.

 

[GranolaLouise]

When Louise eats treats she crunches them. Don't they chew the pocket and discover the pill inside anad spit it out??

 

[Alldara]

When Louise eats treats she crunches them. Don't they chew the pocket and discover the pill inside anad spit it out??

That was my experience with pill pockets.

Churu is a wet treat through and I find they are so damned excited to eat it that it doesn't happen. Her hyperthyroid pills were bitter as hell and she would eat them with Churu.

Magnus has had corticosteroids, onisor and antibiotics. No issues with Churu.

Nobel has Metacam, corticosteroids, and onisor. No issues with Churu. He does not prefer just to take the Metacam straight from the syringe and then have his Churu separately. Actually doesn't need to be a Churu, you can offer him regular kibble now. He's been on/off Metacam for years. It's only been since I discovered Churu in 2020 that it started to get easier. (He was born 2006 and got FLUTD somewhere around 5 to 7 years old).

 

[FeebysOwner]

When Louise eats treats she crunches them. Don't they chew the pocket and discover the pill inside anad spit it out??

Feeby is a chewer too. But thankfully the pills I give her in pill pockets are small enough that I actually split the pocket into two small pieces and mold 1/2 around the pill and give her both halves. They are small enough that she doesn't seem to think she needs to chew them - or, at least not yet anyway!

Many folks on here mention Churu - Feeby does not particularly like Churu, but will eat other lickable treats, such as Squeeze Ups, Tiki Cat Stix, Vitakraft, Temptations, Wholehearted, and Catit. I use all of them interchangeably, so that she doesn't tire of any of them.

 

[Alldara]

FeebysOwner I am still jealous that your cats will eat the less expensive brands! Magnus won't even touch the other ones.. occasionally he will eat a Catit tube if I tell him there's no Churus.

 

[Twylasmom]

I am lucky to have a cat that is easy to pill 90% of the time. I kneel on the floor with my feet together (so she can’t back out) and place her between my legs, giving her praise the whole time. Than I open her mouth with my left hand lifting the upper jaw and drop the capsule in the back of her mouth. I then close her mouth and see if she swallows by tapping her nose (if she licks her nose or I can also feel her swallow) I know I’m successful. I don’t release her until I’m sure she has swallowed. I usually have to administer her inhaler immediately after so it’s obvious if she tries to spit a pill into her Aerokat! She then gets a special treat and lots of praise. I use capsules to hide bad tastes or to give multiple pills at one time. Try and remain calm and relaxed throughout - it took me months to get her used to the inhaler! She knows when it it medication time and will go and sit in front of the pantry door when it is time (that’s where the treats are!).

 

[catmando2]

When Louise eats treats she crunches them. Don't they chew the pocket and discover the pill inside anad spit it out??

I think depends on the cat. Both if they swallow and if they like the taste of pill pockets.

The cat that I have success with the pill pockets must not be a chew before swallowing type. He just seemed to maybe take a single bite of the pill pocket, then swallow. I mixed in a pill pocket with other food so he just thinks the pill pocket is a treat in the meal.

Now my other cat, I tested and tried giving a pill pocket (without a pill) as a treat and she had no interest in the pill pocket. No interest in the scent I suppose. Funny, she likes dried chicken tidbits as a snack and the one who likes the pill pockets has no interest in the chicken.

 

[GranolaLouise]

When Louise was at the Vet , the Tech gave her a pocket(no pill) as a treat and Louise looked at it like it was a pencil eraser and looked away! No interest .