He hates the syringe with water..

[myrnafaye]

Hi, Cat parents.

So Binx - who had an intermittant "honking" cough - is being treated for mycoplasma felis. Treatment is 5 ml of doxycycline followed by 5 ccs of water. He takes the antibiotic just fine - syringed in to to "pocket" of his cheek - but he HATES the water and fights it. Guys, I have to do this for 28 days, twice a day, then off for a month, and then back another 28 days!

Do you have any tips or tricks for getting a cat to not fight water being syringed into his mouth? It is really difficult

 

[iPappy]

I'm assuming the water is room temp (not too hot, not too cold)?
Could you ask your vet about using something like cat safe (onion free) broth to mix into the plain water so he might enjoy the flavor, and fight it less?

 

[myrnafaye]

Yes, Its lukewarm water. I will call my vet on Monday.

 

[Kflowers]

some cats don't like the chemical smell in treated water. If you put it in an open jar a let it sit over night that will release some of the chemicals. It also changes the taste of the water. Try it yourself and see. Note it depends on your city and what they use or what the people who make the bottled water use. Bottle water is probably, not saying definitely treated to prevent it causing harm to the customer.

 

[di and bob]

i would put his antibiotic into a piece of pill pocket for cats, cheese, bacon, or some other treat he likes, and if it is liquid, directly into a small saucer of Delectable Lickables or some other lickable treat. it would make it much more enjoyable. The Delectables in the stew flavors are mostly juice, (he needs liquids to follow his meds but I would bet it doesn't HAVE to be water if it is difficult. Water could even be added if need be to give him eevn more liquids. Pass this by your vet and see what he thinks. I give all my meds in Pill pockets and lickable treats.

 

[myrnafaye]

i would put his antibiotic into a piece of pill pocket for cats, cheese, bacon, or some other treat he likes, and if it is liquid, directly into a small saucer of Delectable Lickables or some other lickable treat. it would make it much more enjoyable. The Delectables in the stew flavors are mostly juice, (he needs liquids to follow his meds but I would bet it doesn't HAVE to be water if it is difficult. Water could even be added if need be to give him eevn more liquids. Pass this by your vet and see what he thinks. I give all my meds in Pill pockets and lickable treats.

The doxycycline is a liquid. That is the only form we could get it in. So it has to be syringed and it needs to be followed by water unfortunately. I will look into delectable lickables.

 

[myrnafaye]

some cats don't like the chemical smell in treated water. If you put it in an open jar a let it sit over night that will release some of the chemicals. It also changes the taste of the water. Try it yourself and see. Note it depends on your city and what they use or what the people who make the bottled water use. Bottle water is probably, not saying definitely treated to prevent it causing harm to the customer.

I was told that the water should be warm. Which means warmer than room temperature I think.. The water that they drink otherwise now that you mention it is bottled.. spring water. Thank you. I will try that.

 

[di and bob]

Ask the vet if it could be syringed into the lickable treat which is mostly water. I have been giving liquid meds like this for years.

 

[myrnafaye]

I will do that.

 

[myrnafaye]

Cat Parents: So my cat Binx, the one with the "honking" cough, got his dental and samples were taken from the tube that is inserted, and a PCR test done, showing positive for mycoplasma felis. Since then we have been treating him with doxycycline, followed by 5 mls of water, twice a day, which is really hard on him and us. The shitty thing is that since we initiated this treatment, the cough has increased. I have emailed my vet but its Sunday and Mondays are her surgery days, so I may not hear back from her for a couple of days. I understand Mycoplasma felis is very resistant, but should he be coughing MORE on the antibiotic??

 

[FeebysOwner]

Could he be aspirating on the syringed water? Did you ask the vet about using a lickable treat - maybe even mixed with just a tad of water - in lieu of plain water? I think that was one of the suggestions made on your previous thread about this.
He hates the syringe with water.. | TheCatSite

 

[myrnafaye]

Hi, Feebysowner. First, today he coughed 11 hours after he was medicated and syringed, so no, not today. I spoke with my vet about the water problem and she said he needs to have the water and said I should go slow (which I have been doing); or suggested that we give him 2.5 mls of water, break for 5 min or so, then give the rest. (I am not doing this. It just prolongs the torture). She said I could add some churru to the water; and we did this for a while but I think it did not make a difference. The problem is that he needs 5 mls of water after the doxycycline, which is about a capful from a gallon jug of water, so not much, but I dont think he would lap up that much on his own even if mixed with Churru. I hope I am understanding your approach with "lickable treats"...if not, please explain further.

 

[FeebysOwner]

You may still have to syringe the lickable treat, or at least part of it. The point would be to make the consistency a bit more dense than just plain water. You could see if he would eat some of the lickable treat on his own, and then syringe what is left?

 

[myrnafaye]

Ok, thanks! I just did a test run..adding 2 mls of water to a blob of churru - and he licked the bowl clean. That left only 3 mls to have to give him...

 

[Mighty Orange]

If you continue to syringe the cat through the mouth make sure you do it through the side and not the front. The front can aspirate a cats lungs easily. Less likely through the side.I love the churru idea.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Maybe keep testing to see how far you can go with the amount he laps up!!!!

 

[silent meowlook]

Please ask your vet for the pills. Put the pill into a product called flavor dough. Pill him that way and then follow with temptation treats.