How to pill an uncooperative cat (who won't eat tuna etc)

[glittercat]

Hey guys, so steroid injection for Dari doesn't seem to have worked. See thread 'update on fur loss and scratching' for more details (not sure how to link to threads, sorry).

So Dari has her cone back on as she has scratched herself again on top of her head and under one eye. I thought she was getting a bit better although she was still scratching but not the case.

I am really now thinking it's anxiety, her body language last night was very hunched up and tense (have attached a pic).

Been back to vet tonight (saw a different one again) who has prescribed a quick course of antibiotics and who is going to speak to the dermatology specialist tomorrow.

However I am struggling to pill Dari. She's stressed enough as it is so I'm reluctant to grab her and try to forcibly get her to swallow the tablet plus which not sure how easy it would be as she is in a cone.

She's pretty fussy and so far I've tried bits of the following:

Tuna
Mackerel
Stinky yoghurt treat in a tube for cats
Ham
Cheese
Sliced beef

She won't touch any of these. The treats I have aren't the type you can hollow out and put anything inside.

The other two were easy to pill lol, tuna and yoghurt treats all the way!!

Any ideas?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Hi. The only thing I can think of to do is to check with the vet and see if the med she is on can be compounded into a transdermal gel, or possibly an injection. You could also look into compounds that are liquid with a flavor you think she might like.

Can the pills be crushed? If so, you could take one, crush it in canned chicken or tuna water, or maybe bone broth? Just enough liquid to 'mask' the crushed pill, so that you know she is taking it. You could even try that if you can get the med in liquid form. With a smashed pill, maybe some cream cheese or smashed up cottage cheese?

Poor Dari! Sorry to hear she has not gotten any relief from her scratching. I sure hope the dermatologist has some ideas!

Oh, btw - here is a link to your other thread -Update on fur loss & scratching

 

[Twylasmom]

I don't put the pill in anything, in my experience they all wise up eventually. I may use a little bit of butter or purée treat to coat it so it goes down easier. You could try a piller, and also try wrapping the cat in a towel first (kind of like a burrito). If you have someone that can assist all the better.

Here is the method that works for me - I kneel on the floor with my feet together but my knees out and place the cat in that vee. I have the pill in one hand and place that hand on the cat's chest to hold it in place. I then use the other hand to lift up the upper jaw and then quickly drop the pill in and then release the upper jaw and rub the threat until she swallows. You want to drop the pill as far back as you can so it is harder to spit out. You may want to follow up with a little bit of water in a syringe, but I usually follow up with a wet food treat and lots of praise

It takes a lot of practice and doesn't always work, but if your cat will cooperate it works great. It is important to remain calm and make it a loving experience.

 

[kittenmittens84]

However you end up giving the pills, definitely give water afterwards. You may need to use a syringe to gently squirt some into the side of her mouth. It’s really important because cats can get pills stuck in their esophagus fairly easily, and the stuck pills can cause strictures.

 

[drelocks]

The best thing we ever did for our cat who was impossible to pill was to buy chicken flavored gelatin caps and place the meds in them. We dipped the caps in some liquid from his wet food and he just let it slide down his throat. Those saved us. Look them up.

 

[amandag1]

Amazon sells pill syringes,
The tip is flexible u can fit any size pill & quickly pop it in their mouth

 

[stephanietx]

I second crushing pills and mixing with plain meat baby food, pate cat food, or plain yogurt.

 

[LTS3]

TCS has lots of pilling tip

Pilling Cats: Must-know Tips For Hiding Pills
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.

She won't touch any of these. The treats I have aren't the type you can hollow out and put anything inside.

Give Pill Pockets (are those available in the UK?) a try. Many cats will eat those right up.

How big is the pill? You may need to cut the pill into half or smaller and fit each into a Pill Pocket or other method to make it easier for the cat to swallow.

Did the vet rule out food sensitivities that may be causing the itching and fur loss?

 

[fionasmom]

I use pill syringes with the really difficult cats. Period. Do give or syringe some water after you use one. If a cat will eat crushed pills in food, and if it is okay to crush a particular pill, I do that.

 

[glittercat]

Hi all, thanks for the ideas.

She's not particularly driven by wet food of any sort - she and her sister both prefer dry, really. She did take a couple of bits of sliced beef when I did my lunch this morning but the minute I put even a little bit of the tablet in it (either sort of rolled up / moulded into a small ball) she refused to eat it. Gah. I've had to give up this morning and come to work. I've got one of those pill syringe things. Tried it with Anubis last year with no success at all lol. Luckily for me he adores the cat yoghurt treat in a tube thing (makes me feel sick lol) so easy to squish the pill into that.

Haven't seen pill pockets anywhere here but will look online.

Other than the skin scrapes / hair plucks and the steroid injection I'm afraid the vets haven't done any other tests to rule anything out (or in...)

I am going to speak to the vet again about the pills and see if they are absolutely necessary as my gut feeling is that antibiotics are not the answer here...