Injectable Metronidazole?

[serpounce3087]

Hi there,

My vet recently prescribed my baby girl Susie metronidazole for a Giardia and Clostridium infection. She is an incredibly picky cat and refuses to take her pills in any food. I’ve tried a variety of wet cat foods, cheese, pill pockets, tuna, meat flavored baby food with no luck. The vet even prescribed her a flavored liquid form of the medication and that makes her gag and salivate even when it’s mixed in with all of the above foods. The second she gets a taste of it, it’s all over. She won’t touch the food after that.

I live alone and she is the squirmiest little kitty on the planet, so holding her down and forcing the medication down her throat isn’t an option, plus it really stresses her out when I’ve tried. I just feel so bad for her.

Also, I have two kittens in the house who are also on the same meds, and they’ve taken their pills wonderfully. So I’m worried that once they’re off treatment, Susie will just re-infect them.

I’ve emailed my vet about this, but haven’t heard back yet. I’m wondering if anyone has heard of this medication being administered via injection? If so, is it a good alternative form of treatment for stubborn kitties like my Susie?

Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated!! Just want all my little kitties to be healthy!

 

[LTS3]

Try some of these pilling tricks, some of which you may be familiar with:

Pilling Cats: Must-know Tips For Hiding Pills
How We Give Our Pill Hating Cat A Pill
The Best Pill-taking Secret I Know...

My cats love bacon-flavored pill dough, https://www.amazon.com/Marshall-Paste-2-1-Ounce-Bacon-Flavor/dp/B00KXAEQAM

Ask the vet about compounding the metronidazole (aka Flagyl). It has a nasty bitter taste that cats hate. Wedgewood Pharmacy lists topical gels, chewable treats, tiny tabs, and pastes: https://www.wedgewoodpetrx.com/search/metronidazole.html A local compounding pharmacy may have similar options. Gels and creams are the easiest to apply to the inside of the ear of most cats. Use a q-tip so you don't absorb the medicine through your skin.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

I'm pretty sure you can get this medication either in an injectable OR as a transdermal gel. I know our Vet was discussing giving this to one of our guys who is difficult to pill, so I checked into it a couple years ago at our local compounding pharmacy and knew I could get it in one of those forms, just can't remember which one since we ended up not needing it.

 

[serpounce3087]

Thank you for the suggestions! My vet responded to me and said that this medication doesn’t have an injectable form. I looked online and it does look like it can be compounded into a transdermal form, but my local compounding pharmacy said that metronidazole doesn’t hold up very well in this form.

However, I managed to get her to take one pill tonight! I bought a pill splitter from CVS, wrapped each half tightly in some tuna so that each piece would be easy for her to eat, and she gobbled both halves right up!!! Please wish me luck that I can keep this up!! This was the first whole pill she’s been able to get down!

 

[neely]

Please wish me luck that I can keep this up!! This was the first whole pill she’s been able to get down!

Good luck! Sending healing vibes and special thoughts your way that she continues to take the pills.

 

[silkenpaw]

I am puzzled by what your vet said. Plumb, a reference used by most vets, says that metronidazole is available for IV administration. That doesn’t mean it can be given SQ. Some meds are too irritating to tissue to give that way.

Wedgewood sells “tiny” metronidazole tablets (about 1/4”), which are easier to wrap in a pill pocket or put inside a capsule. And for giving pills, there’s always the pill gun.

I’m glad your cat took the medication in tuna, I hope she continues to.

 

[jen]

Might be worth trying compounded anyway. But if it doesn't work you have Giardia living on in your home and risking your other pets... What about compounding it into a tuna flavor or something a cat might like more?

I was also going to mention Wedgewood's teeny tiny Metro pills, the ones we have are chicken and vanilla flavored. I have never personally heard of it as an injectable though. It is wonderful that there are compounding options nowadays for so many medications.

 

[serpounce3087]

Thank you for all of the suggestions! It looks like Wedgewood has a lot of different dosage forms, so I might have to suggest them to my vet if Susie stops eating the pill halves wrapped in tuna.

Fingers crossed!

 

[serpounce3087]

But if it doesn't work you have Giardia living on in your home and risking your other pets...

Yes, I’m super worried about this. My kittens also had it, but they’ve taken their meds without any issue and their poo is perfectly normal now. Really don’t want my stubborn older kittie to re-infect them because she won’t take her meds.

This Giardia situation has been quite the ordeal. Poor kittens have had consistent diarrhea for a few months now, and I wasn’t sure why because the first fecal sample came back negative. Only after doing a diarrhea panel was the Giardia and Clostridium found. I definitely would recommend to anyone reading this to start with the diarrhea panel if your kitties ever have loose stools. Seems to be a much more reliable test. It’s quite a bit more expensive than the typical fecal analysis, but worth it in my opinion.

 

[LTS3]

Absorption through the skin is slow and some medicine may have to be absorbed fairly quickly in order to work properly. Ingestion (pill, capsule, etc) or injection would be the best methods.

Wedgewood Pharmacy is great for getting pet medicines compounded Customer service is really helpful, too. Compounding medicines is kind of pricey and there is shipping cost on top of that. Your vet just contacts Wedgewood Pharmacy with the prescription info and then someone will call you for your preferred compounded form, any flavorings, and your billing and shipping info.

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

Absorption through the skin is slow and some medicine may have to be absorbed fairly quickly in order to work properly. Ingestion (pill, capsule, etc) or injection would be the best methods. ...

I agree with this. It was my understanding that most (?) transdermal formulations are meant to be "low and slow" (low dose and slow absorption) and I don't think that's something you want done with antibiotics. It could give the bacteria or fungi or whatnot involved in an infection a lot of time to adjust, adapt and become resistant.