Medicating a very difficult cat

[tdiving]

Good morning all

One of our ex-feral cats has contracted a serious fungal infection.

She has to be medicated with a tablet twice a day----this is about equal to climbing Everest over a weekend.

This would be a major stress exercise if we try to chase her twice a day for plus 4 months.She is almost impossible to catch and hold.Visit to the vet starts with heavy sedation----obviously not practical twice a day !

We have tried to crush the tablet ,mix it with a chicken flavored paste and mixed into her food,tried to put a pill

into the first bite of her food---guess what--she licks her food and finds the pill.

We have tried pill pockets--while she loves treats,she just walks away from this attempt.

If we dont medicated Muse,she will die.

Advice is desperately needed Thank you

Tony and Kat Wynne-Roberts

 

[margd]

You might try taking the medicine to a compounding pharmacy and asking them if they can make it up in a transdermal form.  If not, they might be able to make it up with a yummy flavor like bacon or tuna that can be slipped into your kitty's food.  

The following thread gives many inventive ways to get medicine into a cat who objects to the process.  

http://www.thecatsite.com/t/313723/how-do-i-get-my-cat-to-take-a-pill

If only cats could understand that we're actually trying to save their lives, not subject them to undeserved punishment.  I really hope that you can find a way to get her medication into Muse.  I'd be really interested to hear what finally works. 

 

[foxden]

@tdiving

Some members have purchased empty capsules and put the crushed pill into the capsule.  That hides the taste of the pill and can make it easier to use a pill gun

@Donutte   said in a different thread:

Quote"  This is what I've done with Maple, and it works (and actually has gotten better over time).

First find out if you cat likes pill pockets by themselves. If they do, great. If not, find something they do like.

Get some gel caps. I think I have size 3, but it really depends on the pills. I take the pill, put it in the smaller side of the gel cap (ditch the other side because it's not needed), then put it in the pill pocket (or whatever you end up using).

Maple gets this presented to her on a dish. When I first started doing it, it was surrounded by temptations treats, and had a treat squished on top of the pill pocket. At some point, I was able to remove not only the surrounding treats, but also the one squished on top of the pill pocket. She still gets treats afterwards, and she wants those treats, so she'll eat the pill pocket (since that's a pre-requisite to her getting the treats).

I'd tried everything with her, and was SO thankful it worked. Yes, there are times she ends up dropping the pill in the gelcap and won't eat it (sometimes she does). In that case, I have to put it in another pill pocket. That's only happened a few times though.
[thread="328986"]How To Pill A Cat Need Tips  [/thread]

 

[donutte]

Yep yep. I wouldn't crush the pill unless you can't fit it in the gel cap. Definitely seal up with opening with whatever pill wrap you use. Pill pocket, etc. One of my clients puts her pills in American cheese. I know I know, dairy is bad, but I think the benefits outweigh the risks in this case. Can use a small piece and just treat it as a pill wrap with the gel cap.

 

[laura mae]

My cat fell for the pill pockets once. He eventually puts up with the compounded methimazole but it's the extra metoclopromide for nausea/reflux that sets up the anxiety for him for the regular thyroid medication times. I feel terrible. I talk to him, I'm cheerful calm etc. when I'm coming to give him the medication. I might have to wait until he's asleep. It's obvious that after I've given him the compounded thyroid medication that it doesn't taste bad to him. It's the process of giving him the medication that displeases him.

I might get some of the paste posted earlier to have on hand. I'm debating the fortiflora to get him re-interested in the food. He was eating and now he's not again.