Pill Giving Advice Needed

[golgotha]

In the last few months, my two 14 year olds (same litter siblings) displayed similar symptoms of diarrhea and loss of weight (with the occasional vomiting). To cut a longer story somewhat short, I took them to the vet, and he gave me metronidazole to give them.

I usually use Gourmet Gold for their pills and it works like a charm, they like it so much they gallop them up whole.

So one of the two, Yuna, had no problem taking her metronidazole that way, and though she still hasn’t gained a lot of weight, the diarrhea stopped and slowly seems to be gaining.

Her brother Akira however, is extremely stubborn, he chews through everything and doesn’t eat anything whole, and the moment he gets even a hint of the bitter taste of metronidazole he either gives up the food altogether or slowly with his paw picks up the food all around it.

I tried forcing it down his throat, ended up getting bit and shredded, I have no pill pusher thingy, and can’t find one locally, though I’ll order one online. I also can’t find any empty capsules locally to try that method, so another thing I’ll be ordering just in case.

I tried giving the pill with some soft cheese and even grind it down in milk (I know the lactose would be bad for him, but I figure taking the pill would make up for it) and he wouldn’t go for it.

I tried wrapping it in an anchovy hoping the strong taste would mask the bitterness (or that he would find it yummy enough to eat whole) no luck there either.

I’m desperate enough, that as soon as I get paid in Monday so I can afford it, I will be taking him to the vet daily (including cab fare, I don’t have a car) so they can force it down his throat, considering they can, the vet who originally examined him couldn’t pull it off.

In the meantime, I grind it down to fine dust and mix it with Gourmet Gold and he seems to eat most of it that way. Thing is, in the metronidazole leaflet, it says the medicine might not work if crushed and he just pretty much did the last Gourmet dose I gave him, as brown water, so it might not be working or it might even be making things worse.

I was originally supposed to give him his dose like a month ago and his symptoms started long before that, but I focused on Yuna who was taking her medicine and another cat, that has another unrelated health issue that is still ongoing.

So I’m terrified he might get worse by Monday, since his issue has been unresolved for so long, he is skinny and pretty much does only watery stool. Though otherwise is his old self and he has managed to avoid getting dehydrated. I’m not even sure what is wrong with him, but since the metronidazole worked for Yuna I will assume it will work for him too.

Anyway, sorry for the long post I wanted to give as much info as possible, any advice on how I can get him to eat the pill with a type of food? Or any info if the metronidazole actually works crushed to dust would be appreciated.

 

[verna davies]

There is a product called greenies pill pockets. I have not tried them but have heared that they make the task easy. You can buy them from Amazon but maybe a vet product shop near you sells them. Google them to see if they would work for you

 

[babiesmom5]

I don't mean to be a contrarian here, but I thought I should relate my experience with Greenies Pill Pockets before you run out and buy some.

They do work fine to enclose most non-bitter pills in, the exception is the bitter Metronidazole.
I had a male cat who was prescribed this drug for diarrhea. He loved Pill Pockets, especially the salmon flavored kind, and would take all sorts of medications easily when hidden in a Pill Pocket...until the day when he bit down on the Metronidazole hidden inside. It was like he was hit with a lightening bolt...he gagged, foamed at the mouth, vomited and ran under the bed. After that episode he would never again take any sort of medicine in a Pill Pocket! I even tried to offer him a Pill Pocket without any medication in it, but he recoiled like you were holding a cross in front of Dracula!

I had to resort to using a "Pill Popper" (pill plunger) from then on. I would coat the end of the Metronidazole in butter and put it directly far down his throat...then offer a treat of food afterwards to reward and lessen the aftertaste. This is the only thing that worked for me.

 

[maggiedemi]

I tried hiding a bitter pill once in pill pockets and sardines, after that my cat would never eat pill pockets or sardines ever again. I think you might have to get a pill gun, they sell them really cheap on Amazon. You can watch videos on how to do it on You Tube.

 

[foxxycat]

yep a pill gun- pill buster popper they call it. I will post the links-tonight is Amazon prime starting so maybe they have a discount.
I use this for pilling.

Capsules for pilling- #3- you can try #4 but those are smaller. You can try #2 but I think 3s will work well.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/Capsulin...3736&wl11=online&wl12=730521126&wl13=&veh=sem
you can order online at walmart and pick up at the store-but they don't ship fast-but it's a good idea down the road.

Here's a video of pilling with a popper.
Hope this helps.

 

[golgotha]

Thanks for all the input.

Yeah I don't think the pill pockets will work any better than the handmade ball of Gourmet I usually use to administer medicine to them. I never even knew these things existed (regardless of brand) until I started researching when this situation happened, since I never seen them anywhere locally.

Food will work in only two scenarios. He either swallows it whole with the pill inside (that's how it worked for Yuna) or the food taste is so strong it can hide the taste of the pill completely. The former is unlikely given the way he likes to chew everything and the latter might simply be impossible given that even anchovies didn't do the trick, though I was hoping someone would mention some 'magical' food that would work.

Problem is, anything I order online now (unless I pay for express shipping which I can't afford right now honestly) will arrive either at Monday when I get paid or after, and even then he is a handful, I may need someone to help me administer to him, or at least help me manage his front paws even with a pill gun involved.

Though I read that some of those pill guns plastic tip can come off and the cat can swallow it, so I'm worried about that too.

I'll try asking a few more local pharmacies for empty capsules size 5, 4 or at worst 3, but so far none of them have any, regardless of size.

I'm wondering whether I should keep crushing the pills and mixing it with Gourmet or just stop and wait until I can start giving him his dose properly. I'm not sure it does anything and the Gourmet really makes his bowel movements worse (or at least more frequent).

 

[foxxycat]

call around to different vets for the pill popper=I also give dasquin which is for bone health-I used to empty the capsule dust into wet food then I use those empty capsules for the cat-cranberry supplements sometimes come in gelcaps=that's what I used before I ordered new gel caps=pull it apart-dump out powder and use them but make sure the supplement that was originally in it is safe for cats-the dasquin is made for cats. so that won't hurt my girls-also health food stores have capsules but they may not have those smaller size ones. I hope vets start carrying these items because they would be used by everyone who goes to get pills from them! If I was a vet I would start carrying empty gels and pill buster/popper!!

actually I stopped at 3 dif vets looking for a pill popper-one had one but it was used-I was so desperate that I bought it anyways. I found vet clinics I didn't know were there just from looking in yelp and the phone book...someone somewhere has to have these!

 

[Susana]

What about grinding the pill and mixing it in with his food? I always use the Greenies pill pockets, too, but when I tried putting Benadryl in it (a suggestion by my vet to calm my cat down) he immediately spit it up, started meowing, foaming at the mouth and darting back and forth around the apartment. I called my vet and asked her if I should take him to vet emergency svcs abd she told that he was most likely just reacting to the bitter taste. Wow, though. What a reaction!

 

[foxxycat]

benedryll is very bitter and YUCKY tasting.

 

[foxxycat]

you may be able to get the metr pill compounded into a liquid if you are interested. Here's some pharmacies I have dealt with and or heard from recommendations from other cat parents:

Wingates in nausua nh
Diamond back pharmacy
Wedgewood
and there's one more but I can't remember the name of it!!

 

[arouetta]

You could price how much it would cost for a compounding pharmacy to make it a liquid.

I did have a vet show me the "proper" way to get a pill down a cat. She lifted Shadow's head so Shadow was looking at the ceiling and with her hand behind Shadow's head she (gently) pressed right behind the canines so Shadow' mouth opened. Then she quickly dropped the pill into the back of her throat and ( again gently) held Shadow's mouth shut, Shadow's head still skyward, and rubbed her trachea with one finger to trigger swallowing. The massaging isn't instant, it'll take several seconds.

I do have to add a disclaimer though. The vet said it always works before she showed me. When she told me that the pill had gone down and released Shadow, Shadow spat out the pill so hard it bounced off the wall. The vet was beyond shocked and immediately changed the medicine to something liquid. Give it a try since it apparently works on nearly all cats, but it's not as foolproof as the vet originally said it was.

 

[danteshuman]

On this website they posted tips to give cats pills. If I got shredded, my cat would be wrapped in a towel kitty burrito style so fast. I find it is easier to just push the bare pill (or pill coated in butter) down their throats until they almost gag (not making them gag... just making it more difficult for them to spit it up.) I then hold my cats mouth close and blow softly on his nose until he swallows. I then release him and give him a couple of treats. If your cat always gets treats afterwards she will fight it less. Also the treats let my cats know I'd done bugging them. The above method works about 9/10 times ... and the only reason it has failed a couple of times is because my fingers get a little numb so I had to relearn how to do it a bit.

 

[danteshuman]

How Can I Give A Pill To My Cat

 

[TC Schrodinger]

I've been though this. My cat refused everything. He'd even fake swallowing and wait until I walked away before spitting. Sigh.
Then I found this: Pilling Cats and Dogs Safely
Oh it was so helpful!
The most important point is to keep it bite size. Putting a pill in food or a treat or anything the cat will want to chew will just lead to him finding the pill and spitting it out. Pill Pockets are way too big. Just take the pill, mash a pill pocket around it, and pinch off as much as you can and keep molding it in your fingers until the pill is just covered, but no more. If its a big pill, get a pill slitter, or see if the pill can be compounded. If its a capsule, ask the vet if it comes in tablet form. Many do.
Cat doesn't like pill pockets? Of course. Its a cat. Mine hated them. So the other great piece of advice:
Roll the pill pocket ball in FortiFlora. Just enough to dust it. Hopefully your cat like mine will think its the best treat ever and gobble them up without chewing. Fortiflora is mostly cat candy with probiotics. You will use very, very, little. The leftover powder will absorb moisture and spoil, so I kept it in a tiny saucer covered with plastic wrap and changed it out with a new packet every few days.
In the past I tried holding his mouth closed to force swallowing, pill shooters, pills hidden in food, liquids ( I'd end up wearing the medicine on my shirt ), begging... it was so frustrating. Then I did the two things above and it changed from dread to fun. I hope it works for you.
The big thing is to make it "bite" size.
Then maybe follow up with water or moist food if its a nasty pill for the reasons explained in the link above.

....And oddly enough its time to give my buddy his pills. He's waiting for me at the counter. ;-)

 

[MDad1234]

I've had good luck with a pill popper, like the green one in the Youtube video above. When the vet prescribed medication in pill form about a month ago, I thought I would never be able to get it into my cat, especially since she absolutely refuses to eat anything with flavor ground up into her food and hates being restrained or picked up. It was nearly impossible until I got the pill popper. Now I just wait until she sits down in the kitchen before I feed her, kneel down on the floor behind her so she can't back up too much, and gently hold her head up slightly and push the pill popper at the front of her mouth until she opens enough for me to stick the syringe in just a bit and fire it at the back of her throat. I've learned that it helps to be quick and decisive and make sure kitty's head is tilted upward at least a little. I also put a little butter on the pill and push the whole thing at least 1/3 of an inch into the syringe, so it won't pop out if you accidentally tap the plunger or brush it against kitty's mouth. In that video, they have the pill sticking halfway out of the syringe, and that never worked for me. I then rub her throat a little and put some wet food down. We still have days occasionally when it doesn't work on the first try and she gets a little hissy, but most days it's over before she can make a peep.

 

[golgotha]

I appreciate all the information.

I have now ordered both a plastic pill popper and 100 size 5 empty gelatin capsules.

For the life of me, I could not find any locally, for the capsules is hardly surprising, I can’t even find isopropyl alcohol in local pharmacies, but I expected a vet or a pet store to at least have the popper, I guess there’s not much demand locally. Also turning pills into liquid, not a thing here.

I’m also going to look into FortiFlora, I didn’t know it existed, might help with their bowel problems in general.

Though all of these supplies will arrive after the next Monday, so I’ll probably swallow the pill (pun not intended) and have the vet force it down his throat come Monday, though they will be very helpful in the future, in case I have to give him the same or an equally bitter medicine again or another one of my cats turns out to be stubborn.

Though that may be uber expensive, I’m honestly not sure if I can handle him even with the pill popper, he is not feral or anything and has no problem being manhandled under normal circumstances, unless you try to do something invasive like stick a pill down his throat, then he goes crazy, and the few failed attempts at giving him one by hand didn’t help things.

 

[foxxycat]

try a dry run with a glob of cheese ball-give it like a pill to get him used to you touching his face....run your fingers along the front of lips-if he doesn't hiss-give a treat...keep doing this until you can open the mouth-give treats..you want to reward behavior and food is a BIG motivator!

 

[foxxycat]

you might want to order #3 because the 5 maybe too small-I heard someone else say the #4 were too small so they went with #3. Just an FYI.

 

[golgotha]

try a dry run with a glob of cheese ball-give it like a pill to get him used to you touching his face....run your fingers along the front of lips-if he doesn't hiss-give a treat...keep doing this until you can open the mouth-give treats..you want to reward behavior and food is a BIG motivator!

I just tried to open his mouth with my hand just like in the video above, just a lil bit, since I was just doing it to see how much he'll let me, and the moment I touched his gums he started pulling back and then using his paws to remove my hand.

He didn't scratch me since I was gentle and pushed back with the first sign of resistance but is not a good sign for when I try for the real thing. He seems to be resisting the moment I touch his mouth, even without trying to open it, as long as I manage to keep his hands occupied somehow, I think (or hope) I can handle his head movements.

If he wasn't so weak (skinny more than weak really, he is energetic as ever), I'd have the vet put him to sleep for a bit and clip his front claws, so I would only worry about his head, but I can't risk that now, and obviously he is not about to let me clip him awake.

you might want to order #3 because the 5 maybe too small-I heard someone else say the #4 were too small so they went with #3. Just an FYI.

The pill I got is a 200 mg Metronidazole for humans, yes the vet gave me a human pill for cats happens all the time here (I guess is safe enough or at least I never had a problem), I'm supposed to give him half a pill (so 100 mg) once a day for eight days, though the vet wasn't sure if I should give him 50 mg instead (so a quarter pill) since he is so skinny, but his sister took 100 mg just fine and I think she was a tad skinnier at the time.

But I digress, the point is that the pill is small enough already and half is even smaller, from the pictures of the size 5's I've seen online half a pill can just about fit inside a size 5 capsule. Besides, is too late now, order already on its way, worse case scenario I will give him two capsules with a quarter pill each.

 

[maggiedemi]

My vet didn't pry my cat's mouth open, he just stuck the pill gun at the side of Demi's mouth at the space between his teeth and gently pushed a little, not hard where it would hurt his teeth or anything. He opened his mouth right up.