Trying to give my cat Amitriptyline

NMillis

NMillis

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Dec 3, 2022
Messages
7
Purraise
3
Hi has anyone had luck giving their cat Amitriptyline crushed up in some sort of food or treat? I have tried the past 4 days to give my cat her pill, which she needs everyday because she’s so anxious. She can smell it in her food and then will eat around it. I have tried putting it in fish pate and the salmon pouch treats and as soon as she smells the pill she becomes uninterested.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #2
NMillis

NMillis

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Dec 3, 2022
Messages
7
Purraise
3
NMillis said:
Hi has anyone had luck giving their cat Amitriptyline crushed up in some sort of food or treat? I have tried the past 4 days to give my cat her pill, which she needs everyday because she’s so anxious. She can smell it in her food and then will eat around it. I have tried putting it in fish pate and the salmon pouch treats and as soon as she smells the pill she becomes uninterested. She’s also very skittish and won’t let us pick her up so we can’t grab her and put the pill down her throat. She doesn’t like pill pockets either.
Click to expand...
 
FeebysOwner

FeebysOwner

TCS Member
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jun 13, 2018
Messages
24,113
Purraise
37,236
Location
Central FL (Born in OH)
You could try Tomlyn Pill Masker - a paste that you form to size around a pill. Feeby wouldn't take pill pockets either until I cut them into two pieces and placed one-half of a pill in each. I think when they were used as a whole piece it was just big enough for her to feel the need to bite into them, and that would expose the pill. I think with making them smaller it was easier for her to swallow them whole. The same concept applies to the pill masker - only as big as needed. Feeby will take pills in both now.

But, as noted above, you can get Amitriptyline compounded into flavored liquid or into a transdermal get to rub into your cat's ear.
 
Last edited:
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #5
NMillis

NMillis

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Dec 3, 2022
Messages
7
Purraise
3
FeebysOwner said:
You could try Tomlyn Pill Masker - a paste that you form to size around a pill. Feeby wouldn't take pill pockets either until I cut them into two pieces and placed one-half of a pill in each. I think when they were used as a whole piece it was just big enough for her to feel the need to bite into them, and that would expose the pill. I think with making them smaller it was easier for her to swallow them whole. The same concept applies to the pill masker - only as big as needed. Feeby will take pills in both now.

But, as noted above, you can get Amitriptyline compounded into flavored liquid or into a transdermal get to rub into your cat's ear.
Click to expand...
ok thank you! i will try the pill pockets tonight. i also read that ham flavored baby food might work but wasn’t sure if anyone has tried that. It would be ideal to break the pill into dust because when she eats her treats she breaks them up so that they’re smaller to eat and i’m afraid if she does that with half the pill she’ll taste the bitterness
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #6
NMillis

NMillis

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Dec 3, 2022
Messages
7
Purraise
3
I wish i would’ve known about the liquid or transdermal before we ordered 3 months of pills but hopefully i can get her to take the pills
 
FeebysOwner

FeebysOwner

TCS Member
Staff Member
Forum Helper
Joined
Jun 13, 2018
Messages
24,113
Purraise
37,236
Location
Central FL (Born in OH)
The baby food meats might work, or you can try some of the lickable treats - there are a ton of different ones to choose from. I don't know how well they will hide the bitterness but can't hurt to try. You might also consider using the 'juice' from tuna in canned water.

Forti Flora, which is a probiotic but really works better as a flavor enhancer might be also another thing to consider sprinkling into a bite or two of her regular food with the pill mixed in, or any of the other food/treat options mentioned here. On a particulary 'picky' day of Feeby's I have rolled the pill pockets or pill masker in some Forti Flora and that has worked too.
 
downton ali

downton ali

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
May 2, 2018
Messages
111
Purraise
159
NMillis NMillis I've found a solution with my cat. Maybe it will work for you.

1- Put the pill in clear Pure Gelatin Empty Pill Capsules that I bought on Amazon. (I use a Size 5 capsule, because I only give him half a pill. You may want a size 6.)
2- Tuck the pill inside the capsule- take care to scoop the pill inside the capsule, so that it doesn't take on the smell of the pill. (Wash your hands before you pick up the capsule, if you've touched the pill or they will smell it.)
3- Push the pill one-third of the way down into a Churu meat tube treat
4- Push up the treat, so that the cat licks some regular treat
5- Keep pushing so then the cat licks the treat with the pill in it
6- Let the cat finish the treat until it's all gone!

I cannot believe it worked, but it did! Like you, I made many attempts at trying to hide the pill in treats. My vet prescribed a transdermal version from roadrunner.com, but my cat freaked out when I touched his ears. I was about to try a liquid version, but I found this solution first. (It's not like the bitter taste goes away in liquid form, so I was already ambivalent about the prospect of that option working anyway.)

I can send you links to the products, if you want, and I even have a video of me feeding my cat the treat. Let me know whether you want any of this information, and I'll be happy to send it along to you.
 
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #9
NMillis

NMillis

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Dec 3, 2022
Messages
7
Purraise
3
downton ali said:
NMillis NMillis I've found a solution with my cat. Maybe it will work for you.

1- Put the pill in clear Pure Gelatin Empty Pill Capsules that I bought on Amazon. (I use a Size 5 capsule, because I only give him half a pill. You may want a size 6.)
2- Tuck the pill inside the capsule- take care to scoop the pill inside the capsule, so that it doesn't take on the smell of the pill. (Wash your hands before you pick up the capsule, if you've touched the pill or they will smell it.)
3- Push the pill one-third of the way down into a Churu meat tube treat
4- Push up the treat, so that the cat licks some regular treat
5- Keep pushing so then the cat licks the treat with the pill in it
6- Let the cat finish the treat until it's all gone!

I cannot believe it worked, but it did! Like you, I made many attempts at trying to hide the pill in treats. My vet prescribed a transdermal version from roadrunner.com, but my cat freaked out when I touched his ears. I was about to try a liquid version, but I found this solution first. (It's not like the bitter taste goes away in liquid form, so I was already ambivalent about the prospect of that option working anyway.)

I can send you links to the products, if you want, and I even have a video of me feeding my cat the treat. Let me know whether you want any of this information, and I'll be happy to send it along to you.
Click to expand...
Hi could you please send links and the video? My cat has outsmarted the pill pockets :(
 
downton ali

downton ali

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
May 2, 2018
Messages
111
Purraise
159
Last edited:
  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #11
NMillis

NMillis

TCS Member
Thread starter
Kitten
Joined
Dec 3, 2022
Messages
7
Purraise
3
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top