Lanny Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 (edited) My wife decided that she should give medicine to our cats, to rid them of any parasites they might have. I went to the vet a day or 2 ago and she sold me something in a tube, like a large syringe. Sort of a soft wet paste inside. I thought that would be easy to administer... I was wrong. My wife came in here this morning and she told me what happened. She was not scratched or bitten, so her story was hilarious. She tried to administer it to the first cat. The medicine went everywhere, except inside the mouth of the cat. On the top of the cats head, etc. The other cats were, naturally, terrified, and they took off. Intelligent animals... I went back to the vet this morning, with the 2 tubes of medicine. One for a credit and one possibly they can use. I bought tablets. Then, I went to the supermarket and I bought a small package of inexpensive hot dogs. With small pieces of hot dogs, my wife should be able to get the medicine inside the cats. With our dogs, giving them medicine is not a problem, but with cats... Update: My wife tried this again, last night, with the hot dogs. Only one of the cats went for that. Our dogs would go for the hot dogs, but not the cats. My wife thinks the medicine may have a bad odor. Also, she said the cats are only accustomed to eating their Cat food, with nothing added to it. I mentioned to her that she might try Cream Cheese or Peanut Butter. Edited September 18, 2016 by Lanny 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellifera33 Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 Good luck with the hot dog method. My cat would eat around the pill and spit them out. :lol: 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 (edited) I had a terrible time giving pills to my dog with chronic health issues. She is amazing in her ability to spit them out. A friend with cats recommended the Pet Piller: https://www.amazon.com/Jorgensen-Pet-Piller/dp/B0002ZAG84/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1474132972&sr=8-2&keywords=pill+popper The dog takes several pills twice a day. I mentally thank this friend at least once a day for this miracle tool! Edited September 17, 2016 by Joules 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joules Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 Good luck with the hot dog method. My cat would eat around the pill and spit them out. :lol: That's what my dog did. She can practically tie her tongue in a knot to tease out the good from the bad. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 Oh yeah...cats...LMAO 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 Your vet can help! Ask if you can bring the cats in and have them teach you how to administer the medicine! Cats are tricky, but there are lots of options. The vet technician/nurse/assistant will administer the meds, while teaching you how to do it. Our vet hospital will do this for free (assuming you're administering medication we've prescribed and your pet is up-to-date on exams, which presumably they are since otherwise most vets won't sell you the medicine in the first place). Many cats won't take medicine that is in food. There are "pill plungers" that are sort of like a syringe with a soft, safe rubbery tip, that allow you to stick the pill back in their mouth/throat. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 Giving medicine to cats. -- :lol: :lol: :lol: :smilielol5: :smilielol5: :smilielol5: :smilielol5: :smilielol5: Seriously, with most cats it's such a struggle that I wouldn't give them any "just in case" medicine. I'd actually have the cat tested for parasites and if anything comes out positive only then get the medicine. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lady Florida. Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 Giving medicine to cats. -- :lol: :lol: :lol: :smilielol5: :smilielol5: :smilielol5: :smilielol5: :smilielol5: Seriously, with most cats it's such a struggle that I wouldn't give them any "just in case" medicine. I'd actually have the cat tested for parasites and if anything comes out positive only then get the medicine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mellifera33 Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 (edited) I actually had to do the opposite as the OP--take the pills back and get the syringe full of goo. Which smelled like banana. Seriously, banana flavor for a cat? Who had that brilliant idea? Edited September 17, 2016 by mellifera33 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Governess Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 I can sympathize. One of my dogs has an ear infection... I am having to squirt a syringe full of antibiotics in her mouth every day. That's bad enough to get in the right place so she swallows it. But I also have ear drops that loosen the wax in her ears. Can you guess where the drops ended up after she immediately and ferociously shook them out of her ears? Grrr. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StephanieZ Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 FWIW, there are topical medications that can treat many parasites. Ask the vet! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted September 17, 2016 Author Share Posted September 17, 2016 Thanks to everyone who replied, with your ideas and your experiences! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lanny Posted September 17, 2016 Author Share Posted September 17, 2016 (edited) Deleted: Double Post. I clicked wrong Edited September 17, 2016 by Lanny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 (edited) Been there! About ten years ago my cat at the time swallowed a huge rubberband off of the newspaper. The vet suggested giving her some hydrogen peroxide to make her throw it up. Total fail. You would think law of averages that some would make it into the cat, but no. We just both ended up soaked in peroxide. The rubber band ended up making its way safely through her system. I still have the xray somewhere of my cat with a giant rubberband in her belly. :) Edited September 17, 2016 by texasmom33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KarenNC Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 We've had luck with the following at various times": wrapping pills with a little bit of cream cheese or peanut butter (the stickiness helped keep the cat from just eating around it) using Pill Pockets (buy them at the store, treats shaped to be like a little pouch, put the pill in and squeeze shut to encase---I have also bought the larger dog ones and broken off a piece to smoosh around the pill) The pill plunger having the compounding pharmacy make the medicine into a liquid and flavoring it with beef or fish flavor then using with an oral syringe 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 One of my cats needed her nails trimmed. I did it in stages, but oh that wasn't pretty. And she is very docile in general. At least she didn't hold a grudge and by the time I got to the last of them she was a little better about it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 Neither of my cats would eat a hot dog. They are weird. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pawz4me Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 (edited) Once the rescue I was volunteering with had a ringworm outbreak. And it got pretty bad and we had a bunch of kittens. We eventually had to give every single one of them oral medication. Twice a day. The only thing more challenging than pilling an adult cat is pilling a tiny, squirming kitten. Edited September 17, 2016 by Pawz4me 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbridgeacademy Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 The method we use is to crush the tablets then mix it into wet cat food. With our cat we also have to remove all other food since she doesn't really like anything but dry food. What I dread is doing the ears.... it takes 3 of us to hold her down. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ktgrok Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 FWIW, there are topical medications that can treat many parasites. Ask the vet! Amen! I will never give a cat a pill for tapeworms again, now that they make a topical for it. It's a bit more expensive but worth every single penny. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jennay Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 I have the oddest cat. He needs to take a daily pill for "cat anxiety." All I have to do is put a dab of butter or cat lax on it and he licks it right up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocolate-chip chooky Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 We have a cat that needs daily medication and the struggle to get it into her every single day was destroying our relationship (me and the cat, just to clarify ;) ) She went from being my snugglebunny to being absolutely scared of me, scurrying under furniture when I came near. It was really sad... I had tried absolutely all the tricks in the book. This cat was just too cluey. And then our vet told me about a company that specialises in sneaky and innovative ways to medicate animals. They make up your prescription specially to suit the needs of your unique, quirky, difficult, but much loved animal. We are now using a transdermal gel, which means a daily ear-massage for the cat. I've got my snugglebunny back and I'm happy to pay the extra $$ to have her trust again. 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippen Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 I would only try and administer medication directly to my cat's mouth if I fancied a trip to ER. Some pills can be broken upinto small bits and mixed into wet canned food. I have better luck with cold canned food than room temp. For meds I can't sneak into his regular food, I resort to these Whisker Lickin's treats. They're soft and two can be molded around part of a pill. Works almost every time. Think of them as Kitty Crack. https://www.whiskerlickins.com/ 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechWife Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 I use a pill plunger for my cats. That is, after I "burrito" them in towels with only their heads showing. One person holds and pries their mouth open at the jaw while the other person pokes the plunger in and depresses it. Cat runs away. Done. That works for two out of three cats. The third one? I've never successfully gotten any pills into her. Thankfully, she's pretty healthy. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paige Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 I've had to give my cat 2-3 pills a day for almost 6mos. She's mostly cooperative now, but in the beginning, she was more reluctant to accept the situation. I think the easiest thing to do is to wrap the cat up in a towel like a swaddled baby. I've tried the pill shooter but I think it makes things harder. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trulycrabby Posted September 17, 2016 Share Posted September 17, 2016 Amen! I will never give a cat a pill for tapeworms again, now that they make a topical for it. It's a bit more expensive but worth every single penny. Nice to know. I am still scrubbing dewormer off the walls from treatment a few weeks ago. :ack2: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmandaVT Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 My aunt has a cat that needs a daily pill. He's kind of a jerk. She figured out that she can crush up the pill really well and mix it into the oil that sits on top of the wet food, he'll lap it right up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MercyA Posted September 18, 2016 Share Posted September 18, 2016 This thread reminds me of the "cat wrapping" chapter in one of the Herriot books. I found this quote from it: "I think it was the beginning of Mrs. Bond's unquestioning faith in me when she saw me quickly enveloping the cat till all you could see of him was a small black and white head protruding from an immovable cocoon of cloth. He and I were now facing each other, more or less eyeball to eyeball, and George couldn't do a thing about it. As I say, I rather pride myself on this little expertise, and even today my veterinary colleagues have been known to remark, 'Old Herriot may be limited in many respects, but by --- he can wrap a cat.'†:) 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomsintheGarden Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 I use a pill plunger for my cats. That is, after I "burrito" them in towels with only their heads showing. One person holds and pries their mouth open at the jaw while the other person pokes the plunger in and depresses it. Cat runs away. Done. That works for two out of three cats. The third one? I've never successfully gotten any pills into her. Thankfully, she's pretty healthy. Thank you for posting this trick! I had to give my 2yo manx his liquid worm medicine today and was really dreading it. Last time he gave me a nasty scratch and wouldn't come near me for two days. Ds and I petted him and put him in a burrito with a large bath sheet, then ds held him while I syringed the medicine into the back of his mouth. It worked really well. The burrito kept him from scratching and seemed to calm him. This was the least traumatic medicine dose we've ever given him. And to top it off, a couple of hours later kitty came up to me while I was working in the garden and was so friendly. I think he was thanking me for a more pleasant medicine experience. We always give our cats their medicine outdoors in case it gets messy. They can run away afterwards, so it makes them think they have a little more control over what happens next. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 I use a pill plunger for my cats. That is, after I "burrito" them in towels with only their heads showing. One person holds and pries their mouth open at the jaw while the other person pokes the plunger in and depresses it. Cat runs away. Done. That works for two out of three cats. The third one? I've never successfully gotten any pills into her. Thankfully, she's pretty healthy. That's the way we had to give our cat her antibiotic. She hated it, but she was immobilized in the towel, so she really had no choice. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SebastianCat Posted September 19, 2016 Share Posted September 19, 2016 When we had cats, we sometimes were able to use the pill pockets to wrap up the pill. But if they wouldn't take a pill in a pill pocket, we'd use the "pill popper" syringe with the cat in the kitchen sink. The burrito wrap is another good idea, but one of my cats used to freak out when he saw the towel coming, so it was just easier to plop him into the sink and pop the pill into the back of his mouth as quickly as possible. The slippery side walls of the sink meant he couldn't climb out until I let him go. My dog is SOOOOO much easier. She will eat (almost any) pills just dropped in her bowl with her regular (dry) food. She inhales her food so fast that I don't think she even knows there's anything extra in the bowl. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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