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Pilling my cats!?!

2K views 11 replies 11 participants last post by  irishemt17 
#1 ·
I thought Nico had a tapeworm (saw little white "rice" pieces around his booty), so the vet sent me home with pills for all three. OMG, that was a nightmare!!! Not one of them could just be good and swallow the pills -- now they are all POed and hiding. I have no idea how much they actually swallowed either...sorry, just needed to vent. Why do they give you pills anyway? Isn't there an easier way?
 
#5 ·
Liquid medicine was a complete failure for me.. I couldn't keep them from spitting it out.

I prefer pills, I usually put the cat on it's back, open mouth, insert pill, hold mouth shut, massage the throat, wait for them to swallow, and viola! Sounds difficult, but really isn't all that hard for me. (And the cats usually only stay angry with me for like 30 seconds. :wink: )
 
#6 ·
I've had to give all my 3 cats pills before. And at first I was like 'Oh no!' The vet insisted we tried this first so we did our best but didn't think it would work.

We got a pill gun to help and we had a go. it took a few goes but in the end we did it. I hated doing it because my babies were so distressed but I knew it was for the good of them. In the end they realized if they didn't swallow the pill they wouldn't be allowed to get down. They were angry with us afterwords but only for such a short time and we always gave them a treat afterwords which they ate.

What we did was hold them firmly (holding paws and feet), and securely. Then as I was holding them my fiancé would try and open their mouth and pop the pill in. He then held there jaws shut and rubbed there throat to help them swallow...If that didn't work we put a little bit of water in the pills gun and put some in there mouth. They then swallowed it very easily and were let down.

Good luck with everything, I know how much of a nightmare it can be,

Eva :cry:
 
#7 ·
i was lucky, when our kitty's needed pills (they are both in heaven now :( ) my mom knew what to do, she's a vet. but even me, a novice, got the hang of it after awhile. and we used a pill gun. i just sat on my knees, faces them forward between my knees, put my finger in the corner or their mouth tho get them to open, and in goes the pill :)
 
#8 ·
The key to pilling (or liquids) is to tilt the head back and get the mouth open wide. Then you pop the pill BEHIND the lump on the tongue. If you get the pill behind that lump, they can't spit it out. No need to hold the mouth shut or rub the throat to make them swallow.
Also, it's best to give some food or water immediately after pilling to help it wash down.

Jennifer
 
#9 ·
I wish the vet had mentioned the pill gun before I spent $25 on medicine that ended up everywhere but their mouths. I did try the butter trick...they ended up with their little mouths caked in butter! I'll look into this pill gun for next time (they have to be retreated in 10 days).

Nico crawled in bed with us last night, so he didn't stay mad for too long. :)
 
#10 ·
I've had to do a couple of mine at a time too. Last summer two of my cats had an abscess, one on the leg and one on the back. It was terrible! 1 pill 2x's a day each! I did get very efficient at it though. I found it was easier to do alone, locked in a small room like a bathroom. I sit right down on the floor and hold the kitty between my legs with their back to my stomach, so they can't scoot away. I hold the pill in my right hand and push on the left side corner of their mouth, the mouth pops open. I insert my left finger into their mouth as far back as possible. Take my right hand and push the pill down with my middle finger so it passes the back of their tongue. Hold their head up very high and rub the throat while keeping their mouth closed. Done. I had a few times though that they popped it out and I had to re-try until I got the hang of it. I found that butter didn't help, it just made my fingers slippery and harder to control the pill. I never tried the pill gun but it sounds like it may be helpful. If you can to make you feel better (I always did) give them a little treat afterwards. Good luck!
 
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