[sweettems]

I've read the stickies on medicating, but most tips are for pills. Shadow has a large dose of liquid to take, and he's getting worse and worse about it. It smells citrus, so I'm sure that doesn't help.

It take both my husband and I wrapping him in a towel (to keep him from ripping off our faces and to keep his sore spots from getting hurt) to even try to get the meds down his throat. He's very good at keeping his mouth shut, and moving his head all over. And now he's also spitting it out as well as he can. Each time he ends up a sticky, frothy mess (as does my carpet). I'm sure he's not getting the full dose. Plus, he also tries to puke it up once we let him go.

He's a big guy (nearly 17 lbs), but he's also quite agile. Any ideas?

 

[laurief]

Exactly what medication is it? It's likely to be available in another form or forms that would be easier to administer.

Laurie

 

[marie73]

What helped me when I had to do that was after filling the syringe, I dipped it in tuna juice. I let Cinderella smell it and she wouldn't fight it. Of course, about half-way done, she'd realize she'd been tricked......

But I also went to my pharmacy and they compounded it (not sure if that's the right term) into chicken flavor. You can get pretty much any flavor you want.

 

[sweettems]

They can't get it in any other forms, and it is orange (so the flavor can't be changed). The vet wants to stick with it as it seems to be helping, though I've asked about others. I'll try dipping it into other flavors though. Maybe we'll be able to trick him a bit.

 

[marie73]

Or dip the syringe in baby food or whatever would temp your cat (but make sure the baby food is the kind with no onion or garlic, like Gerber 2nd Foods). Anything that would mask the smell and smell good to your cat would help. If you can get the little syringe in between the teeth and squirt it in while holding your cat's mouth mostly shut, it helps cut down on the exorcist, head-turning spraying afterwards.

 

[laurief]

Just because your vet only has it in an orange flavored liquid doesn't necessarily mean that's the only way it's available. What is the name and dosage of the drug?

 

[Mitts & Tess]

Most medications can be compounded. That way you could rub it in the ear, if its an antibiotic. Or they can flavor it to make it palatable for the cat.

Marie's idea of tuna juice is great. Sometimes we fill the syringe with the meds and then finish off the syringe with a baby food meat. It makes it tolerable for the cat to take the meds.

Tell your vet (no ifs ands or buts) this in not working to give your cat meds with this flavor because of the struggle. Ask her to call in or write a script for a compounding pharmacy.

 

[laurief]

Don't give a medication with food without checking with your vet first. Some meds MUST be given with food. Others must NOT be given with food. In order for the medication to be safe and effective, it must be administered properly.

 

[sweettems]

Our vet doesn't actually carry it. We got it from the ER the night before. He wants us to continue with it since it seems to be working well, rather than change to one he regulary prescribes.

It's 4 ml of cephalexin every 12 hours.

 

[laurief]

Cephalexin is available in tablets and capsules, as well as the foul-tasting liquid the ER gave you. If you can't get the liquid into your cat, you can ask your vet for a script so that you can order the tablets or capsules ... or I expect you can get it compounded into a tasty soft chew, a meat or fish flavored liquid, or a transdermal gel which would get rubbed into his ear. I use BCP Pharmacy in Houston, TX to compound meds for my cats.

BCP Veterinary Pharmacy

 

[laurief]

Oh, btw, I looked up cephalexin in Plumb's, and it is recommended to give it with a small meal to help reduce the vomiting and stomach upset that it may cause.

 

[sweettems]

Thanks. The vet says we'll have to get more from our regular pharmacy. Hopefully they have a different version. I don't know if they will do the other stuff, but I will ask. There has to be some other way. The nasty stuff ended up all over my kitchen, and the little that got in his mouth he gummed and gummed into foam and spit it out. I'm only trying to help him, but he makes me want to stangle him. I would have thought he'd get used to it. Guess not.

 

[Kjs]

The way to medicate any cat (or dog, or horse, for that matter).

Hold cat still by wrapping your arm around it from behind or getting another person to help. Hold the back of the cats head to keep it still.

Place your finger at the edge side of the cats mouth, apply pressure increasing as you go until he is forced to open his mouth.

Insert pill or liquid in mouth, at the back of his mouth quickly, hold his mouth shut and blow on his nose for a few seconds so he is forced to swallow.

 

[marie73]

Still almost impossible by yourself with most cats. tiny linda blairs!!

 

[Mhelmandollar]

it diffidently isn't an easy thing,

 

[sweettems]

That picture (so similar to my same problem) made my day. Thanks!

 

[marie73]

Not mine. I'll be sleeping with one eye open. And it's not even my cat. :shock:

 

[sweettems]

Still almost impossible by yourself with most cats. tiny linda blairs!!

Yes! Exactly.

We also sometimes refer to our cat as the "extruder." More seems to come out than goes in - with both ends apparently.

 

[Janz]

Please post if you find a solution. My cat was recently ill and I tried to medicate him. He's a sweet cat until you try to stick something in his mouth. He clenched his teeth, shook his head and wriggled until he got a leg or two free. At that point I couldn't hold him without hurting him or being hurt. Then he'd be distrustful of me and I couldn't get near him. Fortunately for us I was able to take him back to the vet for a shot. If I had had to continue giving him the liquid medication we would have both been stressed to the max.