Giving medication to a pet is no easy task, and it's even harder if your pet is a cat. Cats will struggle, scratch, yowl, and even bite if need be to get away from you if they don't want a medication put in their mouths. If you've been given a medication and need to dose your cat regularly, don't panic. Check out these four tips for making it easier to give your cat their medication.
Put Fluid In Their Food
While most fluid medications come with eyedroppers and syringes in order to get your cat to take them, that's not always an easy task. Most cats will struggle and fight if you try to put a tube in their mouth to give them medication. Instead, try putting their medication directly into their wet food.
Give your cat a large amount of wet food with a relatively small amount of medication to dilute the flavor as much as possible. Stir it up well, and give your cat the food. Chances are your cat will eat the food willingly and imbibe their medication without wanting to tear you apart.
Use a Pill Treat
If you've been given pills instead of liquid, try giving it to your cat inside a pill treat. These treats are soft, moldable, and hollow so that you can place the pill inside it and seal off the ends. Most cats will gladly gobble up treats, so they may be willing to eat their pill that way.
Pill Popper
If pill treats don't work, try a pill popper instead. Pill poppers are like a syringe without a needle that can be put in your cat's mouth to shoot the pill to the back of their throat. This means you won't have to stick your fingers into your cat's mouth and risk getting bitten.
Make a Towel Burrito
If these tips don't work, or your cat won't sit still for you to give them a pill, try wrapping them up like a burrito instead. Simply place a towel or blanket down and set your cat in the middle of it. Lift up the towel or blanket and pull it over their shoulder, then wrap the other side around. Make sure that you keep their legs inside of the towel.
This should help to restrain your cat, but it may also comfort them and make them more willing to take their medicine.
If you absolutely can't medicate your cat, talk to your vet for additional advice. Chances are, however, that these tips will make it much easier for you to get your cat to take their medication. Practice makes perfect, so if at first you don't succeed, keep at it. For more tips, contact a company like Foothills Animal Hospital.
Share3 February 2017
Do you know the types of diseases that are most likely to cause death in dogs? My name is Anne, and I have owned several dogs in the my lifetime. I enjoy training, playing with, and caring for dogs of all sizes and breeds. Throughout my time as a dog owner, I have discovered that there are several illnesses that are common causes of death in dogs and that some breeds are more likely to get these diseases than other breeds. This blog will explain various common deadly diseases in dogs and give advice about how to prevent and treat these illnesses.
