One thing that kind of unexpectedly worked for us was getting the cat into a very enclosed room, like the bathroom. Also, don’t be too afraid to manhandle your cat, grab the scruff. be strong and firm.
I gotta say this was the last posted in thread in this category when I popped in here, and because of that it was the title next to the “IMHO” board. It read like this.
“Tips for givng cat oral…”
gasp!
The version I saw had this addendum:
How to Give a Dog a Pill
Wrap pill in bacon.
Toss in air.
This. If your vet has Convenia, or can get it, and it’s appropriate for the issue at hand, it is worth whatever it costs in savings of time, aggravation, and digits. We’ve used this on the crabby old cat who doesn’t like be handled and honestly, it makes the difference between her getting medicated and not getting medicated at all.
Baytril syrup. The vet said it was the best stuff for her type of infection and surgical recovery.
I’ll ask about this - what does a treatment cost?
She’s tiny, but extremely quick and agile. If there were kitty olympics she could be a world class gymnast, so it has been hard for me to hold her, even in a tightly wrapped towel. She struggles so hard once I get it in her mouth that I think she’s at serious risk for ripping open her stitches. I tried holding her mouth shut for about 2 seconds after the injection but I felt like I was hurting her too much and let her go. She drooled up about half of it again. It’s very nasty looking - it forms a long chain foamy of saliva that dangles from her mouth.
I talked to the vet and she said basically just to do my best and getting some in is better than none. She also recommended I try giving her a half dose at a time so there’d be less to handle at once, but I don’t at all like the idea of giving her 4 squirts a day.
I think I may go take her in to the vet tomorrow for an exam, to see how her fever is going and how she’s doing in general. I’ll ask about other treatment options or at least ask them to show me the best way to administer this medication.
For us, the easiest method has been to 1) get the meds all ready in the syringe 2)scruff the kitty, 3)kneel on the linoleum floor with kitty - head out - between your knees, held tightly by your legs 4) tilt kitty’s head back against your abdomen 5) use two fingers to pry kitty’s mouth open 6) insert syringe & squeeze.
Important points - WEAR JEANS, just in case kitty wins. Make sure floor has no claw purchases. Move fast, and have everything prepared before you grab the kitty. Good Luck.
When I had to give my cat antibiotics, she would just drool and spit out the liquid, so I went back to the vet and got pills instead. I would sit on her, lock my ankles (to prevent her from wriggling backwards), open her mouth from the top, flick the pill in, hold her mouth closed and rub some butter on her nose (she’d lick it off, forcing her to swallow). The butter was to lubricate the pill, though I’d try pill pockets or baby food if I had to pill her more frequently.
For this cat, pills just work better. Your cat sounds like a drooler too. Go with pills (or injections) if you can. I don’t suppose you have anyone to help you?
Takes 2 people. We give our cat worm pills every month or so because she is a mouser. The best way is the fastest. Hold her on her back like holding a baby, squeeze cheeks so mouth opens and stick that pill as far back down the throat as possible so she has to swallow. I mean I poke my finger almost all the way in. Anything else and she will spit it out. Push it down the throat. Mixing with food will not fool her.
Grab, open jaws, poke pill down, release. Don’t try to be nice or build up to it. Cats do not have long memories and ours gets over it right away. Fast and firm.
My wife and I have it down to a science. But we are not without scars.
Hmmm, I’ve never seen a Baytril syrup. I’d venture to say it’s a compounded med that the vet is re-prescribing to you. Baytril comes in tablets and injections. While a more precise dose can be given with the liquid, they can probably get close with a 1/2 tablet or 1/4 tablet if you think she would be easier to give a pill. Baytril is one one of the antibiotics I give my cat in injection form. It can be scripted for either one injection every 24 hours or every 12, and it’s an easy under-the-skin shot you can give right in the scruff.
As far as prices, I’m not so sure about those, I don’t do the front desk so I don’t see invoices much. I’m fairly certain the Cerenia is meant to compare with a 2-week treatment of Clavamox, though (same manufacturer). I do purchasing so I know how much things cost the vet, but not how much clients get charged.
Good luck with everything, it sounds like you’re trying so hard. I hate so much to see people struggle with their cats, though. They can be true contenders with the resistance to being medicated, and trust issues are heartbreaking when they are preventable!
Meaning it’s their own mix of medications? Is this a common practice? Is there something inappropriate about their usage?
I talked to another vet (same hospital, different person) to ask about tips on the medication - she asked what she was on, I replied baytril syrup, and she said “yeah, cats really hate the stuff, it’s very bitter, but it’s the best antibiotic for her pyometra.”
I googled “baytril syrup” and the matches are mostly about rats.
I’m not so sure. I tried to give her a pill to tranquilize her for a flight once and it took 3 people and 15 minutes and a whole lot of stress. The upside is that once it was down, it was down in full - she didn’t spit half of it back up.
She’s actually really really sweet - she won’t scratch anyone, even when she’s extremely stressed. She has all her claws and she hasn’t scratched me a bit, she always pulls her claws in when I hold her. The resistance I’m worried about is how hard she struggles, the way she violently jerks to get away can’t be good for a recent surgery.
Thanks. I may take her into the vet tomorrow to check on how she’s doing, and there I can ask about the treatment. If it’s not too expensive, maybe I can just get her a daily injection of the stuff… the trip the vet stresses her out but possibly less than what I’ve been putting her through, and it would ensure she received the full dosage.
Thanks. Hopefully everything is back to normal in about 8 more days and she won’t resent me.
Not really on topic for the thread, but I had another question. I have 2 cats - the younger one has lived here for about 2 years and the older one (the sick one) has been here for that entire time. They play fight occasionally and they aren’t the best of friends but they don’t hate each other. They won’t hiss at each other or ambush the other one when they’re not expecting it.
The older cat was at the vet only for 2 days, but when I brought her home from the surgery the younger cat acted like she was an intruder, keeping her distance, hissing at her… I thought maybe it was just the smell of the medicine, or not knowing where she’d been for 2 days… but she’s been home for 3 days now and the younger cat is still treating her like that. She sneaks around her and peeks at her, keeping her distance… whenever they got close the younger cat hisses even though the sick cat isn’t acting hostile in any way… why is she acting like this?
They just do that sometimes after surgery, or when one is sick. It usually stops within a week or two. I wouldn’t worry about it.
As for the kicking and struggling, if you’ve got her burrito-ed properly, she shouldn’t be able to move enough to worry about tearing out her stitches. The towel should be tight enough that all 4 legs are pulled completely against the body and fully immobilized. The only thing the little blighter should be able to move at that point is her head.
Convenia is pretty expensive, from what I’ve seen. We charge $17 for an outpatient single stick of cefazolin that lasts for 12 hours, and something in the neighborhood of $40 for a 2-week shot of Convenia for an animal that size. If your vet charges $40 for a regular antibiotic shot (per your previous post), I hate to think what you’re looking at for Convenia on this kitty. And I don’t know that it’s appropriate for a kitty pyo anyhow. It’s been long enough since I’ve seen a kitty pyo that I don’t remember what we put it on.
- Crush up the medicine into a fine powder
- Mix thoroughly with a small amount of strong mustard
- Apply to cat’s backside
- Mustard starts to burn, the cat licks it off willingly and without a fuss
This is what I do, except I don’t use the towel. I use my left hand to hold him (mine was a boy that had to be medicated) and the right to wedge the dropper into his jaw and back toward his throat. Squeeze the medicine in, and hold the cat’s head back a bit so they can’t spit it back out.
Former Vet Tech and independent house sitter weighing in!
My patented method works on all cats - provided you don’t chase them around the house and scare the shit out of them beforehand. This is a lot less terrifying than the burrito method (for kitty, that is), which is also helpful in the event you ever need to medicate them again without losing a limb. That 2 week course of antibiotics can feel like eternity for both of you.
I’ve used this on cats I’ve never met before (housesitting for terminally or chronically ill and highly medicated felines, veterinary patients) and all the cats I’ve ever owned. Works every time. I don’t get bitten or scratched, kitty gets medicated and hardly knows what happened.
Here’s how you do it:
- Approach kitty kindly with (syringe or tablet) in one hand.
- Stand behind kitty and give kitty some nice pets & sweet talk to set the mood.
- Casually arrange your feet in a V shape, heels together, behind kitty. Legs together.
- With free hand, lightly grasp kitty’s head from above, thumb and middle finger approximately at the jaw closure.
- Tilt kitty’s head back, mouth opens automatically.
- Quickly pop pill/squirt liquid down the chute, release, and before they know it you’re all done.
I like to reenforce the no-terror approach with a Greenie or a bit of cheese as a reward directly afterwards.
Every cat I’ve used this on shakes his head, looks at me funny with “WTF just happened?” on his face and walks away. Some spazzy or nervous cats make a little effort to squirm away backwards - that’s what your feet & legs are there for. Work quickly and there’s no time for bloodshed.
The only caveat I’ll add is that your own mood can really have an effect on the situation. It sounds eye-rollingly airy fairy, but I make a point of thinking good thoughts and not being pissed off when I’m preparing to pill a cat.
I have learned that I have to get all medicines for my Luna in pill form if at all possible from now on. She begs for pills wrapped in the chicken flavored Greenies Pill Pockets. OTOH, your cat’s not so food motivated, so it might be harder for you.
My little genius not only somehow got out of her cone collar that was tight and double knotted, but she actually left it in a box… took me 20 minutes to find today.
I know she’ll lick her stitches if given the chance, but not for a long time and not aggressively - the stitches look okay to me but I’m no expert - what should I be looking for if she damaged them?
Again, I would say that cats just don’t have long memmories. They are driven by the area they have marked, they run on scent. The younger cat is having to relearn a subordinate position which is uncomfortable.
My vet gave me a syringe but there was a long thin extension she stuck on the end, makes it easier somehow. Also, make sure you’re backed up agains something so she can’t scoot backwards away from you. You have my sympathy.