Can Denamarin dissolve INSTANTLY?

[Shirley and Ragnar]

Ragnar took his Denamarin OK yesterday morning, but today it caused a problem even though I washed it down with several mLs of water, one mL at a time. He tried to drink more water immediately afterwards, but drank some (very fast, as he does) and then was in obvious pain from it. He tried again just a few minutes later and was in pain again.

I called Dr. Jen and left a message. He improved, and I called back and said it looked as if he'd be OK. He's back now to eating and drinking normally, though he was afraid to drink water again for a while.

She emailed a second time and said, as she's been saying, the he needs chewable Denosyl, which is made for dogs. I know he would never take it in food, though, as she suggests. He will barely eat cat food at all, including Fancy Feast. (He likes Friskies Salmon Dinner better than FF Salmon Feast.) This might be from when I had to give him fish canned for people to get him to eat at all, and he doesn't want anything less tasty than that!

But putting meds in food isn't going to get them into this guy! He would have to be given pieces of the chewables - as pills, again.

She said the reason he needs chewable is that the Denamarin irritates his stomach when it mixes with the water. I don't think it could dissolve that fast! This is a hard pill with an enteric coating that dissolves in the intestine. Could it possibly hurt his stomach by reacting with the water he drinks less than 30 seconds (maybe only 10-15 seconds) after swallowing the pill? It would have to dissolve almost instantly, and that doesn't appear to be what Denamarin does.

I can order some chewable (225 mg; his pills are 90; presumably I'd cut them) but don't see any advantage. He would have to swallow the pieces whole anyway.

Ideas?? Could that Denamarin POSSIBLY have reacted with the water that FAST?

Personally, I think it has to be his esophagus, not stomach. But she's the doctor and has always been excellent before.

Blessings,

Shirley and Lover cat_pet_icon

 

[Shirley and Ragnar]

Bump. Doesn't ANYBODY know?

 

[TheBowHuntress]

When I giv Gob his Denamarin, I do so when I know he is hungry. I don't give him water with it. I pill hm, then immediately give him a serving of wet food.

Maybe try dropping a Denamarin tab in a few teaspoons of water to see how fast it dissolves? Personally, I find giving pills with food instead of water works better.

Maybe the pill went "down the wrong pipe" today?

You can also pill him, and then give a few treats...... I'm sure that forcing water on him is stressful for both of you :shock:

 

[Jill & Alex (GA)]

I don't think it could dissolve that fast! This is a hard pill with an enteric coating that dissolves in the intestine. Could it possibly hurt his stomach by reacting with the water he drinks less than 30 seconds (maybe only 10-15 seconds) after swallowing the pill? It would have to dissolve almost instantly, and that doesn't appear to be what Denamarin does.

Alex gets Denamarin everyday so I'm very familiar with the pill.
I agree with you, Shirley. I don't *think* the pill would dissolve that fast either.

Personally, I think it has to be his esophagus, not stomach.

If this were Alex, I'd draw the same conclusion, but I'm not a vet.


Whenever I pill Alex I start out with syringing 1 - 2ml water to "wet her whistle", pill her, and then follow up with 6ml water to make sure the pill doesn't get stuck in her esophagus. It's a method that's been working well...

 

[Jill & Alex (GA)]

When I giv Gob his Denamarin, I do so when I know he is hungry. I don't give him water with it. I pill hm, then immediately give him a serving of wet food.

From the manufacturer's website:

"For optimal absorption, tablets should be given on an empty stomach, at least one hour before feeding, as the presence of food decreases the absorption of S-Adenosylmethionine. For those owners who have difficulty administering tablets to their pets, Denamarin tablet(s) may be disguised in a small bite of food. Studies have shown that, in many cases, tablets or capsules given as a “dry swallow” do not pass into the stomach in cats but may become lodged in the esophagus. It is recommended for pet owners to administer 3-6 cc of water immediately following any tablet administration to speed passage of the tablet into the stomach."

 

[TheBowHuntress]

Regarding with food, I was going on the advice of Dr. Lisa from an article on her site, (but did not know that Denamarin should be taken on an empty stomache). I would think that a small amount food would be the same as using a pill pocket, if that was the way you choose to give Denamarin. Here is what I am referring to from Dr. Lisa's site:

"For this article, a "dry swallow" refers to the administration of a pill or capsule to a cat or dog without immediately following up with 4-5 milliliters (cc's) of water, or tuna juice or meat broth given orally via a syringe, or the consumption of some canned food by the patient. Offering canned food, tuna juice, meat baby food, or a meat broth for them to lap up on their own are also very good options and ones that are less stressful than syringing.

As noted on my Feeding Your Cat: Know the Basics of Feline Nutrition article, as well as in many other articles on this website, I am strongly opposed to the feeding of dry food to cats. That said, if you are dealing with a dry food-addicted cat, feeding a bit of dry food or treats (such as 'Temptations' treats) after the pill will also help 'chase' it into the stomach, but canned food - with its much higher water content - is a much healthier choice."

 

[BJM]

Maybe his esophagus is irritated, so ANY pill going down would be uncomfortable. If that were the case, something like sulcrafate might help coat over the irritation. Something to discuss with the vet. Slippery elm is another possibility to sooth irritation; instructions are on slippery elm bark is partway down the page.

Coating with an oil helps make pills and tablets slippery and less likely to stick, too.