How long after eating do you give Pepcid?

[Melanie and Smokey]

We just got Pepcid from the pharmacy for Smokey today (need it compounded) and the vet instructions say to give it on an empty stomach. Well of course she heard that and went to town eating. She hasn't eating much in 2 days so we didn't want to stop her from eating. So how long do we need to wait before giving the Pepcid for it to be effective?

 

[MJ+Donovan]

I forgot who suggested it or where (probably here), but if your cat tends to hurl in the morning, giving it the night before seems to help so it's in their system for the next day's nummies. I don't know about the empty stomach thing. Right now I'm giving it subq.

MJ

 

[BJM]

Actually, you want to give it bit prior to feeding, so the stomach is settled enough she can eat. You'll be fine giving it at any time.

Why compounded? I can cut a regular 10 mg Pepcid tablet in quarters, wrap a quarter in half a Pill Pocket to give it. Most of my cats think anything wrapped in that is delectable and just scarf if.

Alternatively, 1/4 th tablet may be placed in an oral syringe, a bit of water added, shaken to dissolve, and optionally, a bit of very soft food drawn in and mixed in the syringe. Basically, home compounded for less cost, and not likely to spoil before use, since its 1 dose at a time. (I find the coumped products can become quite rank if stored long)

 

[Melanie and Smokey]

Why compounded?

Smokey's meds have been compounded for a few years now. There is no other way to get meds into her. Every trick in the book has been tried. She will eat whatever you hide it in off the pill and spit it in a corner. She can cheek a pill for half an hour to spit out later when we aren't looking. We have the pill gun with water behind the pill, its a 10 minute struggle with her and if she can catch that pill with her tongue to spit it out she will try her hardest. Not worth the stress on us or her when we can just get the stuff compounded, squirt it in and be done with it.

The only compounded meds we've had start smelling rank is when they've added a fish flavor to the non-refridgerated meds. The meds weren't bad, the fish flavor was just getting too stinky for me. I just talked to them about it and they marked them all to be beef flavor only and haven't had any problems since.

Right now I'm giving it subq.

MJ - how do you give subQ? Is it a form you get from the vet to add to subQ fluids? We have started subQ fluids and that would be a preferable method because she did not respond well to taking the Pepcid compounded, acted like it burned her mouth.

 

[MJ+Donovan]

I have the little vial of famotidine in front of me, and it is 10 mg/mL. It says "single dose vial, for the preparation of IV solutions", but I am using it to draw multiple doses. The vet knows I've dealt with insulin injections, so was OK with me giving it to my civvie subq. She gets 50 uL (= 5 small lines on an insulin syringe). I've given it in pill form too (1/4 pill in a pill pocket), but this is much easier to deal with.

MJ