How to take pills??

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megandenman

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Teddy has four new medicines he has to take for a while. Two are liquid and I can do those just fine. But how can I get him to take the solid pills?? He, despite months of effort, REFUSES to ever eat anything but dry cat food even when he was feeling good. So I can't hide it in the food. Any ideas??
 
Try Pill Pocket treats http://www.greenies.com/en_US/Products/felinepillpockets.aspx Instead of the cat ones, use the dog ones. They're larger and come in a bigger bag. The ingredients are similar. You only need a small amount of the Pill Pocket, just enough to coat the outside of the pill to mask any taste or smell. You can roll the coated pill into some crushed up freeze dried meat treat or powdered cheese or tuna juice to make it more appealing.

Can you have the pills compounded into a liquid or treat form? If there isn't a compounding pharmacy in your area, Drs. Foster and Smith offers it http://www.drsfostersmith.com/General.cfm?c=9547&gid=270
 
Towards the end of Gabby's life she was getting really picky and wouldn't eat the pill pockets alone. What worked the best for her was that I would use a tiny bit of pill pocket (just enough to cover the pill) and then take a commercial moist treat (purina whisker lickins were the favorite) and mush it up with my finger. Then I would add a drop or two of water and mold it around the pill/pill pocket so none of that was showing. Gabby ate her pills like that with no problem for a full 8 weeks before she died when she refused to eat nearly everything else.

If he doesn't like the moist treats, you could also try taking whatever his favorite treat is, smashing it into a powder and rolling the pill pocket in it. Gabby also liked cheese before we got to the end stage of her cancer, so for a while I was putting the pill in a small piece of american cheese and rolling that in tuna.
 
squeem3 said:
Instead of the cat ones, use the dog ones. They're larger and come in a bigger bag. The ingredients are similar.
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The ingredients are similar but not the same, and Gabby would never touch the dog ones even before she got sick and picky, but she would eat the cat ones.
 
Hi megandenman, and, of course, you too, sweet Teddy,

Do you know how to pill a cat? It requires a certain amount of speed, courage, and an element of surprise. But -- and sometimes buts are good! -- it can be done!

My humble suggestion if the pill pockets don't work is to simply bite the bullet, so to speak... Here's what you'll need. Butter (thank you, Butter Goddess, dearest Jerri and Opie, forever in our hearts), a paper towel, the pill, water (in either a bowl or a baby syringe), and Teddy.

Coat the pill in butter (truly adds great sliding potential). Thighs and knees will probably have to be involved so you might want to be wearing jeans to hold Teddy. Use your non-buttered hand to grasp Teddy's mouth on each side to open it, slide the buttered pill towards the back of his throat, clamp his mouth shut (again with your non-buttered hand) and gently rub his throat downward with whatever hand is left available. Yes, there may be some butter on his throat; but (again they can be good!), when you get the hang of it, you'll probably only have one finger and a thumb butter-coated, so you can use the other three fingers and palm to gently rub Teddy's throat. Now comes the water part. When he breaks free, make sure water is available. Encourage him to drink water. Unless you're an octopus, or a three-handed person, you will have to encourage him to drink water. If you are an octopus or have three hands, then perhaps syringing a little water in the side of his mouth to wash the pill down will help.

Take the paper towel and wipe the butter off your fingers. Hug Teddy, if you can find him. Reward yourself with whatever strikes your fancy. Reward Teddy too...

Or, since you're probably not an octopus or have three hands, you could post your general location (no specifics necessary) and perhaps one of us lives near and can either pill or help hold Teddy. I'm in Northern NJ if that helps, and have pilling experience...

It's really not as difficult as it sounds. It's a focused, speed, element of surprise, get in and out as quickly as possible deal. That's all!

Big hugs for you both,
Deb and Nikki -- and, Giz, who taught me pilling isn't only possible, it do-able...

PS: You could also try stuffing the pill in cheddar cheese...
 
Pill Pockets have been an absolute miracle in my house...I wouldn't have believed it a few months ago, but now I'm a true believer!
 
I wrap Tony's pills in cheddar - work the cheese a little with fingers so that it is soft and a bit warm. Mold around the pills. I recall that someone else used Velveeta cheese.
 
ok - I tried the ninja approach! I did coat his pill in butter and picked up some syringes for water at the vet's office. He is extremely unhappy with me, but he swallowed the pill without realizing he had. The water was perfect because it got him to swallow again. I've also ordered some of the pockets to try those as well.

Thank you all so much for your advice - I was feeling so defeated before. I just want my Teddy to feel better. He had been so sick when we adopted him, and once we started him on his insulin he gained six pounds and, like my family put it, it was like he came back from the dead. That was last June and when this happened and nothing I was doing was helping and I couldn't get him to take all his pills it was really upsetting. My Tedster took all his pills for the first time last night and again this morning. AND, he ate most of his food!!!!! Today is such a great day. :)
 
laughing cow soft cheese works great for us; be sure to syringe liquid after as dry pilling is harsh
 
Dearest megandenman -- sorry Teddy, mom talk...

megandenman said:
ok - I tried the ninja approach!
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From this day forward, I swear, it will be called the ninja approach!

megandenman said:
My Tedster took all his pills for the first time last night and again this morning. AND, he ate most of his food!!!!! Today is such a great day. :)
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Color my heart happy! Today is, indeed, a great day!

megandenman said:
The water was perfect because it got him to swallow again.
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You are a ninja, aren't you?!

Thank for your update, dearest megandenman. Truly! Please keep them coming, okay?

Love and big hugs for you and The Tedster,
Deb and Nikki -- and, Giz...
 
Here is what FINALLY worked for one of mine who thinks I am trying to poison him. i found freeze dried chicken treats that he loves! So I wrap the pill in a small amount of Pill Pocket and roll it in the chicken treat "dust" then I do this very quickly: Give chicken, chicken, chicken, pill, chicken, chicken. if he happens to spit out the pill pocket, i snatch it up before he has time to smell it, roll it in the chicken more and stick a small piece of the chicken on top then try again with chicken, chicken, chicken, pill, chicken, etc. So far so good!

(this was before pill pockets:) For a cat I had before who would NOT take a pill, i crushed up the pill and put it in a liquid medicine dispenser, added a little water, then gave it to her like I would liquid medicine. I sat down on the floor, backed her between my legs, wrapped a towel around her neck and over her legs and body, then leaned over her so that her face was right there at mine and then put the liquid medicine dispenser in her mouth as I held her head up a little. Most of it went in.
 
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