? need tips/help for success with pain meds

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underdawg

underdawg

Member Since 2010
Bo was given Buprenex for pain meds. It is to be applied to the gumline. Last night was the first try and most of it got on the sheet. Hardly any got in his mouth. Tonight I don't think any got in his mouth as the side of his face and my arm were wet. He opens his mouth and tries to bite it as he turns his head. What are some tips on giving this so that I can be more successful? He needs the meds. Thanks!
 
Kneel around him with him facing away. Possibly burrito wrap* him for restraint. You can use one hand to grasp his head from the top and the other to insert the syringe with the meds.

* burrito wrap - Lay towel on floor. Place cat along the short width. Wrap the ends of the towel around the cat securely.
 
Thanks BJM! I will try this tomorrow night.

I am getting so frustrated. I can't get his BG down where it needs to be. We have been trying since last fall. He is walking almost on his hocks and seems to have some trouble walking period because of arthritis. He has diarrhea and when I think it is getting a little firm, he poops on the rug again. I have been cleaning up carpet, floors and poop tracks in the middle of the night several nights. Now I have so many old sheets and towels on the floor and even on my bed hoping he is on one of them when he has a blowout. So i even have to wash them in the middle of the night. Every day and every night I listen for him to go to the litter box and get up to clean it out and check his rear end in case he needs to be cleaned which he did several nights and sometime more than once a night. I think I was either awake for long periods of time or I got up about every hour or half hour last night to check to see what he was doing and if he needed to be cleaned. I tried giving him a little of YAZC to try to find something for them when I have to go out of town so they don't have to have old canned food but now I wonder if it triggered his pancreatitis. Last year I gave them one meal per week of a Wellness food that had clear gravy and I think that triggered him to have to be on insulin again. I got three different antibiotics for him because he would not take the pills. Now I have a liquid antibiotic and it is still hard to get him to take that. I have been able to get the cerenia in him but I have to keep on and on trying to cover it up with a hairball treat that he shakes apart to expose anything in it. I put it together so many times this morning until there was no more of it to wrap around the pill. Then i buried it in freeze dried chicken over and over. Pill pockets are more difficult to use. And now I can't even squirt the pain meds in his gumline without both of us getting wet. The only thing that has gone okay is the BG testing and I got fairly good at giving insulin shots. I still miss every now and then or cause him to meow. I now have b12 for him and give him that shot once a week. I am blessed to have a vet who lets me contact her after hours and that Bo is a wonderful patient to have all of this done every day but the more I try to do the more I do a terrible job of it and he is not getting better. He weighs 20 pounds so if he really wanted to protest, he could hurt me but he never has.
He still comes when I call him for testing or shots. One of my others now probably has a UTI so he needs meds too. Another one has feline acne that fires up. Everyday I am trying to give a little pumpkin and probiotics in the food for all of them and give all the meds on the right days and times. I am sorry to vent but I think I actually needed to do it. I feel better now. I wish my babies would start feeling better.
 
Can any of the tablet meds be crushed, thoroughly mixed with a piece of the wrap, then the remainder wrapped around that?
 
underdawg said:
Bo was given Buprenex for pain meds. It is to be applied to the gumline. Last night was the first try and most of it got on the sheet. Hardly any got in his mouth. Tonight I don't think any got in his mouth as the side of his face and my arm were wet. He opens his mouth and tries to bite it as he turns his head. What are some tips on giving this so that I can be more successful? He needs the meds. Thanks!
Click to expand...
I was never able to give the oral Buprenex properly so i can't help there.
I give the injections and it is easy to do; just like giving insulin. I have to be sure and use a 1/2 inch needle.
The injections work so well for Fluffy. It makes a world of difference in his life.
Hope Bo feels better soon.
 
Here's a video on burrito wrapping (there are lots of them on YouTube)

On pills, have you ever used a pill gun? Once you get the hang of them, they're awesome!

It also sounds like you're starting to have some diabetic neuropathy. (the walking on the hocks) The B-12 shots you give are probably not the best kind of B-12 for neuropathy. What a lot of us use is Zobaline for Cats (you crush the pill and add to food..it's supposed to be tasteless) The specific B-12 you need for neuropathy is Methylcobalamin
 
underdawg said:
Thanks BJM! I will try this tomorrow night.

I am getting so frustrated. I can't get his BG down where it needs to be. We have been trying since last fall. He is walking almost on his hocks and seems to have some trouble walking period because of arthritis. He has diarrhea and when I think it is getting a little firm, he poops on the rug again. I have been cleaning up carpet, floors and poop tracks in the middle of the night several nights. Now I have so many old sheets and towels on the floor and even on my bed hoping he is on one of them when he has a blowout. So i even have to wash them in the middle of the night. Every day and every night I listen for him to go to the litter box and get up to clean it out and check his rear end in case he needs to be cleaned which he did several nights and sometime more than once a night. I think I was either awake for long periods of time or I got up about every hour or half hour last night to check to see what he was doing and if he needed to be cleaned. I tried giving him a little of YAZC to try to find something for them when I have to go out of town so they don't have to have old canned food but now I wonder if it triggered his pancreatitis. Last year I gave them one meal per week of a Wellness food that had clear gravy and I think that triggered him to have to be on insulin again. I got three different antibiotics for him because he would not take the pills. Now I have a liquid antibiotic and it is still hard to get him to take that. I have been able to get the cerenia in him but I have to keep on and on trying to cover it up with a hairball treat that he shakes apart to expose anything in it. I put it together so many times this morning until there was no more of it to wrap around the pill. Then i buried it in freeze dried chicken over and over. Pill pockets are more difficult to use. And now I can't even squirt the pain meds in his gumline without both of us getting wet. The only thing that has gone okay is the BG testing and I got fairly good at giving insulin shots. I still miss every now and then or cause him to meow. I now have b12 for him and give him that shot once a week. I am blessed to have a vet who lets me contact her after hours and that Bo is a wonderful patient to have all of this done every day but the more I try to do the more I do a terrible job of it and he is not getting better. He weighs 20 pounds so if he really wanted to protest, he could hurt me but he never has.
He still comes when I call him for testing or shots. One of my others now probably has a UTI so he needs meds too. Another one has feline acne that fires up. Everyday I am trying to give a little pumpkin and probiotics in the food for all of them and give all the meds on the right days and times. I am sorry to vent but I think I actually needed to do it. I feel better now. I wish my babies would start feeling better.
Click to expand...
Oh what a hard time you are having! I've been up alnight like that with mine and so tired.
Can you get the Buprenex injections? It would help poor Bo so much and would make it easier on you!
It's just like giving an insulin shot. If your vet doesn't have Buprenex you can get it from a compounding pharmacy.
Also, I'm not sure antibiotic injections would be what your kitty needs but my vet has given me antibiotic injections
Because i was unable to give the oral meds to my kitties. It would make it so much easier on you.
God Bless...
 
BJM I think one must have a string smell because he was very cautious and suspicious when I gave him that one. Also when I did get one down him, he threw up. This was the second one that we tried. The first one worked (with some difficulty but eventually got it down)for 3 or 4 days when he got diarrhea. The liquid may have some promise if I can make sure I have a sufficient amount of juice for the can to cover up the smell. I think because I have tried so many ways and so hard to get him to take meds he is very suspicious and examines everything I give him.
 
Thanks Mary Jo. I have a couple more syringes of the oral pain meds to try. I sent an update to my vet tonight. She emailed me this morning to ask about him. I finally got to respond tonight and told her I totally missed his mouth. She made a video of her giving her cat water from a syringe the way I need to give the pain meds. That was above and beyond. She is a keeper.
 
Thanks for the video Chris. That will also help.

I tried a pill gun wih my Himalayan years ago. She was absolutely horrible to pill. My fingers throb just thinking about that experience. So apparently I did not get the hang if it then.

My cats have usually been good about pills. I guess I am just doing too much at one time with bo. I try to do all the morning stuff at one time. I should spread it out. And I should probably wait to to the oral pain meds when he is a little sleepy.
 
I will keep trying with what I have then if not successful, ask for injections, and other pill options. Thanks for all the suggestions and help.
 
I wouldn't do the injections of buprenorphine. From the 2015 AAHA/AAFP Guidelines on Management of Pain in Cats and Dogs:
in cats, the subcutaneous (SC) route of opioid administration is not recommended. intramuscular (iM) and intravenous (iV) routes are preferred both pre- and postoperatively.15 The oral transmucosal or buccal route of administration for buprenorphine may have clinical efficacy as well.16,17
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If buprenorphine will be given long term, you might want to consider getting it compounded. Neko gets two doses of chicken flavored buprenorphine daily, and getting the flavored kind really helps. I do like BJM suggested and sit beside and a little behind Neko. Then I put the syringe in the corner of her mouth with my hand pointing towards her face. I then squirt up into her gums.
 
IF I am reading correctly, you have the oral liquid.....
all you need to do is get it in the cheek pouch.....
that's the kind I have......

it just needs to get absorbed in the mouth lining, it doesn't need to be swallowed.....

and if it's a pill form, I have found that if I approach mine with a "i'm getting it in" mentality....
I just go for it and push it as far back as I can.... then offer food.... so there is something behind it to make sure it goes down.... or syringe water....
but the food seems to be a better effort for my girl.....
 
Thanks Wendy. After seeing the video from the vet and how you described it, it makes more sense to me. I will try this in he afternoon today. Maybe the third time is the charm.
 
Thanks rhiannon. I do need a more positive attitude when I try. This morning when I tested BG, I tried giving pieces of the treat in use for pills (it was not a "loaded" one ) and he ate it with no problem. Maybe my timing is wrong and I need to do any pills first thing before he gets his test treats. He did take his oral antibiotic today better than he did yesterday.

He rested well last night until about 4am. He looked a little...not as soft as late yesterday. And he did not get it on him. Then about 6am he was straining to poop and kept trying different locations. Finally got out about a teaspoon. After his decent size poop about 4am he shouldn't have had to go. Guess his tummy is cramping. I know his rear end has to be sore. I put some Vaseline on him again to see if that helps.

Thanks to all for the help. I appreciate it. I hope I find the right combination for all this soon for his sake. Thanks again.
 
Now a shot question. His BG was 181 so I didn't give a shot . I am going to test again in a little while (if he comes out from under the sofa). Here are the last few numbers. He is on Lantus 3 u twice a day.

PMPS 282
293 +3.5
196 +9
181 +11.5

How many units do you suggest and at what BG levels when I test again?

Update; an hour after eating BG is 217. Since it is rising, I gave the full shot for thus morning.
 
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For the issue of straining to defecate, read Feline Constipation
Lantus works most optimally with consistent dosing. The dose is adjusted based upon the nadir, the lowest glucose post-shot. This often happens sometime between +5 to +7 hours after the shot, so testing during that period helps you keep him safe. You want the glucose above 50 mg/dL on a human glucometer and above 68 mg/dL on a pet glucometer.
 
Thanks BJM. Since the BG seemed to be coming down, I waited to test again after he ate.mat that tine it was going up then i was able to give the shot without worrying that it was still going down.

I also gave the pain meds while he was resting this morning. Yay!!! Hopefully I got enough in the right place in his mouth to make some difference. With practice, maybe I will get better.

Thanks to everyone again. I really appreciate your help.
 
Wendy&Neko said:
I wouldn't do the injections of buprenorphine. From the 2015 AAHA/AAFP Guidelines on Management of Pain in Cats and Dogs:

If buprenorphine will be given long term, you might want to consider getting it compounded. Neko gets two doses of chicken flavored buprenorphine daily, and getting the flavored kind really helps. I do like BJM suggested and sit beside and a little behind Neko. Then I put the syringe in the corner of her mouth with my hand pointing towards her face. I then squirt up into her gums.
Click to expand...
Wendy&Neko said:
I wouldn't do the injections of buprenorphine. From the 2015 AAHA/AAFP Guidelines on Management of Pain in Cats and Dogs:

If buprenorphine will be given long term, you might want to consider getting it compounded. Neko gets two doses of chicken flavored buprenorphine daily, and getting the flavored kind really helps. I do like BJM suggested and sit beside and a little behind Neko. Then I put the syringe in the corner of her mouth with my hand pointing towards her face. I then squirt up into her gums.
Click to expand...
The subcutaneous route for buprenex is very effective for Fluffy. I use a 1/2 inch needle. The short needle does not
work. He is up playing, jumping on counters and sometimes running and playing after the injection. I have seen him in excruciating pain before and this is a life saver.
I have tried the buccal route and Fluffy fights me. I can 't do the IM on him or I would. I know the intravenous route and the intramuscular
route is very effective, and they would use that especially in surgical procedures but the subcutaneous route using
a long needle is a Gift from God for my Fluffy.
 
maryjoandsmokie said:
The subcutaneous route for buprenex is very effective for Fluffy. I use a 1/2 inch needle. The short needle does not
work. He is up playing, jumping on counters and sometimes running and playing after the injection. I have seen him in excruciating pain before and this is a life saver.
I have tried the buccal route and Fluffy fights me. I can 't do the IM on him or I would. I know the intravenous route and the intramuscular
route is very effective, and they would use that especially in surgical procedures but the subcutaneous route using
a long needle is a Gift from God for my Fluffy.
Click to expand...
Maryjo,
Does it come in pill form or just IV, IM and oral?
 
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