Pilling help/tips please!!!!

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dirtybirdsoaps

dirtybirdsoaps

Member Since 2014
The vet just gave Hidey 2 pills to take 2x a day for his allergies and I just tried to give him one and it was very stressful for the both of us, and he foamed it all out :sad: I know he doesnt like the pill pockets, have tried that year ago. Of course I'm looking for something that wont raise bg.

Any tips would be appreciated since one of the pills I give for the next week and the other will most likely be on going.
 
The Chlorpheniramine is the one he just foamed out. I swear I was killing him, youd think I fed him soap with how much he foamed and then spit the pill out. I haven't even attempted the clavamox yet.

I just ordered a pill popper, tomyln pill masker, and tomyln nutri cal. Im looking for any options. I just paid for next day shipping since I need this NOW and called around and all every one has is pill pockets and I've tried them in the past and he wouldnt eat them.
 
Does he like Cheese? Velvetta is our go to for pilling cats or even low fat cream cheese. Both are sticky enough to stay in the mouth until swallowed and can be rolled into tiny balls around the pill. Another trick here is just like sneaking a pill to the drooler, wrap a small amount of ground turkey, chicken or beef around it.

The trick with a cat though is to have several 'treats' with only one loaded with the pill, give a couple unloaded 'treats' then the one with the pill, then a few more non-loaded treats.

Autumn is the master of cheek and spit when it comes to pilling but wrap a little cream cheese around it and she is dancing for her pills...lol Just she doesn't have a clue what's in the cream cheese and no one has ever told her that it shouldn't have a crunchy center. lol

Mel and The Fur Gang
 
Thanks for the tips! I have cream cheese and all different types of cream cheese. I was actually thinking about trying to sneak it in his freeze dried chicken till all these other items get here lol but now i have other options :-D
 
If he doesn't go for the straight cream cheese, roll it in the dust off his freeze dried treats. With two on heart meds, and one of anti seizure meds I've gotten great at pilling a cat in 3.5 seconds..lol The one thing I have learned is to never try to get mine to let me shove something in their mouths that I actually want to stay there unless it is liquid I can squirt down their throats. If I do it is either going to wind up under a piece of furniture or I'm going to be missing flesh. And even with liquid I'm more than likely going to be wearing at least part of it, unless I'm really quick.

Mel and The Fur Gang
 
I use empty gelatine capsules size 4. They are great because they are smooth, tasteless and you can fit a couple of tablets in one capsule. I actually fit three tablets in just one. You need to follow it with at least 3ml of water to make sure it doesn't get stuck in their throat.
 
I can chime in on this one. I found the easiest way is to coat the pill with just a little butter tilt the head up open the mouth and throw it down the throat. Close the cats mouth still with head tilted and stroke the throat and gently blow on their face. This worked well with Blitzen! Last year when I needed to pill him.
 
Another advantage to butter or some kind of fat is that it helps prevent a tablet from dissolving in the mouth, making it less likely you'll get slimed!

Some meds may be available subQ if for ongoing use.
 
phlika29 said:
I use empty gelatine capsules size 4. They are great because they are smooth, tasteless and you can fit a couple of tablets in one capsule. I actually fit three tablets in just one. You need to follow it with at least 3ml of water to make sure it doesn't get stuck in their throat.
Click to expand...

One 125 mg Clavamox will not fit in a #4 gel cap. It is a tight fit to get 3/4 of a 125 in a #3 gel cap.
 
Larry and Kitties said:
phlika29 said:
I use empty gelatine capsules size 4. They are great because they are smooth, tasteless and you can fit a couple of tablets in one capsule. I actually fit three tablets in just one. You need to follow it with at least 3ml of water to make sure it doesn't get stuck in their throat.
Click to expand...

One 125 mg Clavamox will not fit in a #4 gel cap. It is a tight fit to get 3/4 of a 125 in a #3 gel cap.
Click to expand...
If you are giving tablets that can be cut or crushed, cut them in half or even in quarters to fit into the gel cap.
 
I think I will use the gel caps as a last resort, it terrifies me to ee the comments "to prevent choking" :shock:

I don't trust myself. I'll try the butter or cheese thing tonight when my husband gets home. I already tried the antihistamine with a fail and still have to give the clavamox.
 
The butter makes it slick and goes down easier, the key is tilting the head back and stroking the throat.
Good luck
 
Another option is to
take a 1 to 3 mL syringe,
remove the plunger,
cut any tablets into smaller bits and put them in the barrel,
put the plunger back in,
suck up a bit of water,
shake well until dissolved,
add a bit of smushy food to mask the flavor,
shake to distribute,
then administer orally by aiming to the back corner of the mouth.

I find it most helpful to do this in a half bathroom, where there is nowhere to go, and to wrap a good sized towel around the cat while setting it on my lap, clamping one arm to hold the cat against my chest and hold the head, while the other hand does the dosing.
 
Just be carful not to let it go down the wrong pipe or it will get into his windpipe. Make sure you squirt very little and he starts to swallow. You can also give a small squirt of water to help the pill how down .
 
I used a pill popper with Hank when he was on antibiotics about a month ago. I bought it at PetsMart. Not easy to do but I did get the pill dose down.

I think the cheese and cream cheese sound like the better plans. :smile:

Good luck.

Kimmie
 
After 50 years of wrapping in cheese, rubbing in butter, I finally just figured out to rub the pill in some of their cat food, it is a familiar taste to them and they usually just swallow, I use the liquid that comes off the Friskies or Fancy Feast, all 4 of mine do much better with pills than liquid.
 
dirtybirdsoaps said:
The Chlorpheniramine is the one he just foamed out. I swear I was killing him, youd think I fed him soap with how much he foamed and then spit the pill out. I haven't even attempted the clavamox yet.

I just ordered a pill popper, tomyln pill masker, and tomyln nutri cal. Im looking for any options. I just paid for next day shipping since I need this NOW and called around and all every one has is pill pockets and I've tried them in the past and he wouldnt eat them.
Click to expand...

Tomyln nutri cal is loaded with sugar, be careful. The first ingredient is corn syrup.

I also wanted to mention you should always squirt a little water in the kitty's mouth after pilling to wash the pill down. You wouldn't want the pills get stuck and dissolve in the throat/esophagus. If you can can get them to eat a few bites of food after the pill, that's even better.

Also don't hold kitty's head all the way back after you get the pill in, they can't swallow that way. Try it....put your head all the way back, looking at the ceiling, can you swallow easily? I just found that out recently myself.

Good luck!
 
Thank you everyone for the tips.

Butter......no go.

Cream cheese & cheese.....no go

Turkey.....Heck ya lol. It took him several tries but after a few he ate it :-D

I still have the other items coming in just in case. I worried about the nutri cal for sure because I know its a gel and high in calories, I will be returning the other one for sure but the pill popper and the pill masker I think I will keep just in case ;-) I need different options just in case he gets difficult lol.

Lets see if he falls for it this morning.....
 
Sit on the couch with kitty and keep trying. Did you tilt his head back and toss it in? If so hold his mouth closed and use a little water in the corner of his mouth while holding it closed, he will swallow. I remember it took me a few tries to get it down. The butter only makes it go down easier not fir the taste , they won't eat a pill or at least mine never did.
Katie smow your correct , don't tilt the head to far be ace that can't swallow well.
 
I think I must have one of the most unusual cats on record who will eat ANYTHING no matter what. I put his B12 pill directly in his food - I don't even need to hide it and he chomps on it like its candy.

Hope you manage to find something he loves to eat that will help.
 
Well this morning was sorta a disaster lol.

He took the clavamox fine, but the antihistamine NOPE!!!!

Must be the flavor or something....I tried turkey, cheese, cream cheese, sticking it in his food....nope nope nope.

Finally I tried to stick it in his freeze dried chicken and he ate half of it then started gagging it out and foaming....grrrrrr onto the other options.

I just got the pill popper and pill maskers in so we will see.
 
You might see if there is a version which can be injected subcutaneously, since you know how to do that.
 
dirtybirdsoaps said:
Well this morning was sorta a disaster lol.

He took the clavamox fine, but the antihistamine NOPE!!!!

Must be the flavor or something....I tried turkey, cheese, cream cheese, sticking it in his food....nope nope nope.

Finally I tried to stick it in his freeze dried chicken and he ate half of it then started gagging it out and foaming....grrrrrr onto the other options.

I just got the pill popper and pill maskers in so we will see.
Click to expand...


Get some empty gel caps, small ones. Stick the nasty tasting pill inside the gel cap, cut it up if you have to to make it fit (unless of course it's a timed released med and it specifically says do not cut). That way he will not get the taste of the offensive pill.

In fact, since you have two pills to give him, depending on the size of the pills, if you can cram both pills in the empty gel cap, you will only have to pill him once.
I used to do that will a kitty who had to take multiple meds.

Good luck!
 
I was able to get him to take it last night with no problem using the pill masker. I know its higher carb so I'm gonna keep an eye on his bg. I dont want him to fall out of remission because of this, so if it makes a big difference I'll be trying the gel caps or calling the vet for an injectable.
 
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