My ex abandoned his 15-year-old cat, and I have subsequently discovered she has high blood pressure and early kidney disease (caused by the blood pressure). Anyway, she’s always been hit or miss with her food, so adding the medication in it hasn’t helped. I used to give her pill pockets, but she stopped recently. I tried cheese for a little while, but she ate around it. I need some reward options to cycle between for a cat who hasn’t eaten treats until this year.
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Consult your veterinarian about other options besides the pill. I mention this since my cat’s high blood pressure medication was liquid and could be administered via syringe.
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The medication costs $35 for 60 days and approximately $200 for 30. She will put up a minor fight (all yelling, no fighting) and allow me to shove it into her mouth before demanding treats. I believe she simply requires periodic rewards.
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If you can smash the pill, combine it with a small amount of water in a syringe and administer it that way. I had to do it for my cat’s gabapentin recently! She needed one-quarter of a capsule.
I always give a reward after since it helps cement the experience as good and enjoyable rather than negative and distressing!!
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This sounds like a good idea!!
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Simply research into the right manner of delivering it that way. I feel it should be in the cheek pocket (between the cheek and the teeth) to prevent it from entering the lungs.
I have not done it. I recently heard there might be some risk.
Also, if your cat does not like the kidney diet options recommended by the doctor, there is a kidney disease group for cats on Facebook with a wealth of literature about other foods. They’re also an excellent support group.
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I had a cat that required daily medication. I simply placed it directly in her mouth. I tried pill shooters, but discovered that using my fingers worked best.
I’d place her on my lap, on her back in a semi-seated position. She’d hook her two front feet onto my left forearm. I took the pill in my right hand and forced it into her mouth, beginning just behind her canine teeth and opening her mouth in that manner. When you pop the mouth open that way, the animal would open wide, and I would jam it as far back into her mouth as possible. It was fairly easy after a while, although it took some time to do it. She would sometimes spit it out, so I would repeat the process until it was down her throat. My veterinarian demonstrated this procedure, and it worked great for her.
This was the only method to deliver her medications to her. She was not food driven and did not enjoy rewards, so treat pockets were not an option.
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This is my current route. Usually after a few days, she returns to the sweets. She is simply too brilliant for her own good.
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You can have it compounded in the smallest feasible volume. Then choose a flavor you think she’ll like. Google pharmacy compounders the majority of mail prescriptions. All you have to do is have the veterinarian phone in or fax it to the compounders.
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I’m trying to prevent this because the medication costs between $35 for 60 days and $200 for 30 days. I am looking at other sites, though.
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You may test Costco without a membership (you don’t need one in California anyhow), and I just saw that Mark Cuban has lately entered the pharmaceutical sector because, well, he’s wealthy enough (my words, not his) and was shocked at the cost of medication, even Amazon pharmaceutical. I don’t have a link; if you discover one, please post it for us. Thanks.