Top Tips: How to Give Your cat a Tablet

This article first appeared on iCatCare right here.

The fundamentals

Giving a pill to a cat generally is a daunting prospect for anybody, however with a relaxed and assured method, it’s usually a lot simpler than you first assume. The ideas and methods on this brief information will assist you to obtain this efficiently and as simply as doable.

• First be sure to ask your vet (or examine the producer’s directions) in order that you recognize whether or not the pill will be divided or crushed, and whether or not it may be administered with meals
• Second discover the only and simplest way to offer the pill to your cat.
• Third have a assured method and hold calm always. If you run into difficulties or can not handle, at all times contact your vet or vet nurse at your native apply – they’re there to assist. Make positive that you simply:
  • Have all the pieces you want ready and prepared prematurely
  • Have sufficient time and a transparent plan of what you’ll do
  • Be mild along with your cat, hold calm, and keep away from placing your self in danger
  • If doable, at all times have a second particular person (ideally somebody your cat is aware of) to assist if you’re going to administer the pill relatively than put it in with meals

Giving the pill with meals

First, make sure that the pill will be given with meals – some tablets ought to at all times be given with meals, and most will be given with meals. However, some tablets should not be given with meals – at all times examine first.

If it’s secure to offer with meals:

• Make positive your cat is hungry! Take all meals away for 12 hours to verify your cat will need to eat
• Some tablets are made particularly to be palatable to cats and you’ll strive simply feeding these tablets to your cat. Remember to put the pill on the tip of your fingers relatively than within the palm of your hand. However, usually cats won’t eat a pill voluntarily by itself as a result of (even when designed to be palatable) the flavour and/or texture could also be unfamiliar
• If the pill is small, your cat might take it hidden in a small quantity of favorite meals, equivalent to mushy cat meals (or jelly from cat meals) that your cat actually likes, mushy cheese, a small piece of sentimental meat or fish, or butter
• Make positive the pill is totally hidden/buried in only a small quantity of meals that you simply supply to your cat
• You can supply the meals within the cat’s regular bowl or out of your hand/fingers – as you favor (taking observe if there are any precautions for dealing with the pill)
• If your cat eats the meals, examine to verify it has additionally eaten the pill and never left it behind or spat it out
• You can then give your cat the remainder of its regular meal
• Some cats are intelligent at discovering the pill buried in meals and spitting it out, or simply consuming the meals across the pill. If it’s secure (examine along with your vet or the directions that got here with the tablets) you might be able to crush the pill and blend it completely in a small quantity of very tasty meals. This works greatest with palatable tablets, and with a strong- flavoured tasty deal with that your cat actually loves (equivalent to some tinned fish in oil). A pill-crusher might assist to crush the pill completely

Administering a pill by hand – mild restraint

If your cat won’t take the pill voluntarily or in with meals, you’ll need to offer the pill by hand. Gentle, secure restraint of your cat is essential, and it helps enormously to have two folks – one particular person to offer the pill and one to carry the cat.

Restraining your cat along with your fingers

• Make positive your cat is on a secure non-slippery floor equivalent to the ground; in any other case a agency desk or work floor with a non-slip floor
• Allow your cat to take a seat upright, in entrance of you, however going through away from you
• Gently maintain every entrance leg above the elbow along with your fingers pressed gently towards the edges of your cat
• This helps to forestall your cat from operating off, retains your cat sitting upright, and controls the entrance legs, paws and claws

Alternatively, restrain your cat with a towel

• This will be particularly helpful for very wriggly cats or in the event you don’t have a second particular person to assist maintain your cat
• Use a mid-sized mushy towel – not too massive or it is going to be unwieldy. Put the towel on the ground or a flat secure floor after which put the cat on high of the towel, going through away from you
• Bring up one aspect of the towel after which the opposite, across the cat’s neck in order that your cat is completely wrapped and can’t get its entrance legs out of the opening
• Hold your cat gently however firmly within the towel

Giving the pill

Having gently restrained your cat utilizing one of many above methods, now you can administer the pill. Again, that is a lot simpler with two folks – one holding the cat and one giving the pill. Make positive you might have all the pieces prepared earlier than you restrain your cat. Try to do that rapidly however calmly, in order that your cat doesn’t get upset:

• The particular person giving the pill ought to maintain the pill between the thumb and forefinger of 1 hand
• Place the opposite hand on the highest of your cat’s head (it’s best to method the cat from the aspect relatively than from above – that is much less threatening to your cat)
• The head must be gently however firmly held between the thumb and fingers, along with your thumb and forefinger extending downwards to both aspect of the jaw on the nook of the mouth
• Gently tilt the top upwards, and use the center finger of the hand holding the pill to tug the decrease jaw down and open the mouth
• Keep the top tilted up and rapidly place or drop the pill as far again in your cat’s tongue as you may. Aim for the centre of the tongue way back to you may see – the additional again the pill goes the tougher it’s to your cat to do something aside from swallow it!
• Hold the jaw closed for just a few seconds and wait to your cat to swallow. Gently rubbing the throat below the chin might assist. If your cat licks his lips or nostril, you recognize he has swallowed
• Sometimes your cat might not swallow the pill on the primary try and should spit it out. So lengthy as your cat doesn’t turn out to be distressed, you may strive repeating the process. Always attempt to get the pill as far again on the tongue as doable. Using a pill-giver may also be useful

Remember, you probably have issues and/or your cat will get upset, contact your native veterinary apply and speak to the vet or vet nurse about how they are able to assist.

Tools and methods that may assist

A ‘pill-giver’ (obtainable out of your vet)

• This is a bit of like a syringe with a plastic plunger (and no needle!)
• The pill will match within the mushy nozzle on the finish of the pill-giver, and it’s launched by pushing down on the plunger (practise this earlier than utilizing it along with your cat)
• A pill-giver may help you administer the pill proper in the back of your cat’s tongue whereas avoiding any want to put your fingers in your cat’s mouth
• With a bit of apply, this may be very efficient and many individuals discover it fairly straightforward to make use of
• Prepare the pill within the pill-giver earlier than restraining your cat, and ensure the plunger is simply involved with the pill earlier than use in order that it’s as straightforward as doable to launch it in the back of your cat’s tongue
• The pill-giver may also be used with gelatine capsules

Always comply with the producer’s directions.

A pill-popper

• This small gadget makes it straightforward to divide tablets precisely into halves or quarters. This will be helpful when your cat doesn’t want a complete pill or when giving two smaller items could also be simpler than giving one entire pill
• Always examine first to verify the pill is appropriate for dividing – some tablets have a particular coating, for instance, and have to be administered entire and never divided. If doubtful, at all times examine along with your vet
• Place the pill within the backside of the “V” slot within the backside half of the splitter. Closing the lid (which comprises a pointy blade), ends in the pill being lower in half
• Keep observe of all of the items and make sure that the right dose is given to your cat

Always comply with the producer’s directions.

Gelatine capsules (obtainable out of your vet)

• An empty gelatine capsule (which you may get out of your vet) can be utilized to place two or extra small items of a pill(s) inside in order that they are often administered in a single go
• This will be particularly useful in case your cat wants a couple of kind of pill (for instance, you may put two small halves of two totally different tablets in a single capsule), or in the event you break a bigger pill into smaller items (with a pill-splitter)
• Always examine along with your vet earlier than giving a couple of kind of pill on the similar time – this will generally trigger issues
• The two halves of the gelatine capsule will be pulled aside, the items of pill positioned inside, after which the 2 halves put again collectively
• The form of the capsule implies that it may be simpler to manage, however lubricating it with a bit of smear of butter or one thing related may additionally assist
• The capsules will be administered by hand or with a pill-giver

Always comply with the producer’s directions.

A pill-crusher (obtainable out of your vet)

• Always examine along with your vet that it’s secure to crush a pill and provides it on this method
• Crushing a pill to a high quality powder might make it simpler to combine in with a small quantity of tasty meals
• Some crushed tablets could also be blended with a bit of water or oil (eg, from a tin of tuna). This can then be sucked up right into a syringe (and not using a needle) and dribbled gently into the aspect of your cat’s mouth – at all times examine along with your vet first earlier than making an attempt this, it won’t be appropriate for all tablets
• Reducing a pill to a high quality powder with out dropping any of the dose is greatest achieved utilizing a correct pill-crusher
• Place the pill within the base of the pill-crusher and screw down the lid to crush the pill. Unscrew the lid and the powdered pill can then be used

Always comply with the producer’s directions.

Visit our Shop for high quality cat toys and cat lover merchandise!

Related