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Dubovitsky Yuri Igorevich
Veterinarian
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Every owner has faced the need to give a pill to a cat. It is in this solid dosage form that many drugs for animals are produced, for example, deworming agents for the prevention or treatment of helminthic infestations. It should be noted that a rare purr swallows a pill without resistance, and for some pets this is a real nightmare: the cat breaks out of the owner’s hands, scratches or bites, and tries to run away and hide. In this article, we will try to figure out how to give your cat a pill without stress.
How to give a cat an antibiotic tablet?
There are several methods, but not all of them are completely and completely safe. In most cases, the animal kicks, resists, and may bite and scratch. Moreover, this happens to owners whom the cat loves very much. Therefore, you can simplify your task and act in a barbaric way.
How to give an antibiotic tablet to a cat:
- To do this, the animal is simply wrapped in a blanket, like a baby. After this, they place it on their forearm, hold it with one hand, and insert the tablet deep into their throat with the other hand.
- It is necessary to place it on the root of the tongue, in which case the animal is 100% likely to swallow the tablet. But there is a possibility that the animal may simply vomit the medicine and the tablet will come back out.
- This is due to the fact that cats have a unique digestive system that is adapted to frequent vomiting. Thus, pets simply get rid of the pieces of fur that are in the stomach.
- In exactly the same way, a cat can get rid of a pill in its stomach or throat. The fact is that such tablets often cause discomfort when they are in the esophagus and irritate it. Therefore, there is nothing surprising in vomiting after taking the medicine. Look for a more suitable method when the cat does not notice that you have given it a pill.
Suspension
Tips and life hacks for owners
Some useful tips to make the process easier:
- If you give tablets to a kitten from an early age, the animal will gradually get used to the procedure and will not resist during such manipulations in the future.
- All the “tools” necessary for deworming must be prepared in advance so that they are at hand.
- A special glove made of hard material will help protect your hands from sharp cat teeth when opening its mouth.
It is much easier to become infected with worms than it seems at first glance. Therefore, prevention against helminths is a must for cat owners.
The veterinarian will tell you which drug to use - it can be either a universal remedy for all types of parasites, or a narrowly targeted one (for one type of helminth). The main thing is to choose the right treatment in a timely manner to maintain the health of your pet.
How to give a pill to a cat using a pill dispenser?
People who are giving a pill to an animal not for the first time use a special pill dispenser. This is a device that resembles a syringe, but with a cut off cannula. You can build a similar device at home.
How to give a pill to a cat with a pill dispenser:
- In this position, the cat is in an absolutely defenseless state, so it will not be able to bite its owner. Using a tablet dispenser, the medicine is injected deep into the mouth, the jaw is lowered and the mouth is clamped in the palms.
- An insulin syringe is ideal for these purposes if the tablet is small. It is necessary to cut off the thinnest part using a hot knife, and melt the edges over the gas.
- This way they will become smooth. After this, the lower part of the syringe is pulled down, a tablet is inserted and injected into the cat’s mouth.
cat
Emotional mood
Do not forget to calm the cat throughout the procedure by talking affectionately to it. This works best if you imagine that in front of you is a very small child who does not yet speak, whom you persuade to eat another spoon “for dad” and “for mom.” At the same time, women instinctively raise their voices and develop gentle melodious intonations.
Naturally, you can say whatever you want and even perform children’s sayings and nursery rhymes - practice shows that they have the same calming effect on cats as they do on babies. Try not to be nervous yourself, behave calmly and confidently, and we hope our advice will help you with this.
How to give a cat an anti-worming tablet?
Check with your doctor to see if the medicine can be dissolved in water. If possible, this will greatly simplify the task. The easiest option is to give a small amount of wet food with a crushed tablet.
How to give a cat deworming tablet:
- You can introduce it into special treats that are sold at the veterinary store. These are treats for cats that are shaped like pockets. A tablet is placed inside the hole, and a treat is given to the animal.
- The cat is 100% likely to eat the pill. If you don’t have time or the funds to purchase such pockets are not enough, you can resort to other tricks. Grind the medicine into powder and mix with a small amount of sour cream or cream.
- Lubricate the animal's nose or chin with this mixture. The animal will be forced to cleanse itself of contaminants and will eat everything that you put on its face.
cat
Method one: deceptive maneuvers
Try mixing the medicine with the food . This is easy to do with canned food; dilute the dry food with water and mix until it becomes a paste.
The trick may not work. Contrary to popular belief, cats do not have a good sense of smell. However, they are sensitive to the nuances of tastes, so they often refuse food with unknown additives.
In this case, you can spread the mixture of food and medicine on the cat's paw or nose . Some particularly dense comrades will begin to actively lick themselves, and the drug will get where it should.
If you can’t outsmart the cat, there’s nothing you can do—you’ll have to catch him and hold him.
How to give your cat a pill without stress?
To prevent the tablet from irritating the walls of the esophagus, it is best to feed the animal or give it water after taking the medicine. However, if you did everything correctly, put the tablet on the root of the tongue, but the animal does not swallow it even after stroking movements from the Adam’s apple to the chest, you can resort to a trick and blow into the nose. Please note that cats do not want to consume bitter pills and may spit them out.
How to give your cat a pill without stress:
- Try putting the medicine in the freezer. The fact is that cold is felt much faster than bitterness. Therefore, the animal will swallow the medicine without problems. You can also deceive the cat and distract his attention while feeding the medicine.
- Play with a laser flashlight, or grab your favorite toy. Thus, the animal may not understand that it was given a pill. Use food to hide the pill you give your pet every day.
- In order for the animal to be 100% likely to swallow the medicine, it is necessary not to give the animal any food for several hours before the manipulation. That is, it is necessary for the cat to get hungry.
- After this, dissolve the medicine in a small amount of food and give it to the animal. As soon as the cat eats all the food, give him supplements, but without medicine.
Paste
Step-by-step procedure
If this is your first time giving your cat a pill, you need to have at least a rough idea of how this procedure goes. It is advisable that you have an assistant who carefully but firmly holds the cat. Later, after acquiring a certain skill, you will learn to give medicine to your cat without outside help.
First stage: preparation
Wait until the cat is in a calm mood. Caress her and calm her down. Ideally, the animal should be sleepy - then it will resist less.
If your pet has a temperament, wrap it in a thick towel - this way you will avoid scratches and even bites. Scratches are not so bad, but bites are very painful and take a long time to heal.
Open the tablet away from the cat so that it does not become nervous beforehand. Don't prepare in front of her.
Stage two: medication administration
Carefully open the cat's mouth and place the drug there. Make sure the animal swallows it. If your cat keeps spitting out liquid medicine, adjust it to allow for spillage, that is, give a little more than the veterinarian prescribed. The cat will swallow some of it, and some will have to be wiped off.
Third stage: removing aftertaste
Don't let your cat go right away; she may need help. If the drug was in solid form, pat the animal's throat and give some water.
Bitter suspensions and liquids cause severe salivation. In this case, you can give the cat sweetened water to remove the bitterness. Not all drugs can be used for this procedure, so consult a specialist in advance.
You definitely shouldn’t give treats: you can do that later. It is better to distract the cat by playing or leave him alone - perhaps he will want to wash himself or lie down.
How to forcefully give a pill to a cat if it resists and breaks out: a list of pastes and pockets
The safest way to feed a cat tablets is to use special masking agents. Among them are pates, as well as products that resemble plasticine. The tablet is completely coated with the product and given to the animal. Thanks to the stylish smell, the pet does not feel an unpleasant taste.
How to forcefully give a pill to a cat if it resists and breaks out:
- The safest option for the owner and the cat is to use special pastes and pockets. However, the animal can be quite cunning, and after eating the tablet, a few minutes later it will vomit somewhere in the corner.
- Below is a list of the most popular pill concealment pastes and pockets. They have a pleasant salmon or chicken taste and rich aroma. Thanks to this, the smell and taste of the tablet is completely masked.
- But the animal can snatch the tablet or spit it out somewhere unnoticed. Therefore, the most unsafe, but reliable methods are violence.
List of masking pastes and pill pockets:
- Pill Pockets for Cats camouflage pockets for pills for cats with the aroma and taste of chicken
- Pill Pockets for Cats camouflage pockets for pills for cats with the aroma and taste of salmon
- Tomlyn Pill Masker
- Vetoquinol Pill Wrap Oral Paste
Pill pockets
How to properly give a cat an anti-worm tablet or vitamin tablets?
That is, the cat is usually wrapped in a blanket or sheet, tied with ribbons and a pill is stuffed deep into the mouth. The most desperate ones use their fingers for this purpose.
How to properly give a cat an anti-worm tablet, vitamin tablets:
- Please note that some animals fight to the death. Therefore, even the most obedient pets can be very aggressive, biting and scratching their owner. Therefore, it would be useful if, before starting treatment, you take the cat to the veterinarian and have his claws cut off.
- In special pet stores you can purchase a bag for the animal. It resembles a dense fabric, inside of which there is a padding polyester. It has Velcro and special puffs. Thus, the animal is placed in this bag, and the tape is tightened. The cat is thus completely immobilized. All that remains is to hang the cat by the handles on the doors. After opening the mouth, the cat is injected with medicine using a tablet dispenser.
Opening the mouth
Precautionary measures
In the choice of medications.
In any case, consultation with a specialist is important. Do not change dosage or medications to other similar current medications without first consulting your veterinarian.
Do not be tempted by cheap analogues of the medications prescribed for your pet. They can be either ineffective or harmful.
When regularly deworming your animal:
- The cat must feel well, otherwise the risk of complications is high.
- Watch the quality of the chosen drug so that there are no complications.
- If signs are bad, contact your veterinarian.
- Pregnant and lactating cats are not recommended to take such drugs.
- Take breaks between taking such medications so that your pet's body has time to recover.
How to open a cat's mouth to give a pill?
How to make a cat open its mouth? You can take him by the scruff of the neck, that is, by the withers. Thus, the lower jaw lowers on its own and the entrance to the mouth remains open.
How to open your cat's mouth to give a pill:
- You need to blow into his nose. Only in this way will the animal swallow the tablet. After this, it is advisable to give food or water so that the medicine does not get stuck somewhere in the esophagus and cause discomfort.
- Many animals may experience stress during the feeding process. To avoid this, you can dissolve the tablet in water. But this method is advisable to use only if the medicine dissolves well and does not leave a sediment. In this case, the liquid is drawn into a syringe and injected into the animal’s mouth.
- If the animal does not swallow the medicine, holds it in the mouth or on the root of the tongue, it is necessary to lift the animal’s muzzle upward and carry out stroking movements from the Adam’s apple to the chest. This will cause the animal to have a swallowing reflex and swallow the tablet.
Baby
How to give a cat a large tablet?
In general, it is best to purchase special tablets for animals. They already initially differ in taste, and mask the nasty organoleptic properties of the medicine itself. Thus, the animal does not have problems taking the tablet.
How to give a cat a large tablet:
- Things are different if the pet is prescribed human pills, which have a bitter taste. In this case, it is necessary to disguise it. However, what to do with large tablets?
- The easiest option is to crush the tablet and give it in small portions or mixed with food or water. The animal will not be able to swallow a large tablet, and with one hundred percent probability it will vomit it. This is due to the structural features of the cat’s digestive system.
- Other methods can also be used. Usually there is difficulty in how to open an animal's mouth? You can use the method of hanging by the withers, or try to insert a finger into the mouth in the lower jaw area. However, this method is for extreme people; in this case, it is best to use a glove so that the cat does not bite your finger.
Introduction of the tablet
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What devices can you use?
To speed up the cat's intake of tablet medications, veterinarians recommend using an introducer. The tablet dispenser greatly simplifies the process of consuming whole tablets, especially if the animal is aggressive. For medications that can be crushed, you can use a medical syringe without a needle. Crushed human medicines are mixed with liquid. They need to be pushed into the cheek part. If you don’t have any equipment, you can use the handle of a spoon or a coffee spoon, which, unlike a tea spoon, will not be too big for the cat’s mouth.
