Have you ever given your cat an oral medication? Perhaps it is an antibiotic for upper respiratory infection, a long-term medication, or a dewormer. If not, you should be thankful. However, Muffin may need some medication at some point. Here are some tips and tricks to make sure medication time doesn’t become a hassle.
Have the right instructions ready.
Before leaving the veterinary clinic with the medication, ask specific questions about the dosage and whether the cat will need to eat while taking the medication. Ask your veterinarian or lab technician to show you how to administer the medication and give your cat the first dose with you.
Be confident!
Believe it or not, cats can smell fear. Stay calm when going through things and try not to have negative thoughts.
Use food whenever possible.
If your cat likes to eat, he can hide his medicine in his food or medicine bag. You can even make meatballs out of canned food. If you use this method, always make sure the cat will eat the food and that there are no other pets around to steal it.
Properly “dosing” the cat.
If you are concerned about getting your cat to take enough medication, medicating it is definitely the best way to go. Here’s how to properly medicate your cat:
What you will need
Pill Gun: Before leaving the veterinary clinic, be sure to have a pill popper or pill gun ready. This is a tool that every cat owner should have at home. If you can’t get one, cut out the hub of a syringe to make a DIY pill gun.
Water Syringe: When giving your cat medicine, you need to make sure he drinks at least 2 ml of water to prevent him from swallowing the medicine and choking on it.
Now that you have everything you need, let’s go over how to get the job done.
First, place the pills in the pill gun and prepare the syringe.
Hold the cat’s head like a baseball, place your middle finger and thumb on the temples, and lift the head toward the ceiling. You may scratch the cat’s head if necessary.
Insert the pill bottle through the edge of the cat’s mouth and have the cat open its mouth.
Once the mouth is open, push the pill into the back of the throat or as deep into the mouth as possible and immediately inject water with the syringe to follow the pill. The faster you do this, the better for you and your cat.
Giving your cat medication may not be fun, but sometimes it is necessary. Remember to follow your veterinarian’s instructions and administer the medication accurately. If you are not comfortable giving your cat medication, call and ask if they have any liquid medications.
If you find this information helpful, please share it with other cat owners you know!
by Dani
