How to Give a Cat Liquid Medicine
with
Janet Tobiassen Crosby, DVM
If your furry friend is under the weather, your vet might prescribe liquid medicine - which is sometimes tricky to administer. Learn some simple tips that will make giving a cat liquid medication a bit easier.
Transcript: How to Give a Cat Liquid Medicine
Hi, I'm Dr. Janet Tobiassen Crosby, your Guide to veterinary medicine at About.com. When your cat's sick and needs medication, there are several available through your veterinarian. One of the most common delivery methods is liquid.Questions to Ask Vets About Liquid Medication
Dosing is important, both the time that you give the medication and the amount. When you're giving your cat liquid medication, having that whole bottle spill or even that dropper is a missed dose or several doses. So, here are some ideas, after you've checked with your veterinarian to make sure the medication can be given with food, most can but some can't. That's the first thing to do - is to check with your veterinarian.We have different ideas here, treats, small bit of canned food, this will help your cat have something positive to focus on during the experience and then immediately after the medication. And that the experience is a positive one.
Wrap the Cat in a Towel
We have a towel which will be used to hold the cat if needed. You know your cat best. Some cats need to be fully wrapped up - some don't need a towel at all. First thing to do is to draw up the dose. And then, I usually like to remove this since I don't have a lid that I can put back on it. Remove it off the work surface. If there is a little bit of a struggle and this gets tipped over, there's your entire dose of medication wasted. So, we want to get this out of the way.Prevent Liquid Medicine From Spilling
I like to use my body to prevent him from going backwards off the table. I'm right handed, so I'll use my left hand under his chin. The goal of the liquid medication is just to simply put it in the cheek. So, we're not worrying about opening the mouth or shooting it in there. We want this to be as gentle as possible. The liquid goes between the teeth and the cheek. And then, as you gently squeeze, he will swallow. Be careful not to shoot it too fast and make him gag or cough or choke.Administering Liquid Medicine to Cats
So, we just work it between the lips - oh he's not going to be good. Well. Oliver's a little nervous, he's not very fond of having his mouth touched, so we wrapped him in a towel and I have an assistant who's going to help him from going backwards. Oliver is a fairly large cat, so he's kind of a two-person cat at this point, until he gets comfortable with this idea.Once the liquids been inserted watch for them to swallow and then hold them here, and then release them to their treat.
I usually pet my cat because it releases stress and kind of make sure everything is on a good footing again. With time and patience it will get easier. If you are having trouble though, please call your veterinarian, because they will usually be able to offer alternatives such as an injection or a special paste that can be applied to the ears that is absorbed that way.
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