There are many opportunities to give your cat medicine for the treatment and prevention of illness. At that time, I think there are some owners who are worried that "I can't do it well..." In this article, we will tell you how to give medicine to your cat well and what to do when you vomit. The opportunity to give medicine comes suddenly. I will tell you in an easy-to-understand manner so that you do not panic when you are in a hurry!
There are many opportunities to give medicine to cats!
While living with cats, there are surprisingly many opportunities to have them take medicine. Daily medication is necessary not only for temporary relief of symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting, but also for common cat ailments such as kidney disease and hyperthyroidism. In addition, flea and tick prevention, filariasis prevention, etc. can be prevented with oral medicine. One of the characteristics of cats is that many cats dislike taking medicine, so be sure to practice well in case of an emergency.Why do cats hate medicine?
Why is it that cats don't like medicine in the first place? Because they don't understand what medicine is. People can understand the language, so they can understand that they take medicine to treat illness. But I can't tell my cat about this. No child likes to be held down or forced to open their mouth. Cats also have a sense of taste, but there are reports that they are particularly sensitive to bitter and sour tastes. This is because they are associated with "corruption" and are recognized as things that should be avoided in life. For these reasons, it is difficult to give medicine to cats.
How to give medicine to cats - tablets (capsules), syrups, powders
It seems that there are three patterns of giving medicine to cats: tablets (capsules), syrups, and powders. I will tell you how to give each separately.How to give tablets (capsules)
The pill method may seem difficult at first glance, but it is the easiest and surest method. For children with a strong appetite, just mix it with cat food and they will drink it without noticing it. In this case, instead of mixing it all over the food, mix it in a small amount of food and check that it has been eaten before giving the rest of the food. Likewise, you can mix it with your snacks. However, once they notice that you are mixing it into their meals, they may become wary of the food and stop eating it. Therefore, it may be a good idea to provide a retainer, as I will tell you below. First, wrap the entire body of the cat from behind. It's a good idea to hold it with your non-dominant hand. If it seems to run away, you can control its movement by wrapping its entire body with a bath towel. Place the holding hand from above the face to the cat's chin (cheekbone, side of the eye) and turn it upward at once. When that happens, the cat will open its mouth slightly, so open the mouth with your dominant hand holding the medicine (hold the medicine with your thumb and index finger, and open the lower jaw with your middle finger), toward the back of the throat (aiming at the base of the tongue). put it in When you're done, let go of your hand and blow into your mouth with a "fuh", and it's over. If you are concerned about whether or not your child has drunk well, give them a small amount of water using a syringe. If there are two people, one will hold the cat and the other will open its mouth and give the medicine. If you think "it's difficult..." or "I'm afraid of being bitten...", you can use a medication dispenser. It's important to be able to do it quickly without being noticed, and you'll start practicing every day.how to make syrup
If multiple medicines are prescribed, they may be mixed together and served in syrup so that they can be given at once. When it is served with syrup, as I mentioned above, it should be held firmly, and a syringe filled with the specified amount of syrup should be put in the side of the mouth and let it suck. If you don't put it in the back of your mouth, it will drool and drool, so be careful. If you add it all at once, you may accidentally swallow it, so don't rush it and give it little by little.How to give powder
Powders may look easy at first glance, but they are actually quite difficult. This is because powdered medicines often have a bitter taste, which cats often do not detect and eat (drink). There are two ways to give powdered medicine: mixing it with food or dissolving it in syrup or water. Please refer to the methods mentioned above.
Training from kittens is important!
In order to get your cat to take medicine well, it is important to get used to it from a kitten. Since kittens do not have a sense of fear or experience, they often open their mouths without hesitation. Also, even if you do get bitten, the pain is not that strong. Cut the crispy into small pieces and use them as medicine, and practice giving them.If I vomit the medicine, should I give it again?
If you do not administer the medicine well, you may blow bubbles or become covered in drool. At that time, they often do not take any medicine at all or take only a small amount. Therefore, it is advisable to administer the drug again. However, if you take heart medicine or epilepsy medicine in duplicate, the effect may be stronger, so please check with your doctor.If you can't drink...
No matter how many times I try, it often fails. In that case, you may be able to reduce the number of medications or use other methods (injections, diet, etc.). It is also possible to have a veterinarian directly teach you how to administer medications and practice them. It would be nice to consult with an animal hospital once before you try too hard and hate it.
