Missed medication

[Kate S]

Susan is not taking her meds this morning via pill putty, Nature's menu or Dreamies, she isn't eating but is pestering me. I need to pill her for her pancreatitis and hyperthyroidism. She is not a cat I can grab and pill her. Trying to get her to take appetite stimulant now, but not interested in the Dreamie I have put it in. Is it ok to miss a dose? I will try later. She doesn't like tuna,cheese all the usual stuff to put medication in

[fjm]

Does she like chicken? I would ask your vet about missing or delaying doses.

[Mollycat]

The bottom line with any medication, regardless of how time-critical and life-saving, is that if the cat won't take it nicely and you are not prepared to really really upset them to force it into them, they won't be taking it. And the nicest, gentles, most cooperative cat can get fed up of being "made" to take stuff they don't want to take.

Medically, I don't know how critical each dose is. It might be according to how severe each condition is. In terms of your relationship with Susan and her mental well-being and happiness, and her physical health, only you can decide how much you are prepared to insist, and you have to balance that against vet advice on how critical they are medically.

As far as I can remember, thyroid meds are not dose-critical, the aim is to get the dosage to control the level of thyroid hormone overall, so one missed dose shouldn't be a drama, but it might be the first of many and that would become a problem. My first question when Molly was diagnosed was "what happens if we do nothing?" and my vet explained the damage uncontrolled hyperthyroidism would do. If she had been old I might have considered it, because Molly is unpillable too, but she was too young so we had to have radioiodine. Did you try Susan on the Hills y/d food?

None of that helps with the pancreatitis meds and that's something I know nothing about, but me being me in your position I'd be reading everything I can find about whether the two conditions might be related - in other words I'd be asking if we can control the HT could that help reduce the pancreatitis attacks? I don't know but I'd want to know.

Hope something of this essay is of some help.

[Kate S]

Thank you. I have managed to get her an appointment for tomorrow. She has eaten a bit today so I'm hoping that she may take her meds later, but I'm worried that she is now associating the treats with her pills You are right it is a balancing act with regards to her overall well-being. She has been on the meds for her pancreatitis for 10 days, the vet wants her to be on it for 3 weeks. We were doing so well at the beginning too!

[susand]

I feel your pain. Harvey went for a very specific test for his skin complaint at a specialist veterinary hospital this week. All I wanted was the test but I came away with a whole array of lotions and potions and was even talked into trying the dreaded Atopica, which tastes foul so no self respecting cat will take it willingly. Harvey and I are having a stand off at the moment. His Atopica is in his bowl mixed in with a sardine, as per the vets instructions and I am trying to resist caving in and giving him his normal biscuits instead because he’s refusing to eat it.

He’s doubly put out because I’ve rubbed the vets special anti-itch mousse all over his fur. It smells divine, but he obviously doesn’t think so because he is furiously licking it off as I am typing this. I am also supposed to give him another set of drops in his food and two other pills as well. I’ve paid for them all but I just don’t think it’s going to happen. These vets can be so persuasive, they make it sound so easy when they’ve got you in their consulting room, then you get home and your cat is like - “Er, no. I don’t think so!”.

It’s of no help to you I know but it might make you feel better to know that you are not alone. It made me feel better reading your post anyway. At least I know I’m not the only one who can’t get her damn cat to take his damn meds

[Laujo]

Could you crush the pills and mix them into her regular food? My Ivy is also an independent lady and refuses meds, but she hasnt figured out I am hiding it in her wet food yet.

[susand]

In desperation I tried this very method this morning, squirting the liquid over his normal biscuits and he ate it just fine! Maybe he just doesn’t like sardines! Of course it might be that he was so hungry having missed his evening meal the night before that he would have eaten anything. We will see.

[Laujo]

Fingers crossed he remains oblivious to it!

[Kate S]

Good to hear all the trials and tribulations of medicating our cats! I cancelled the vets appointment last week as she took her meds. Since then I have got some of it down her but it's very hit and miss. Today she has had 1 hyperthyroid tablet, she should take 3 today and 2 tomorrow but none of her anti bacterial tablet and anti acid tablet for her gut. (She had 1 yesterday). She is eating well and doesn't appear to be in any discomfort, so will just keep going until a blood test in a week or so. The vet will be concerned about her T4 levels because she is not taking the correct amount of meds, but hey ho! I will explain all the different methods/ food/ biscuits etc I have tried and see if they have any more ideas. I'm not allowed to crush her hyperthyroid tablets and she can taste see the others. Why can't these meds be tasteless