Trying to dose my cat and he freaks out/bites/scratches

[CountAllVotes]

I found out my cat got bit. I took him to the vet just in the knick of time and managed to avoid the bite turning into an abcess. I demanded he be injected with antibiotics. They just wanted to give me the antibiotic drops, but they did give him a shot.

We've gone this route before with him and being he's a rescue case, he totally freaks out and will do anything to avoid being given the drops.

We've got scratches to prove it too now and a small bite. We got one dose in him today and dread having to try to do it again tonight and then there is the rest of the bottle to go too. Yikes!

Any tips on giving my HUGE 15+ lb. Flame Point Siamese his medicine? He is healing quickly thank god. Still the same, I have a whole bottle of drops to give him. I managed to dap diluted hyrogen peroxide/water on the bite and he did not like that either (hid for ~2 hrs.). :(

HELP! (if you can).

Thank you!

CountAllVotes

[Grateful for Hope]

1. I can only pass on my experience with Spidey

who hates medicine. It took both my son and I to do it. My son would wrap Spidey in a large towel -- covering everything but his head, I would hold him tightly, and then my son would open the corners of Spidey's mouth and insert the medicine. We got it down to a science, but, it didn't stop Spidey from trying to squirm away.

He was definitely was smaller than your kitty (still is), so I am not sure this would work for you.

[BrklynLiberal]

2. Wrapping him up totally in a towel would seem to be the best idea.

[Grateful for Hope]

12. It was my vet who suggested the towel wrap

and it did seem to calm Spidey somewhat, and it made it easier for me to hold him.

[meti57b]

3. try inserting the syringe at the back corner of his mouth....

at a right angle to his jaw and then turn the syringe to point directly to the back of his mouth. Try to squirt it in slowly or if you can't do it slowly, squirt in a little at a time.

[CountAllVotes]

4. thanks for the tips!

I'll get out a HUGE old towel and try wrapping him in that. I can get his mouth open and I have to act fast with the syringe. He hates this stuff - maybe because it is cold?

I'm sort of letting it warm up a bit right now.

I wonder if I should cover his eyes? Would that make it worse?

Wish us luck!

Many thanks.

[demnan]

5. Can you get protective glovewear?

Yes you can - Use one hand with the latex glovewear for washing dishes and one with the drops (dexterity sucks with the gloves.) Have a towel near by. Soothingly talk to the cat and prepare a paste like solution of items you want to serve - does it trust you enough to be brushed? Hold him and give him a little treat. Brush him if he's receptive. Then let him go. Do this a few times. Maybe he will become more relaxed from being handled.

Then I would give him the meds. You have to do that, and this may not make it easier, but a routine of picking up and holding the animal with a reward might help. Then when he needs his meds, he's a bit off guard. (I have an extra treat for him then).

[CountAllVotes]

6. thanks!

We have not tried yet tonight but he just woke up and is drinking some water right now. We'll try to round him up w/the towel and yes, I do have latex gloves for washing the dishes.

I'll post again later to let ya'll know how it goes. *whew*

[kestrel91316]

7. Take him into the bathroom and close the door. Have the medicine

already drawn up into the dropper. Don't gang up on him with more than one person, and don't wrap him in a towel. Grasp him firmly by the skin at the scruff of the neck, just behind the ears,and get the closest ear to you in the grip with your thumb. This keeps him from turning side-to-side. Place the dropper in the side of the mouth behind the fang and squirt (3 or 4 little squirts for a dropperful). Do NOT squirt it down the throat - just onto the tongue for him to swallow.

If he's too nasty about this, maybe pills would be easier. I used to have a cat that even I couldn't get liquid meds into (and I am a trained professional), but we came to an understanding about pills. There are also compounding pharmacies that can make up a flavored suspension, like chicken or beef or fish and cats sometimes go along with that just fine. It's the bubblegum or cherry or banana stuff they hate!

[CountAllVotes]

8. thanks!

We still haven't tried. He is pacing in and out of the garage which is connected to the house (a small house here).

I can grab him by the scruff of the neck. It rather immobilizes him.

This stuff is called "Clamavox". Maybe it tastes bad?

I used to have a Maine Coon that was always getting in fights. He realized after about 3 bad abscesses that the drops made him get better and he didn't fight me after he realized it.

This cat is a true pussyfoot. He was attacked by another cat in the neighborhood as he is scared of almost everything.

Thanks again. I need to get courageous and dose him IF I can catch him. I think I tried the pills once before and those were even worse.

At least he got that shot of antibiotics yesterday luckily.

*sigh* again.

[CountAllVotes]

9. failure

Well that didn't work and I got another big scratch on my hand now and he's back out in the garage hiding *again*.

Oh hell.

More later.

[kestrel91316]

10. The worst that will happen with a bite wound abscess like that is

it will fill up again and need surgery (open, flush, place drain). With a good seton (drain) of cotton umbilical tape, the stuff wicks out and the thing dries up. Antibiotics are almost superfluous.

If he didn't have any surgery on it yet, he REALLY needs the oral antibiotics. Can you keep him in the house rather than the garage so you don't have to chase him down?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

13. Clavamox tastes terrible (don't ask me how I know this.)

I had to give that stuff to the late great Teddy, and it was a real battle. Once I managed to get it in him he'd take off, go sit somewhere and wash himself, looking disgusted. I'm sure the taste had something to do with it -- it's nasty.

Right now I am tasked with giving some other kinds of medicine (pills and a liquid in little syringes) to Milo, who just got back from an overnight stay at the vet's after he came down with some sort of digestive system ailment. The vet warned me that even he had trouble getting the stuff into him because MILO DOESN'T LIKE TAKING MEDICINE. No shit. He told me to get ahold of the back of his neck and sort of tilt his head back a little, and slip him the stuff real fast. This works, sort of, but it isn't easy.

Cats are fierce little beasts, aren't they?

[Lorien]

15. for pills, see post 11

:hi:

[CountAllVotes]

17. yes they are fierce

especially a 15+ lb. flamepoint from an animal rescue. jesus.

He doesn't like to be touched much either much less medicated. It is a real chore to even brush him with one of those gloves that people use so they won't get scratched.

Thank you for advice. Maybe I'll call the vet and see if they can RX something else.

[kestrel91316]

18. Some days I feel like a wild animal tamer.................

ALL cats, ALL day...................sigh.

[CountAllVotes]

16. He can't go far in the garage

I still could not catch him last night. No help much either. Now he is hiding again under the bed. They did not have to do surgery and the bite looks much better (they shaved the fur off around it).

So he's had one big shot and one big dose yesterday and one hit of peroxide on it. I'll try try again today.

Thanks again and after reading that it could turn into surgery if it gets infected, that makes me even more diligent.

What a mess.

:(

[radfringe]

11. we ran into similar problem

The Grand Empress of the house (she's 20 yrs) was on liquid meds, also some pills -- and for 20yrs old she's still feisty

my partner is a whimp when it comes to holding a cat down, wrapped in a towel or not - so I'm left trying to control a snarling feline with one arm and administering meds with the other

after being scratched and bit a few time - I started crushing up the pills, or putting the liquid meds into her food. Just a little bit of wet food - enough so the meds get mixed in and she can "hoover" it up in a bite or two.

The only time this didn't work was when the meds had to be given on an empty stomach -- then it's towel wrap time

[Lorien]

14. Hi CountAllVotes! What I usually do with my rescues

is grab them by the scruff of the neck firmly, then force the drops in (getting a good hold on the scruff seems to immobilize them-but won't hurt them). For my own 20 pound (lean!) Maine Coon I usually ask for antibiotics in pill form, if possible. I then get chicken flavored pill pockets from the pet supply store, stuff the pill in one, and he thinks he's getting a very tasty treat instead of horrid medicine. :-)

[Tammie]

19. I never heard about pill pockets

What a wonderful idea. Thanks for passing that along. I'm going to go get a package after work.

[CountAllVotes]

20. I got him!

*whew*

I opened a can of this very expensive tuna for people and put a little of the juice in a bowl with a tiny bit of the tuna and a dose of the antibiotics. He ate it all up just now!

:bounce:

I am so glad! This worked! Thank ya'll!

Next ... I go to get my new/old dog being flown in. :D

[IndyOp]

21. Good job, CAV! We knew you could do it!

I will remember that tuna juice is a good delivery system for drops -

:bounce:

[Grateful for Hope]

22. Yea!

So glad that worked for you!

[CountAllVotes]

24. it worked again just now

So, he got his two doses today that he needed. I lost one dose along the way trying. Oh well. He seems a lot better now. The other old cat was playing with him a bit and he wanted to go outside which I wouldn't allow.

I think this whole episode is water under the bridge now. Next time this happens (I hope it doesn't), I'll stock up on tuna and drain the juice off of it and mix the antibiotics in it. It is a strong overpowering taste (the tuna juice) - strong enough to kill the taste of that yucky Clamavox crap anyway!

I'm so glad I figured out a way around this nightmare of a fiasco! (still licking my wounds btw ...) :evilgrin:

Thanks everyone!!

:D

[IndyOp]

25. Hilarious!

Now you can put some antibiotic on your wounds and enjoy a tuna sandwich, and a tuna casserole, and a tuna salad....

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

[CountAllVotes]

26. yep that is the problem now

I got all this damn tuna now and uh, I'm not really into eating a bunch of it. Oh well, its only temporary thank God!

hahahaha!!!!

P.S. Tuna casserole for dinner tomorrow night, sandwiches after that. By then it should all be gone (the Clamvox that is!) *eek*

:D

[NV Whino]

23. I never had much luck with the towel approach, but

The trick I learned seems to have worked with all my cats. Scruff of the neck is good, but in addition I kneel on the ground and back the cat between my legs. Then I move scruff hand up over head to open mouth. Other hand inserts dropper and squirts. Also, vary the time that you give the medication. I swear those damned felines can tell time. All that works for about 6 days, by which time I can never catch the cat in the first place and he's probably healed anyway. Good luck.

[China_cat]

27. I've had one or 2 cats that I could pill successfully

but never had one that would take the drops without a fight. After having 2 with diabetes, I ask for injectible. Giving a shot is SO much easier.