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When Cats Need Medication: Things to Remember About Medicating a Cat
By June Campbell of Nightcats Multimedia Productions
Sushi was an enormous gray tabby with a gentle spirit and a loving disposition. Normally, Sushi loved everyone and expected everyone to love him in return. But now, the twelve- year- old feline was sick, in pain and frightened. He wasn't about to allow strangers in white coats to shove a pill down his throat. When the workers at the animal hospital approached, medication in hand, they came face- face with twenty pounds of hissing, snarling, fury. Claws outstretched, teeth barred, body tensed for attack, Sushi was a force to be reckoned with. Luckily, his veterinarian, Dr. Diane Leishman, was accustomed to dealing with large, aggressive felines. The veterinarian's earlier experience included a stint working for a city zoo. "When we had to medicate or tranquilize the big cats, we would squirt the medication in their open mouths when they roared at us," she explained. "I tried the same thing with Sushi and it worked well." After Sushi's fear and pain were reduced, he reverted to his old, lovable self -- purring when approached and obligingly allowing Dr. Leishman to pop a pill in his mouth in the usual way. Although some feline medications are available as a liquid, oral gel, transdermal gel or by injection, the pill is the most widely used formulation. Theoretically, at least, pilling a cat is a simple procedure, and one that most veterinarians will be happy to demonstrate. Dr. Cynthia Webster, Course Director for Clinical Pharmacology at the School of Veterinary Medicine at Tuft's University, explained, "Hold the cat's head up so its mouth drops open. Pop the pill as far back in the mouth as you can, then rub the throat until the cat swallows." It sounds simple, but it doesn't always turn out that way. Some pet owners struggle futilely to learn the technique, while others have cats that simply refuse to be pilled. As you can see from Dr. Leishman's experience with Sushi, medicating a cat can sometimes require a creative approach.
Perhaps you have considered crushing the pill and mixing it with food. "There are a few isolated cases where this is advisable, but those cases are few and far between," said Dr. Webster. "The ideal way to give medication to a cat is to get it in the cat's mouth. Mixing it with food is not a good idea for many reasons." For one thing, when you mix a ground pill with the food, you can never be assured that the animal is ingesting the entire dosage that is prescribed. It's also impossible to know whether the medication will still be active if mixed with food, since pharmaceutical companies do not conduct tests to study the effectiveness of food mixing. Pills are formatted with a coating that protects the active ingredients from damage by the stomach acids. When the pill is crushed, the coating is broken open and the active ingredient may be destroyed in the stomach before making the journey to the small intestine where it will be absorbed. "There are also some medications that will bind with the components in food that is in the stomach. If that happens, the medication won't be available to be absorbed," finished Dr. Webster.
If you have ever tried grinding pills into food, you may have discovered that your finicky felines "Just say no." Cats have sensitive taste buds and medicine typically does not taste good. By exposing them to a taste they do not like, you are setting them up to become even more resistant in the future. Cats are also sensitive to the way food feels in their mouths -- the substance's shape is a factor in whether or not the animal will eat. Pet food companies often formulate the food in palatable shapes.
Although mixing medication in food is almost never a good idea, some medications are absorbed better when the cat has food in its stomach. Other medications can cause tummy upset if taken on an empty stomach. "The cat owner will want to ask the veterinarian about this at the time the drug is prescribed. It depends on the drug. For example, an antifungal agent that is used to treat ringworm is best given after the cat has eaten," explained Dr. Webster. Of course, as any cat owner knows, convincing the cat to snack when you want it to doesn't always work. Unlike dogs that will accept a piece of cheese or other treat prior to being medicated, cats are more likely to intuit what you are doing and reject all offers. Certain medications are available as an oral or transdermal gel. You may be familiar with an antibiotic called amoxicillin -- a bright pink liquid that you squirt in the cat's mouth with a syringe. You may also have tried the petroleum-based gels used to treat hairballs and or to soften stools. You squeeze the gel over the animal's food or on the paws to be licked off. Transdermal gels, including insecticides used for flea treatments, are rubbed on the skin in a difficult-to-lick location, and are subsequently absorbed through the skin. However, gels are not a panacea for every medication. "There is a trend to try to compound many medications into transdermal gels," said Dave Wilson, a pharmacist at Island Pharmacy Services, a veterinary compounding pharmacy in Wisconsin. "I am a skeptic. There is no data to back up the effectiveness of these gels." "Why can't the veterinarian just give my cat a needle?" you may have wondered as you observed Fluffy's defiant gaze seconds after she regurgitated the pink antibiotic on the wool carpet. Unfortunately, injections are not always a good idea. "With the exception of insulin injection for diabetes, the injection alternative is not a first choice, especially when you are dealing with long term and chronic conditions," said Dr. Webster. "There are problems inherent in administering medication this way. For one thing, it is unpleasant for the cats. And not all medication is available by injection." Injections can be dangerous when used for medications like cortisone, which is given for inflammatory bowel disease and other allergy-related conditions. When given orally, the medication can be stopped abruptly if necessary. With an injection, there is no way to stop the effects of the drug once it is in the system. "Sometimes there are alternative ways to treat the animal," added Dr. Webster. "For instance, cats with the chronic condition of hyperthyroidism are usually put on Tapazole (methimazole), but they can be treated with surgery and radiation instead of medication." If your pill-resistant cat requires long term medication for the management of chronic problems including behavioral, heart, thyroid, intestinal conditions, liver conditions and many others, then a compounding pharmacy might offer a the solution. Compounding pharmacies work with a veterinarian and cat owner to compound a medication in a format that will be acceptable to the cat while remaining active and stable. "Essentially, you tell us the problem and we try to find a solution," said Dave Wilson. "We might be able to compound your medication in a liquid format, then cover the bad taste by flavoring it with shrimp, fish, liver or chicken. We deliver through overnight shipping." While compounding pharmacies have proven to be an answer for many frustrated cat owners, there are limitations. First, the service is not well suited to emergency or short- term prescription requirements. The overnight delivery service works best in cases where long-term medications are prescribed. Next, not all medications can be compounded. Some are not stable in liquids. "Another issue is that we don't know the half life of the compounded medication. We have no data from tests the way manufacturers do, so we estimate on the conservative side. We suggest ways to increase usability, but we cannot predict long term stability," explained Wilson. Since compounded medications are custom designed and made by hand, you can expect to pay a higher price than you would otherwise pay. "Still, by the time people get to this point, it is usually a last ditch effort and they want to do everything they can, " finished Wilson.
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Contributor's Note
June Campbell is a free lance writer. Her writing has been published in numerous international publications -- both online and offline. Visit her web site for samples of business documents, guidelines to writing business proposals and more.
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