In connection with a veterinary visit, prescription medicine can be prescribed.
The medication is part of the treatment that is important for the cat to ingest in order to recover.
Tablets
Many medicines are only available in tablet form or as capsules. Some medications should not be given with food while others should be given with food. Capsules must not, as a rule, disintegrate. Read the medicine leaflet.
Because some medicines taste bad to the cat, it is not always possible to crush tablets and put them in the food. Sometimes the tablets can be crushed and mixed in butter, liver pate or caviar and ironed on the top of the front paw, so that the cat (which is a clean animal) can lick the medicine. Sometimes tablets can be wrapped in something good like ham or liver pate.
If the medicine is given in the food, it is important to check that the cat has ingested all the medicine. If the cat cannot be persuaded to take the tablets with food, the easiest way is to give tablets / capsules directly into the mouth. There are tablet sensors that can facilitate the medication.
How are tablets given to a cat?
- Grasp the nose with your thumb and forefinger behind the canines. Bend the cat’s head slightly backwards.
- Hold the tablet between your thumb and forefinger in the other hand. Place the tablet as far back on the tongue base as possible. It is usually easiest to use tablet sensors.
- Close your mouth and keep your head slightly back while massaging your throat until the tablet is swallowed. Sometimes it can help to spray a little water in the corner of the mouth if the cat does not want to swallow the tablet.
Liquid medicine
Liquid medicine often comes with a dosing syringe. Remember not to inject the medicine straight down the throat, there is a risk that the medicine may then get into the trachea instead.
- Fix the animal’s head
- Lift the lip behind the canine and insert the syringe tip between the teeth closest behind the canine
- Empty the contents of the syringe slowly
Some liquid medicine can be given with advantage to the food. Feel free to give a small amount of food first together with the medicine so the medicine will surely get into the animal. After that, the rest of the food can be given.