Giving Oral Medications to a Cat
This
information is not meant to be a substitute for veterinary care. Always follow
the instructions provided by your veterinarian.
Your veterinarian will tell you if the medication(s) can be given with food
or must be given on an empty stomach. If the tablet or capsule can be given with
food, you may make a "meatball" with the medication at the center of a
small ball of canned cat food or cheese ("cheeseball"). Always
give a test "meatball" to see if the cat will willing eat the
"meatball" and see if they chew it or gulp it whole. Cats are more
likely to chew their food than are dogs and often will eat the
"meatball" and spit out the tablet or capsule. Tablets and especially
capsules will partially dissolve and get very slimy and hard to handle after the
cat spits them out. If they bite into the tablet or capsule and have a bad taste
in their mouth, they will be harder to medicate on the second attempt. You will
have do decide what works best with your cat.
The following instructions are presented to help you give medications if you
cannot give the medicine in a "meatball". Use caution when giving
a cat oral medications to avoid being bit. A cat's mouth contains many bacteria
and cat bites are often deep punctures. If you should get bit, clean the wound
thoroughly and seek medical attention.
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Medications for oral administration may be in pill, capsule or liquid
form. |
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Hold the cat's head from the top using your left hand if you are
right-handed. The cat's check-bones (called zygomatic arches) provide a
convenient handle by which to hold the head firmly without causing the cat
any discomfort. |
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Tilt the head back and the cat will often drop their lower jaw open. |
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Hold the pill or capsule in your right hand between your thumb and index
finger. You can place one of the remaining fingers on your right hand on
the lower incisors to keep the lower jaw open. Keep your finger over the
small incisor teeth NOT over the sharp fangs (canine teeth). Drop
the pill or capsule as far back over the tongue as possible, then
immediately close the mouth and blow on the cat's nose which will encourage
them to swallow. |
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If the cat does not open their mouth when you tilt back the head, holding
the pill as before between the thumb and index finger... |
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...use the middle finger of the same hand holding the pill or capsule, to
pry open the lower jaw. Place your middle over the small incisor teeth NOT
over the sharp fangs (canine teeth)... |
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...and pull open the lower jaw. |
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Keep the middle finger in place to hold the lower jaw open (3), then
either drop the pill or capsule as far back on the tongue as possible or
the index finger (1) and thumb (2) can be used to push the pill over the
back of the tongue. . |
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IMPORTANT: If you use your thumb and index finger to push the
pill over the base of the tongue, your fingers will be inside the cat's
mouth and you must work rapidly to avoid getting bit.
Close the mouth and stroke the cat's neck or blow sharply on his/her
nose to encourage the cat to swallow
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There are several styles of pilling devices that can used to place a pill
or capsule over the base of the tongue so that you do not have to place
your fingers in the cat's mouth. There are several ways to hold the pilling device.
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You can hold the device between your thumb and middle finger, either
with the index finger positioned to "push" the trigger or to
prevent premature release of the pill, you may move the index finger to
push the trigger just before dislodging the pill in the back of the
throat.
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You can hold the device between curled fingers and palm either with the
thumb positioned to "push" the trigger or to prevent premature
release of the pill, you may move the thumb to push the trigger just
before dislodging the pill in the back of the throat.
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Or you can hold the device between the index and middle fingers with the
thumb positioned to "push" the trigger.
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Tilt the head back and the cat will often drop their lower jaw open.
Insert the pill at the end of the pilling device over the base of the
tongue.
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If the cat doesn't open it's mouth, use the middle finger of the hand
holding the pilling device to open the lower jaw.
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Insert the pill at the end of the pilling device over the base of the
tongue.
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Push the plunger on the pilling device with your thumb or index finger
to deposit the pill far back in the cat's mouth.
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Liquid medications are given in a pouch between the teeth and cheek. The
medication is quickly squirted into this pouch, the mouth is held closed
and the neck stroked or the nose sharply blown on to encourage the cat to
swallow. Liquids are more likely to accidentally enter the windpipe
compared to pills or capsules. To avoid the cat inhaling liquid into the
windpipe, DO NOT tilt the cat's head backward. |
If you find it difficult to give your cat a pill or capsule, speak to your
veterinarian about suspending the pill or capsule into a liquid. Some
medications can be suspending in liquid while others lose their effectiveness
when placed in a suspension. Always talk to your veterinarian before altering
the medication.
Washington State University assumes no liability for injury to
you or your pet incurred by following these descriptions or procedures.
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Last Edited: Dec 19, 2007 1:03 PM
