As pets get older, they tend to need a bit more care. In particular, many dogs and cats start to require medications to help with some of the more common issues that come with aging. Many of our clientele are those that own pets that need some medications during the day, often when they're at work or otherwise busy.
Dogs are often a bit easier to trick into medications. Cats, on the other hand, often benefit from a bit of creativity. If you need help figuring out how to give your cat medicine, consider the following strategies:
- Hide in Food - The simplest technique to try is to hide the pill in food. If your cat is treat motivated, then wrapping it in a food they love is often enough. But for cats that are not treat motivated, you may need to be a bit more creative. One way is to put a pill, wrapped in some type of stickier cat treat, in with their dry cat food. The hope is that they'll eat it thinking it is a treat as part of their meal, and take the pill.
- Pet Then Open Mouth - The way to give pills is to hold your cat's mouth open on the sides, place the pill in the center of the tongue, and rub your cat's neck until it swallows. Though this remains the most effective way, try prefacing it with some petting and love first so that your cat is relaxed and finds the process more soothing. Also, make sure you have a treat available to give some extra love.
- Crushing (When Safe) - Crushing pills isn't usually recommended, as some pills are not meant to be crushed and others taste very bitter. But if the pill is safe to be crushed and these other methods do not work, you can crush a pill and mix it with a very strong tasting, usually wet cat food. This can help hide some of the bitter taste.
There are also liquid cat medicines and medications that are absorbed through the skin, so ask your vet if there are alternatives you can try if giving a pill is particularly difficult.
