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.
Medications for oral administration may be in pill, capsule or liquid form. |
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. |
Tilt the head back and the cat will often drop their lower jaw open. |
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 incisorsto keep the lower jaw open. Keep your finger over the small incisor teeth NOT overthe 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. |
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... |
...use the middle finger of the same hand holding |
...and pull open the lower jaw. |
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. . |
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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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.