Mixing liquid medication with canned food is the easiest way to give it to your cat. Giving the cat a small portion of food will ensure that the medication is consumed, rather than giving him a large portion that he may not finish. It is easier for the owner to discern from a smaller portion whether the liquid medicine has been eaten or not. This technique may not work on some cats due to dietary restrictions or refusal to eat the food. It will be necessary for you to administer the medication directly into the mouth of your cat in this case.
Giving Liquid Medicine To Your Cat
There are reasons to prescribe liquid medicine for cats, says Lauren Demos, BVMS, MRCVS, former president of the American Association of Feline Practitioners. Pain relievers and antibiotics are also available in liquid form, as are medications for thyroid issues, liver problems, and heart disease.
Ask your veterinarian about flavouring agents when your cat is prescribed liquid medicine. By putting those in the medicine, Wheeler says, it can taste like fish or chicken, which is much better than just giving the medicine alone, which may otherwise deter the cat from eating it if an appealing flavour is absent. He recommends first giving your cat doses of the flavouring agent without meds to get used to the syringe. This may solve any adjustment issues your cat may have. There are a few general guidelines on giving liquid medicine to your cat using a syringe, but every cat is different. Please consult your vet for any tips they may have, as they are the ones who know you and your cat best. There is even a possibility that they will teach you how to do it.
Early Preparation
You should add the prescribed amount of medicine to the syringe and any flavouring you wish to use. Make sure your cat cannot easily escape into another room or part of your house by locating him and making sure he cannot escape easily. Demos says that he often skips breakfast in the morning so that he can do medication, and then feed a patient.
Prepare Your Cat
Wheeler recommends placing your cat on a surface that is comfortable for him and won’t cause him to slide around. A towel might be put down or even wrapped around them. To keep him secure, you might even use a “cat bag,” a sleeping bag similar to one for cats. As well as ensuring your cat is in a comfortable and familiar environment, you should practice with just the flavouring agent first.
A syringe near or in a cat’s mouth may cause it to try to escape- something you don’t want to happen.
Using the Syringe
Let’s get started. A great video on how to do this can be found below by Canadian veterinarian Uri Burstyn. It would help if you held your cat’s head with your non-dominant hand while using your dominant hand to grab the syringe. Here are the steps you need to take:
- Make sure the cat’s whiskers are swept back and that its head is tilted up;
- Through the side of the mouth, insert the syringe;
- Using a needle, inject the medicine;
- Make sure the cat swallows by strokes under the chin.
While your first few attempts might not go smoothly, the more you practice, the easier and quicker the process will become.
Liquid Medicine for Cats: How to Hide it in Wet Food
You can also use wet cat food instead of a syringe to administer medicine. Demos suggests flavoured doses for small doses. The medicine will be added to the food once it has been prepared. It’s delicious!
You might need to use syringes because your cat might not consume all the medicine in the dish.
Conclusion
It is easy to give your cat liquid medicine. It depends on how you will do it and how cooperative your cat is. The liquid medicine can be given in different ways with different dosages and for different duration to make your cat more comfortable.
FAQs
Is it possible to put liquid antibiotics in cat food?
Liquid antibiotics can be mixed with cats’ food at mealtimes. Add liquid antibiotics to your cat’s favorite wet, canned food flavor. Many cats, however, are sensitive to the smell of antibiotics and won’t eat them.
Is there anything I can hide cat medicine in?
You could hide pills in several foods, including canned cat food, strained meat baby food (human), tuna, plain yogurt, Pill PocketsTM, cream cheese, or butter. Butter makes pills easier to swallow.
Is it possible to mix liquid cat medicine with milk?
Since many cats cannot digest dairy, you should never give them medication in milk.
What is the safest way to get a pet to swallow pills?
If your cat has a cold, gently rub his nose or throat or blow on his nose lightly. You should be able to swallow more easily after doing this. When a cat swallows a pill, he usually licks his nose.
Does water work well for crushing pills for my cat?
Give the pills with water if your vet recommends it. Opening, crushing, and dissolving some medications in water will decrease their effectiveness, while others will not. After giving your cat a pill, rinse its mouth with water using a syringe or dropper.