Two magic words for getting pills into pets: compounding pharmacy

It's ironic in this day of a pet pill for every ill that so many pet owners -- particularly cat owners -- have such a hard time actually getting pills into their pets.



Whether it's for a fractious, finicky cat or a dog who cleverly hides pills under the sofa cushion after appearing to have swallowed them, my column on SFGate.com this week has some helpful tips for getting needed medications into your pets. And the biggest one doesn't involve any special pill-chucking tools or techniques, either, but something I learned when coping with a sick dog years ago:

When I realized getting those pills into her would be my personal Waterloo, I asked my vet for help. She was able to pop a pill down Scarlett's throat without the slightest difficulty, but for me, it wasn't so easy. For one thing, my vet had either her tech or me to hold Scarlett, but my home did not come equipped with a trained veterinary professional, nor indeed anyone except my other pets.



For another, Scarlett started running away from me every time she saw me coming or heard me opening the cupboard where I kept her medication. The thought of spending whatever time she had left in a power struggle didn't appeal to me at all. So it was back to the vet, where I heard two words that should be music to the ears of every pet owner in America who has ever faced this problem: compounding pharmacy.

Other tips, and more info on compounding pharmacies, here.



Also, Shari Brodsky over on DogHobbyist.com continues, to quote Gina, to "watch The Greatest American Dog so we don't have to." You go, Shari! You're taking the bullet for us all!

Comments

[JenniferJ]

If anyone has found a way to compound flagyl to make it palatable for dogs or puppies, please let me know! We have been trying for over a dacade.

[Christie Keith]

Jennifer, you've had it compounded at a compounding pharmacy? You tried all the flavors and they didn't like any of them?



What are you using the flagyl for?

[Carol V]

I am sure you have seen this before---I read it at itchmo last year during the time I was pilling my cats during their renal failure...and it still put a smile on my face even then!



How To Give Your Pets A Pill

Here is a funny set of instructions we found on how to give a cat a pill and how to give a dog a pill:

How to give a cat a pill:

1. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat’s mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right fore-finger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.

5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse in from garden.

6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat’s throat vigorously.

7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil and blow down the straw.

9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink glass of water to take taste away. Apply band-aid to spouse’s forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10. Retrieve cat from neighbor’s shed. Get another pill. Place cat in cupboard and close door onto neck to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus jab. Throw Tee-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12. Ring fire brigade to retrieve cat from tree across road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil wrap.

13. Tie cat’s front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy duty pruning gloves from shed. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of fillet steak. Hold head vertically and pour two pints of water down throat to wash pill down.

14. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and remove pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.

15. Arrange for RSPCA to collect cat and ring local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.



How to give a dog a pill:

1. Wrap it in bacon.

[Katie]

Thankgoodness for coumpounding pharmacies; when we needed piroxicam in a specific size for our dog that was not available normally, they made one for us.



Katie

[Dr Patty Khuly]

And for those hyperthyroid cats who can't go for the radioactive iodine approach, nothing has made me happier than the advent of an effective transdermal gel.



Thank God for compounding pharmacies!

[Sharon H]

This brought a smile to my face. Dear, departed Dude was a master at hiding his thyroid meds in his cheek and spitting them out on the multicolored sofa so they'd blend in and go unnoticed.



I ended up stuffing his pills inside a moist cat treat. It worked like a charm and kept me from getting bit, scratched, and ambushed by a cat who usually had the sweetest temperament in the world.

[Christie Keith]

Jennifer... I thought that might be it. This doesn't address your question directly, but flagyl is actually not very effective on giardia -- it only cures around 63 percent of cases. Panacur, which is interestingly a safer drug, cures over 80 percent. You might want to switch to Panacur in the future, and perhaps solve the problem that way!

[JenniferJ]

Christie, we use a great place in Ukiah that does custom compounding



And we are treating for giardia that seems to crop up in puppies no matter what we have tried

[JenniferJ]

Hi,



In my previous attempts to post I actually went into how we prefer panacur but it sometimes seems to take too long to kick in. I have had good luck with it in adults but young puppies, not so much