Well friends it has been one of the worst days ever. I was kicking back enjoying my nap when suddenly I was scooped by Dad and shoved into the Carrier (PTU - Prisoner Transport Unit). I think we can all agree that no good ever comes from the carrier.
Dad took me to a new VET so I thought maybe it would not involve the usual treatments, but I was wrong. Mom had recently noticed that my Sass-O-Meter was down again and that I have been a bit on and off lately. So when I had some gastric distress over the weekend, coupled with some weight loss she conspired with Dad on a plan to remove me from my happy home.
I don't think I can even go into the horror that was my visit. Sure the new VET was very nice and the gave me a little gas to keep me calm but really, I Never! I am still a bit groggy now.
Turns out I have Hyperthyroidism. It's pretty common in older cats and it's very treatable the VET said. Unfortunately I need to take a pill twice a day and although they are small, I will search and refuse that pill out of any treat they try to hide it in. My mission is clear!
Mom Meg Edit: If anycat or human has a kitty with this issue or any ideas on how to sneak in a pill or two a day please let me know.
Sorry! SS has NEVER had any luck in getting me to take pills in the last decade.
ReplyDeletePurrs to you, my SIF. You have my sympathy as well as purrs.
no food until treat goes down the hatch! sorry, fin.
ReplyDeleteMy mom has a ton of experience with hyperthyroidism, both Morgan (the one who started it all) and my dear precious mentor Jonathan had it. Mom did not give them pills. She went with the radioactive iodine treatment. It seems more expensive up front, but in the long run it's cheaper and super effective.
ReplyDeleteShe's also a master pill popper too.
Mom lays me on my back and pries open my little mouth and puts the pill in the back of my mouth and blows on my face to make sure I swallow it. It usually works! I'm not going to saw how long it takes for her to pry my little jaws open.
ReplyDeleteI hope you are feeling better.
Hi Finny friend,
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry to hear of your VET drama. We've all been there. (as you know I've got a "mark" on my vet file... cantankerous, etc...) Hold your ground with the pill, at least at first. You have to on behalf of all us cats. But eventually you'll need to let your mom win. She and we are going to want you around for a long, long time.
mew,
Katie
PS - Glogirly has a pill popper syringe thing that she thinks works pretty good. (I won't eat anything except my crunchy gingivitis food, so there's no place for those pesky pills to hide there.)
Oh we're so sorry you are hyper-t, Fin, but we hear it is really treatable...but that means taking pills! Our mom is an expert pill giver and we usually don't give her much trouble with taking pills when we gotta take them. But there's also these things call pill pockets which are treats with a little place you stick a pill in and you get the pill and the treat all at once! A win-win situation! You can get pill pockets at PetSmart or other pet stores.
ReplyDeleteGood luck and we hope you feel your ol' self soon, Fin!
Poor Finny! What an indignity!
ReplyDeleteMummy uses a cat Pill Popper for me and Cosmo (like this one)..
http://www.amazon.com/jorgenson-Pet-Piller/dp/B0002ZAG84/ref=pd_sim_dbs_k_2
We both have jaws of steel, but this works really easily and makes the experience less stressful for all of us!
Now, I'm off to Google "Hyperthyroidism in cats"...
Fin, we sympathize, and Caitie in particular... she also has hyperthyroidism. However, where we live there are "compounding pharmacies" that put together alternatives to pills. There's transdermal cream, which we rub into Nicky's ears, and flavored liquid, which we squirt into Caitie's mouth 2 times a day. Way easier than pills!
ReplyDeleteAwww, Fin! I'm sorry to hear you're unwell, but you gotta take the tablet, and just be sure to get the cuddles afterwards!
ReplyDeleteGood things it´s curable!!! And oh, pills are hard! We have nooo idea how to trick the cats into swallowing them, other than holding the cat tightly, placing the pill deep in the cat´s mouth and stroke on the throat to get it down. But it´s bit of a hassle. Would love to get good tips!
ReplyDeleteGet well soon!
Oh Fin, I hope u will get well soon! But u must take the pills.
ReplyDeleteMy mom usually will get my two sisters help her, wrap me with a towel like a burrito, only my head are not wrap.
Then, one of my sister will hold my body, mom will open my mouth, and my other sister will put the pills.
I can't resist..
But I hate it!
I'm sorry to hear you're not feeling the best Fin. Mum says the pill syringe is the only thing that has worked for her in the past. But it can get ugly :)
ReplyDeleteOh, Fin. Well, I am glad the vet figured out what ails you and it is very treatable. When Harley was taking pills, my Mommeh just pried open his mouth and stuck the pill far back in his mouth. To make sure he swallowed it, she gave him a piece of food.
ReplyDeleteSorry you had to go to the V-E-T. Not fun at all. Maybe you'll feel perkier though, my floofy friend.
ReplyDeleteWe have never had to take any pills so I am at a loss as to what to suggest. Put it in ham?
Purrs and good luck!
~Goldie
Scylla refuses to take pills I even tried the Greenies pill pockets without luck. So we had to resort to the force it down her throat method. Not nice for either one of us. ~Alasandra
ReplyDeleteSuey is an expert at not taking pills. She has had some epic battles with mum in the past. That was, until mum got a pill popper. It was the best $5 mum ever spent.
ReplyDeleteWe are glad that they found out what was wrong and are able to treat it, Finny.
Oh Finny, I'm sad to hear that you have to be on medication. But it sounds very good that it's so treatable and I'm relieved your humans found out so quickly. With pills mom either cradles us in her left arm, opens the mouth and pops in the pill, or she put it in a treat we call "sticks". Those are long "meat" sticks where she pokes a hole in at the front to hide the pill. It always works with Chilli, but not everytime with me.
ReplyDeleteI hope you will feel better with this treatment and your sass-o-meter will be full again!
Purrs, LSIF
I'm so very sorry to hear about your condition -- but at least it is very treatable! Fin, you be a good girl now -- it's all in the interest of your health.
ReplyDeleteI found if I put the pill in a bit of butter, that it generally went down the throat better -- didn't get stuck or anything. Also, you have to open the mouth with one hand, and place the pill right at the back of the throat. Then they automatically swallow it.
With the butter, too, it leaves a nicer taste in their mouth, and it's a small treat as well. I mean we are talking a very small bit of butter, here. Just enough to coat the pill.
Good luck!
Poor Fin, we're sorry to hear about your being sicky. At least it's something sorta easy to fix, but you really do need to be a good kitty and let your mom give you your pills. We wouldn't want to lose you, dear friend!
ReplyDeletePurrs and hugs,
The Kitty Krew
Sorry to hear that you were a little under the weather. And more sorry to hear that you had to go to the vet. Even thought we don't like the vet he/she is trying to help you get feeling better. It is just they don't go about it in the nicest of ways.
ReplyDeleteI have no idea to pass on to your folks about hiding a pill, thought even if I knew I don't think I would share that with them, but I don't think there is anyway to get a pill snuck to us if we don't want it.
So best thing to do is just take the pill, makes things easier on all. They are going to give it to you anyway.
We're sorry to hear yoo've been under the wevver.
ReplyDeletepills are the worst...too bad it dosen't come in a liquid, the squirt medicine I recently had for Arjuna went down like a dream.
ReplyDeleteAw poor Fin. At least now you will start feeling better! Smokey likes when I hide his pills in cheese, but most times I have to be the mean mommy and force them down the hatch. ;(
ReplyDeleteAlong the same lines as smear the pill with butter, a smear of soft cheese (like Velveeta slices) makes at least the aftertaste better. And my brother Gandalf liked the cheese so much he ate it even though he knew the pill was inside.
ReplyDeleteMommy uses a pill shooter followed by a treat for me. I am such a good girl that I come when she calls me to get my pill. She barely pulls up on my fangs and I open my mouth for her. Sometimes I start opening my mouth before she even puts her hand there. She never held me down or burritoed me. Even in the beginning she just pulled up on the top of my head with one hand (thumb and 1st finger over the fangs). I really like treats, so that worked well for us. I have trained her to give me treats almost every time.
ReplyDeleteTiki
P.S. The dog takes his in kielbasa and Riley used to take his in cheese or pill pockets.
Sorry you're under the weather, Fin! Minnie loves pill pockets, so I hide pills in there. I've also hidden them in a ball of her favorite stinky-meat. Either way, she eats 'em. I never had any luck shoving a pill down her throat manually.
ReplyDeleteOh noes, Fin! Sorry to hear about your condition, but we are so glad to hear it's treatable! As for the pill, Cal refused and spit our any pill mom would give him, but he LOVED pill pockets!!!
ReplyDeleteFeel better soon, sweetie!!
oh no the v e t! that is always a horrifying experience for us, even the car ride so much that we dont go very often cause mo cant bare it or something. i guess that is good for us.
ReplyDeletewe hopes you feels better!!!!!!!!
we do well , well kinda well, with liquid and droppers but no pills!
I'm a pill-popping expert, and I swear by the pill shooters. They're like a 6 inch straw but they have a little compartment up front that's rubber that you stuff the pill in and so you just get the cat's mouth open and put it at the back of the throat... push the little trigger down and the pill goes down the hatch. Close cat's mouth and hold for a few seconds, and release. The trick to getting them to cooperate is 1, sit around them... almost on them. Back legs wrapped around their hind end, your butt on your heels (so long as you don't squish the cat). this keeps kitty from going any way but forward. As for opening the mouth, push into their mouth near the jaw hinge on both sides. I haven't yet seen a cat that doesn't open for that. Ask your vet for a pill shooter... they'll know what I'm talking about. TRUST ME on this. I used to get MAULED. Now I don't even get nibbled or scratched. The cat'll get over it soon enough once the ickiness goes away!
ReplyDeletepills are horrible! My mom always takes me to the vet to take them (she cann't put into my mouth)
ReplyDeleteFin, taking pills can be a drag, have your 'rents try pilll pockets, you might like them!
ReplyDeleteps - I am glad that you have something that can be treated! Whew!
We are sorry Fin! I too am not good with the pills! We hope you do take them though!
ReplyDeleteI've never had to take pills (knock on wood) so my humans don't have any advice. I hope you figure something out soon!
ReplyDeleteHi Fin,
ReplyDeleteI hope you're feeling 100% sassy in no time.
--Mocha
Fin that stinks that you have hyperthyroidism - but at least it is fairly easy to take care of (well, other then wrestling to get the pill down). We had two cats with it growing up - they didn't mind the pill in their food though.
ReplyDeleteWith Floyd when he was still eating he would take it in either a treat or cheese but now that he is not eating on his own I have to give it to him - convince him to open the mouth and pop the pill in as far back as possible. That is working better now then it used to but he really fights me on it sometimes. I wish I had a better suggestion for you.
Oh dear! The cursor not working!! Mom had trouble with that on her laptop once.... come to find out it was just one little tiny button that got pushed accidentally!
ReplyDelete