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Oral Tablet/Capsule Administration
So you are supposed to get this tablet or capsule into the back of your cat’s mouth! That should be easy…..
Unfortunately, cats will often disagree with your kind efforts to give them medication so here are a few tips.
Tablet or capsule administration is easy if you do it fast. This sounds like a tall order, but with a bit of practice, it can be done. Have your veterinary health care team show you how to do it, then watch you do it to make sure you have the hang of it before you take Kitty and the medications home! It might take a few tries to get it right.
Here are some simple tips for administration:
- Dispense the correct dose out of the vial.
- Consider using butter to coat the tablet so that it is slippery, and any bitter taste is masked.
- Draw up your cold rinse water in a syringe or pipette ready at your side.
- At home, if she is just plain wiggly, consider wrapping a soft bath towel around to steady her and keep Kitty from running off. This can also prevent her from bringing up her paws. A capable assistant is another way to keep Kitty from acting up!
- If giving meds without assistance, snuggle Kitty and towel under your arm and then steady the head while opening the mouth. Alternatively, have your assistant hold Kitty in his arms or lap, or steady her on a table.
- Using your fingers or a plastic pilling administration tool, give the medication. Don’t delay—as soon as you think you have an opening—go for it because Kitty will not generally sit still for very long with the mouth opened!
- Select a plastic pill tool if there is any concern about being bitten.
- Avoid holding the head in too extreme of a position upwards—if you have ever tried to drink or eat with your head pointed at the ceiling, you will know what we mean!
- Look for licking lips or feel for the swallow in the throat so you know the medication is on the way down
- Administer the ~1 cc of cool tap water to help flush the medication out of the esophagus (food tube) and into the stomach—this is an important part of the procedure because pills tend to stick in the esophagus in cats, leading to damage there.
- Use caution. Make sure you are not bitten or scratched! If you feel that you might be at risk, talk to your veterinary health care team members before proceeding. Some practices will administer medication for you if the cat is fractious and routine administration is risky. Others may send an assistant to your home to assist you for a fee.
Using a pilling syringe tool
- Load the medication into the mechanism
2. Place the tip of the pilling tool at the back of the throat where the tongue and the roof of the mouth meet
3. Eject the medication into the mouth, hold the muzzle closed gently, then watch for lip licking. One can also place a hand over the throat to check for the swallowing movement
4. Administer the rinsing water
NOTE
If Kitty spits the pill back at you, it can be re-used if it is intact and clean. If it is breaking apart, take a new dose from the storage vial.
If Kitty gags, this means your finger or the pilling syringe tool went too far back into the throat, or that the pill is not going through the throat properly. After she spits it back up, try again after a brief rest.
Some cats will foam profusely from their mouth when pilled. It may be due to stress, or due to a bitter taste of the medication. Do not be concerned—it will slow in a few minutes!
When the procedure is complete, praise her!!!
Review short videos of this technique below using your hand to administer it:
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Review a short video of this technique using a pilling tool as described above:
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Disclaimer: This website is not intended to replace professional consultation, diagnosis, or treatment by a licensed veterinarian. If you require any veterinary related advice, contact your veterinarian promptly. Information at Cathealth.com is exclusively of a general reference nature. Do not disregard veterinary advice or delay treatment as a result of accessing information at this site.
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