Alternatives to pill pockets?

Smudge bit into one and found it "contaminated," and now he won't even touch an empty one. There are only 2 flavors. What else can one hide a pill in when one has an unpillable cat? At this point I'm half considering grinding it to powder and mashing it up in sardines... I even chewed one (a quarter of a chlorpheniramine maleate) and it tasted bad, but not horrid. What's smellier than tuna or sardines, in a cat-friendly way?

I tried hollowing out a Moist Meow Mix, putting it in there, and sticking the bits back together with a bit of pill pocket. Worked twice. But if this guy doesn't get his allergy meds he'll be all itchy and bloody again...

(Yes, I'm aware of Pill Poppers, the towel, etc. Alas, so is he.)

Love, Columbine

Have you tried getting his medicine made into a liquid form? Sometimes this is easier to give to a cat but sometimes it's also much messier and harder.

My Starr is still on pred and pepcid ac daily and he's the worst cat I've ever had to medicate. I was using pills with the pill syringe and even putting him in a klaw kontrol bag that would zip up completely so that only his head was sticking out. It was a battle that became worse with time. I finally had both meds compounded into liquid and it's now so much easier to medicate him.

Storm is the opposite. He doesn't do well with liquids but does much better with pills. With him I can hide the pills in pill pockets and he loves them because he loves getting treats. I guess you just have to experiment and find out what works the best for your cat. Good luck.:)

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Originally Posted by krazyaboutkatz

Have you tried getting his medicine made into a liquid form? Sometimes this is easier to give to a cat but sometimes it's also much messier and harder.

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There's an idea! I wonder where the compounding pharmacy gets their tuna elixir... there's got to be a way to do this that I can afford. His face was just clearing up, and now he's whacking at himself again. I'll see if I can find some Tuna Drops to grind the stuff up into. Thanks!

Love, Columbine

Well, the vet told me what I needed (oral suspension and tuna flavoring) and a YahooAnswers query netted me the brand name (FlavoRx), but further research shows that the veterinary suppliers will only sell it to veterinarians.

So as a stopgap, I ground the pill fragment up and mixed it with Fancy Feast.

AND IT WORKED! He ate it!

Love, Columbine

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Originally Posted by columbine

Well, the vet told me what I needed (oral suspension and tuna flavoring) and a YahooAnswers query netted me the brand name (FlavoRx), but further research shows that the veterinary suppliers will only sell it to veterinarians.

So as a stopgap, I ground the pill fragment up and mixed it with Fancy Feast.

AND IT WORKED! He ate it!

Love, Columbine

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We use FlavoRx at work, and some human pharmacies also have it. It does require use by a licensed vet or pharmacist because of the ratio of liquid componding solution to the pill for correct dosage. Call your local vets or pharmacists to see if any of them would be willing to compound it for your cat.

Dusty is incredibly difficult to medicate orally and even when I get a pill/liquid in her she makes herself vomit so she's still not getting her meds. *sigh*

Good luck

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Originally Posted by Catlady711

We use FlavoRx at work, and some human pharmacies also have it. It does require use by a licensed vet or pharmacist because of the ratio of liquid componding solution to the pill for correct dosage. Call your local vets or pharmacists to see if any of them would be willing to compound it for your cat.

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Oh, there's no question of that! But they want a king's ransom for it. I live in the greater Boston area. None of this "buy cheap generic pills and we'll mix it up for you;" they want their cut. Understandable, of course, but I'm a wage-earner.

Love, Columbine