Cat won't have tablet

[Ilikeminitwirls]

My 15yr old cat was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism 3 years ago for which he is on slow release tablet which can't be crushed. I have hidden it in his favourite treat & this has worked well up to about a fortnight ago. I've tried hiding it in his favourite food which is prawns & freshly cooked chicken but it's touch & go as his appetite has decreased. I don't want to force it down his throat as he's nervous.
He goes to vets for regular blood tests & the last results were fine. Over the last month I have noticed a general deterioration, he's happy ( purring on my knee as I type) but sometimes his breathing seems laboured, he can no longer jump on our bed & he seems a bit clumsy and uncoordinated. Also my daughter brought her kitten round on Christmas Day, this wasn't a problem as my cat likes other cats/dogs, the problem was it became apparent he couldn't see the kitten & was unaware kitten was there until he heard her miaow .
Any ideas re tablets? He is very scared of vets so I'm reluctant to take him in between his regular blood test appointments

[19lottie82]

Try coating it in a meat or fish paste then putting it on some kind of wooly blanket, so he can't just lick the paste off. I hope this makes sense!

[Ilikeminitwirls]

Thanks. I've tried that. It always worked with my other cats. I've just forced it down his throat, not great for either of us

[GRW]

My 18 year old cat is on thyroid tablets for the past year, and so far takes them really well quashed into a small piece of cheddar cheese. If your boy does not want to eat that might not work for him. My vet did say that there is a prescription food for hyperthroidism which would mean the cat doesn't need to take tablets. The cat has to eat only the special food though.

[Ilikeminitwirls]

Thanks. I will look into the special food

[LavenderRain]

At our vets you can buy a contraption for a couple of quid that shoots the tablet straight down the cats throat,
Our vet used it for my kitties worming tablet and I was impressed how easy it was,

[Wolfiefan]

We were offered alternative treatment if we couldn't get the pill down.
I would contact vet. Sorry.

[tigster1]

My cat is nearly 19 and is on thyroid tablets which should not be crushed. When we tried to get them down his throat, he really fought back and was very upset about the procedure for the whole day.

However, I have found that giving him the tablet coated in Prawn Primula cream cheese does the trick. He licks it off my finger and it goes straight down. I usually give him another dollop of Primula after the tablet just to be sure he has swallowed it.

[IAmAPaleontologist]

I have found it best to havce tablet to hand then when the cat is all floppy and snuggly on the sofa sit and stroke cat, tickle under chin and have a totally chilled out cat. When cat opens mouth to drool as being stroked under chin shove tablet down throat. My cat doesn't even notice but try to put a flea spot on on him and he will rip you to shreds

[soulfuleyes]

I wrap my cat's tablet in wafer thin chicken heated for 15 seconds in the microwave, heating seems to make the difference. Hope you get it sorted, it's stressful isn't it?

[Equiem89]

My OHs cat is awful for taking pills, we bought one of those things which shoots the pill, mentioned above, it's the only way would get them down her without causing stress. Think we bought it off amazon

[Girliefriendlikesflowers]

My cat is on regular steroids tablets and I have it down to a fine art of opening her mouth and putting the tablet to the back of her tongue and closing her mouth! I put her between my knees and its really not very traumatic any more.

I always give her some dreamies afterwards and she now comes to me when I shake the tablet bottle!

[Jenda]

I know you can't crush the tablet but can you half it? Recently had to do anti bis and the only way I got it down him was to break it into four pieces and wrap in Ham. He didn't notice and he's normally very suspicious

[Sadandconfusednamechanger]

Hi,
My cat has HCM and needs 3 different pills given to him every morning and night. It was hard at first, but used to wrap up in a piece of beef etc. Then I discovered this paste

m.zooplus.co.uk/shop/cats/supplements_specialty_cat_food/cat_pastes/vitamin_taurine_pastes/434145

and he loves it. So I squeeze about a cm so it is poking out the end of the tube, poke the pills in so they are hidden, then hold if out to the cat and feed him paste until the pills are swallowed (about 2-3cm of paste). It makes life much easier. I buy 2 tubes at a time along with cat food.

[joeythenutter]

Hi, when I had to give our elderly cat tablets the vet gave me a tablet syringe thing. You put the tablet in the end of it, put the end into cats mouth and press down on the other end and it shoots the tablet whole down the cats throat. Its fast and before the cat knows what's happening the tablet is down.

[chemenger]

Littleboycat is impossible to pill but swallows his aspirin twice a week hidden in Good Girl Catnip Drops, which are on a par with cat crack Dreamies in his eyes. They are made of some sort of fat and you can soften them in your hand and mold them round the pill. We had success with our other cat with Webexx sticks which you can also shape round the pill. Littleboy doesn't like them though.