My cat won't take his tablet

[Ilikeminitwirls]

My 15 yr old cat was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism 3 yrs ago & has a Vidalta 15mg tablet everyday. This hasn't been a problem as I've been hiding in his favourite treat. The last 2 weeks his appetite has decreased & he is refusing treat. The tablet is slow release so cannot be crushed. I've tried hiding it in freshly cooked chicken & prawns but it's unpredictable if he'll eat it. I don't want to start forcing it down his throat as he's quite nervous. He had good readings from blood tests a month ago ( he has bloods done regularly) He seems more fragile recently & has stopped being able to jump on our bed. His coordination seems to have deteriorated too. Sometimes his breathing is fast & laboured. He is very scared of going to the vets. Any ideas?

I would be inclined to get him checked out, there might be some issues with his kidneys as prolonged medication will take its toll. Then of course there are the affects of the hyperthyroidism on his heart.

If he is absolutely petrified of the vets then maybe ask for a home visit but it isn't always possible to do all the necessary tests, but i would certainly consider getting his kidney function tested and maybe an ecg if it wouldn't stress him out too much.

15 is a fantastic age.

Yes 15 is a great age! My last 2 cats lived until 18 & 21 and they have all been a pure delight. I love my boy so much & I know you're talking sense,however I'm weighing up if I want him to have more tests & more tablets I can't get him to take. My sisters cat was diagnosed at 12 with diabetes & I witnessed him,despite v active treatment, suffer for 9 months before he died. My sister says in retrospect that she wished she hadn't put him through that.
I used to work at a hospice & witnessed people being, in my opinion, over treated & having more time but at the expense of quality of life. I would not wish this for myself so would I wish it on my pet?
I hasten to add this is not in anyway a criticism of hospice care. Hospices are fantastic places, it's just that medicine has advanced so much that sometimes it seemed to the detriment of the patients

Place tablet on a sheet of kitchen roll and fold over, crush tablet with the back of a spoon. The powder can then be easier to hide in wet food such as tuna flakes.

You can't always do that, vidalta is slow release and not able to be crushed.

OP, i was talking to a friend of mine today and she has just stopped giving her cat vidalta and switching really to palliative care. Her cat is FIV+ and can't have the other options, i think your cat also would not do well (surgery or radi-nucleotide therapy) because of her age. Maybe, at this stage of events, giving her tablet is not the be and end all of things?? Might be worth a conversation with your vet, most vets will happily give telephone consulation.

I hope things are ok for her.

I find the best way is to hold my cat's mouth closed after popping the tablet in, then blowing on her nose and massaging her throat lightly

I wouldn't stop the treatment as this could cause a huge weight loss and make your cat unwell. There are alternatives to vidalta that may be crushable so worth a chat with your vet.

Go back to your vets! there may be an underlying problem like kidney issues causing your puss to feel unwell.there are also transdermal gel options of the hyperthyroid medications for cats that will not take tablets so definately worth a checkup.