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Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Getting Tramadol into my cat

12 replies

FurryScoob · 14/10/2016 22:01

I have 19 year old cat who has just been put on liquid Tramadol for arthritis but she won't take it.
I've put it in her food, water, cat milk & poked a whole in a chunky biscuit to put a drop in but she sniffs it out & refuses to eat it. I've mixed it with a bit of water & syringed it into her mouth but she's now foaming at the mouth & not likely to let me do it again never mind twice a day.
Does anyone have any other ways of getting liquid medication into cats?

OP posts:
Hassled · 14/10/2016 22:04

Does it come in any alternative form? It might be worth calling the vets to see if there's a pill or injection form - and if nothing else, maybe you could watch them do it and see what the technique is.

Stinkerbelle37 · 14/10/2016 22:09

I used the pill syringe thingy with mine. But I have to say, I'm fairly sure tramadol made her hallucinate, and certainly it did not agree with her. So keep an eye out for side effects.

unlucky83 · 14/10/2016 22:21

I also suggest talking to the vet about alternative forms etc and ask for advice...I think I would be careful about being too quick with the syringe - it is possible for it to get into their lungs - better to give it a little and slowly. (I had to feed a poorly cat glucose solution in a syringe and I remember the warning - cat was too ill to put up a fight and I guess it didn't taste too bad so I don't remember it being a battle)

Other thing is to mix it with a small amount of something like butter and smear it on her - somewhere she can lick and when she cleans herself she will get the medicine -actually you might just be able to put the medicine straight onto her fur? (I've never known a cat to be able to not clean something like that)
I've no advice other advice for liquids -but I do have experience getting a reluctant cat to take tablets on a regular basis. You need to be tough and force them to have it and then immediately afterwards give them lots of their favourite treats - and only give them treats then. IME it works really quickly - they are clever and realise it isn't worth the fight plus come to associate the process with the treats.
My Dsis did this with her old cat too - she shook a 'dreamies' packet and it came running - ate the tablet out of her hand and then got a few treats...
In fact current cat hated being flea combed - I persevered and made sure she got lots of treats afterwards - now I get the comb out, show it to her and she follows me!!

Original poster
FurryScoob · 14/10/2016 22:24

She seems fine but will keep my eye on her incase she reacts to it.
Will give the vet a ring on Monday & see if they'll give me the pill form, the vet thought liquid would be easier for her to take but she's quite happy to go on hunger strike to prove the vet wrong!

OP posts:
cozietoesie · 14/10/2016 22:53

I have to give liquid pain meds two or three times a day (not Tramadol) and the easiest way is into the side of their mouths, into the little pocket of lip above their middle top teeth. You upend them so that they're sitting on your lap, legs out in front and backside planted, and just slip the syringe in to the pocket.

Trying to get anything into the front of the mouth would have been a disaster long ago.

RubbishMantra · 16/10/2016 19:55

Something really smelly like tuna in spring water, warmed a little in the microwave, to make it more smelly? And then hide it in a chunk?

Is she partial to smelly cheese?

You can also buy a product called pill pockets or similar, try googling that.

Vinorosso74 · 16/10/2016 20:15

Our cat is pretty good with tablets but liquid medication in my view is the worst thing ever for cats! The amount you administer seems to increase 100 fold once it hits the mouth. I would see if there is another form of the medication you can give.

cozietoesie · 16/10/2016 20:59

I've found it to be very easy - from the side, anyway. It helps, I think, that it's fast acting pain relief for a very arthritic boy and he likes the effect. So it has good associations for him.

Original poster
FurryScoob · 17/10/2016 19:28

Thank for your help, phoned the vet to ask for tablets instead of liquid but they don't do tablet Tramadol for cats. I've now got some thinner syringes so will attempt your way cozie & keep my fingers crossed it works. Only other option is a different type of medication which is 3 times as expensive & still no guarantee she will swollow it.

OP posts:
pinkblink · 17/10/2016 19:29

Mix in in some butter and smear it on her paw/front of leg, they hate the grease on their fur and will lick it off

cozietoesie · 17/10/2016 19:48

The trouble is that, particularly if they're spooked, they might just wipe it off on your best cushions/new sofa! Smile

I have a real thin syringe to use, Furry. Your vet should be able to help there.

cozietoesie · 17/10/2016 19:51

PS - give her lots of heat as well. That seems to help old bones enormously. My own old lad has an electric blanket but I think you can buy fairly cheap heat pads for cats.

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