Help - elderly cat won't take her meds

[Taranta]

My old moggie is now 16 years, and for the past 9 months has been on medicine twice daily for hyperthyroidism.

At first we were able to disguise them in a bit of creme fraiche, and then started using easy pill paste to disguise them before hiding them in her food. But this past couple of months it's been a real struggle to get her to take them, she will find them however they are hidden and refuse to eat them. The best I can do is powder the tablet parsley and mix into food but I think that probs lessens its efficacy and she probably only ingests half of it anyway.

My arms are nicely lacerated from the attempts I have made to administer in a pill syringe, or by hand, but she struggles like a banshee even out of a wrapped towel.

Why with tiny children in the house and the rest of life's daily admin I'm started to really lose my patience with this. I just need to find a way to do this. She's fluctuating wildly weight wise, and its heartbreaking when you know she'd be so much better if she just took the fricking tablets.

Please help someone. Thanks

coarsely not parsley ffs

Have you tried Greenies Feline Pill pockets? Like a cat treat that you can put the pill in and feed the cat.

Thanks, I've not heard of those, will look them out.

Put the tablet in the fridge . The cold will disguise the smell of the chemicals.
It's a trick I was taught many years ago at Potters Bar when training.

We mix it with Lick e Lix which is like crack to an addict with Pucinni.

You can also use lick e lix cat sticks - break a bit off and kind of squish it round the tablet. Saying that though it only worked with one of our cats and the other would find the pill no matter what you did - she had the radiation treatment in the end.

Our vet mentioned that you can get a liquid form of the medication now - it's quite new.
www.vettimes.co.uk/news/liquid-therapy-launched-for-feline-hyperthyroidism/

I am pretty sure all vet meds are designed to be mixed into food it need be.

Please check with your vet before you crush the tablet not all hyperthyroidism mess are safe (for you) to crush. My tips are in a tiny piece of cheddar, in a prawn or in a cheesy wotsit. Primula cheese spread is also good.

We use Lidl cat sticks, 90% of the time cat has wolfed the treat before noticing the tablet was in it.

Lidl ones are great as they are quite squishy so easy to mould round the tablet - better than the Waitrose ones which are stiffer.

Sorry Lone, I didn't mean to give bad advice

The pills old girl was on couldn't be crushed. Wrap cat in towel. Wedge cat between knees. Open mouth. Use pill popper. (We were told to put just a drop of water in the pill popper as it washes the pill down.)
I wouldn't give a cat meds in food as you can't be sure they get the whole dose.

Fluffy a very few meds are unsuitable for crushing so in general it is fine.

As mentioned above: cheese, prawns, pill pockets, butter, some cats love raw liver or beef (you could snip a little pocket in the piece of meat), and don't handle the pill before squidging it in the treat - they can smell it where you've handled it (I've used tweezers). Hyperthyroidism meds are ones not designed to be crushed unfortunately.

Could you ask your vet about the transdermal gel to treat the hyperthyroidism instead? With our last foster we popped on a pair of gloves and rubbed the gel on the skin inside her ear, alternating each dose - was much easier than pilling.

Pill pockets worked for us for very shy, contact averse lovely old dear.

There is also a liquid preparation too now which is a possibility to go in food.

There's also a gel you rub on their ears called methimazole. I've seen very good results with it.

Have you tried kneeling from behind with both knees either side of your cat. You then gently raise their necks up and somehow mouth pops open - if it's done quick and pill put very close to the back to their throat quite often this can be successful - on occasions my girl has fooled me though and I've found a half sucked tablet on the floor - most of the time it works though!