Frail cat not taking meds help

[Echobelly]

Our 14 moggie turns out to have an abcess in her mouth and hasn't been eating properly for a while, and it was hard to spot because we were on holiday for a week with a catsitter coming it. She seemed a bit off a few days before we left, then OK the day before and when we got back, but it seemed to get worse again and she lost even more weight and then we found what the problem is.

We're having real difficulty getting fluids and meds into her, even with her wrapped up in a towel, she just clamps her mouth shut, and we can only go in on one side because of the abcess. I think she can pull through if we can get her strength up a bit and the meds in her, but I fear she's not going to make it unless we can work this out. Any tips to get stuff into her?

You say we, so 2 of you? If one grips her the other can pry open her mouth, pop the tablet in and then hold the mouth shut whilst stroking the underneath of her throat to encourage swallowing.

You can get pill plungers really cheaply off Amazon but again, one of you will need to hold her mouth open to get the pill plunger into her mouth.

Failing that grill some bacon on some foil. Let the fat off the bacon cool and solidify then roll the tablet in it. It’s the only way I could get one cat to take a tablet, although they didn’t have a sore mouth.

I’d be tempted to nip and get some cat soup to see if that would tempt her, at least that would be some fluid if it does.

Failing that, speak to the vet and see if they can inject antibiotics to save doing tablets. I hope she feels better soon

Also if you can get the medication in her mouth blowing gently in her face, on her nose, will often start a swallow response.

But if it is going to be a distressing struggle I agree with asking the vet for a long acting antibiotic injection to start to reduce the abscess.

It's liquid meds in a syringe. Towel seems to help as she doesn't waste energy struggling as much. DH managed to get a good bit of rehydration into her just now, so hopefully we can manage some more this evening.

I got her to eat a spoonful of flaked fish left over from my lunch. May cook some more of that for her and give her a little at a time as perhaps that's easier for her to eat.