Cats and Medicine

Everything that lives can become ill at some point in their lifespan, including our beloved pets. I have two cats of my own and we are all fortunate that they have been healthy for most of their lives. Until recently when my oldest cat became ill and had to see a veterinarian. Where we were told she had a form of cancer. We then had two options, medications or radiation therapy, to give her treatments. Given the price of the radiation therapy, my budget forced me to give the medications to my cat. You know how some people are stubborn about taking medicine; try that with sharp teeth and claws.

The usual diet of my beloved feline friends is what I call an ‘all in one’ dry biscuit diet. This the diet, supplemented with fresh food, I used for over 10 years and it kept my cats happy and healthy. My dilemma now has to add medication to her diet two times a day. I soon found out if the medication was hidden in something she found very tasty, she would eat it. It sounded great but to no surprise she wouldn’t eat the whole tablets. I then tried crushing the pill and put it in some tasty treats for the cat. I worked every time. That was the key; the pill must be crushed in order to get the cat to eat it.

Another little trick I learned along the way put the crushed medicine on just a small portion of the normal amount she is used to getting. If the small portion of food is offered before the rest of the meal, the cat is going to get her medicine, all of it. Once the medicine portion is eaten, the cat may finish her meal.

When a pill in tablet form is crushed, it turns into powder. The easiest way I have found to crush the cats medicine is the two spoon method. Put the tablet in the bigger spoon, then using the edge of the smaller spoon to break the tablet into smaller pieces. Now, using the back of the smaller spoon, crush the pieces of tablet into a fine powder. In just a few minutes, the tablet is ready to be sprinkled on the cat’s dinner. After doing this a couple of times, it gets easy.

This is how I recommend preparing chicken or fish for pill time:
Cold, cooked chicken is not only one of my cats favorite treats; it’s also easy to prepare.

Preparing Cooked Chicken

Chilled cooked chicken is one of cat’s favorite foods; therefore it makes an excellent choice to hide medication. Even the pickiest cats don’t turn down the chance to eat chicken. After making sure the pill is crushed to powder form as instructed, put aside for use later. When chicken has cooled to room temperature, break a small piece into tiny pieces. Breaking the chicken up in small pieces seems to work better when you use your hands. Once the chicken is broken up, coat the meat with a small amount of water. Drain all the excess water from the chicken pieces and the plate or bowl. If too much water is left, the medicine will puddle on the bottom of the plate and the cat will not eat it. The next step is if the chicken is out of the refrigerator and isn’t at room temperature. Place meat in microwave for around 5 or 6 seconds, just enough to warm the chicken and not make it hot. If the cat does eat hot food, it will burn the cats tongue. Most cats won’t eat anything hot anyway. Now that the chicken is warm, you can sprinkle the crushed pill on the treat and serve to the cat.

Note: Put the crushed pill on the chicken LAST!

Preparing Raw Fish

There is another option for food to administer medicine besides chicken. Raw fish will also cover the smell of medicine. Cats are very picky so make sure the cat that needs the medicine will eat raw fish. With my two cats, one will eat raw fish anytime; the other will smell it then walk away.

Start by testing the cat with the raw fish that you are planning to use to hide the medication. If the cat is ready for the fish, prepare it to use for the crushed pill. With a pair of kitchen scissors, cut the fish into small bite sized pieces. A sharp knife can also be used, but if the skin of the fish to too tough to cut with the knife, try scissors. Once the raw fish is cut into small pieces, coat with water and drain if the fish is dry. Cover the fish in the medicine and offer it to the cat.

Preparing Cooked Fish

The preparation of cooked fish is very similar to the process for the cooked chicken. Cook a small amount of fish and break up in to little chunks. Warm the cooked fish if it was stored in the refrigerator by placing in the microwave for five to six seconds, don’t make the fish hot. Coat the fish with the powdered tablet and serve to the cat.

Note: Always add the pill LAST!

Another good reason for warming food for a few seconds in the microwave is to bring out the aroma of the food. It helps in covering the smell of the medication, therefore encouraging the cat to eat the food that has medicine on it.

If the medicine is going to be given to the cat by offering it raw fish, a small amount can be purchased at any local food market. Cooked fish from a restaurant is also a reasonable choice to cover the smell and taste of the cats medication. Keep in mind with restaurant fish, it may be coated with batter or spices that may not be very good for the cat. In that case, just remove the coating and run under water. If the fish has spices, rinse it with water. Also remember to let the cooked fish get to room temperature or warm in the microwave before adding the medication.

Never put medication in the microwave. It can damage the active ingredients; sometimes even make it toxic to the animal.

For those that were wondering, my older cats name is Eff-Gee(F G) and she knows what time she gets her treat with her medicine. She even asks for it every 12 hours. The other cat, the one who doesn’t like fish, is Sox. He actually prefers the biscuit food over any of the treats, with or without medicine.

Protecting Cats From Cancer

A disease that does not only affect humans but cats as well is cancer. Cats just as other animals can become ill from a number of diseases that can be potentially dangerous and cause death. In this article, we will be discussing a cat named Pip and their owners fight to protect her from cancer. Many of the things discuss was learned by the vet that the family took Pip to. What was learned however, ultimately prolonged the life if the cat.

Pip was a lovable cat that took her place among her human caretakers. She was treated as most pets by people like a member of the family and her life was spoiled in whatever way possible to make her happy and comfortable.

The owners of Pip have lived with animals most of their lives, even running an animal sanctuary in England and from their experience, learned a lot about a variety of animals especially dogs and cats that they used to make the life of Pip long.

Pip, mostly white in color was at a higher risk of contracting skin cancer than other cats because of the lack of pigment. Pip, as with any cat, loved to bake in the sun. Her owners would apply sun cream on her, making sure they got spots that were located around the ears and also made sure there was plenty of shade in garden areas to prevent sunburn.

Pip was checked regularly for abnormalities and was found to have black spots in and around the ear area. These spots prompted her owners to seek the advice of a vet. After examination, Pip was found to have a form of pre-cancer and would need her ears amputated in order to survive.

After realizing that they had no choice if wanted Pip to live, the ears came off about four years ago. To this day, Pip remains healthy not even aware of how close to death she came. If left untreated, the cancer would have spread to the entire body and Pip would not have lived for longer than six months.

Ok, advice to anyone with cats as a pet is to pay attention! If your cat is predominately white in color this means that there is a lack of pigment in their skin which protects them from forms of skin cancer. Have your cat checked regularly if they spend a large quantity of time outdoors. It will save their life.

Cats and Their Health Problems

Many new cat owners are unaware of the problems that their new found friend might have. Some of these problems are even new to those who have owned cats before. Some of the problems that cats encounter can be prevented while other problems are hereditary.

The most common problem among cats is hairballs. Because cats constantly groom themselves, they often swallow hair that is removed by their tongue. The hair that is removed goes down the throat and collects in a ball in the cat’s digestive track. This hair does not always pass through their system. Cats will show signs of coughing and hacking when they have hairballs caught in the digestive track. They will throw up and release the hair ball that way.

Sometimes the hair will pass through their digestive track into the intestines of the cats. This will cause a blockage which is more life-threatening. Owners of cats can check for signs and symptoms in order to get immediate help from their vet. One for sure sign that there is a blockage is that the cat will be constipated and will not eat. The lack of food causes a lethargic cat with a dull fur coat. A vet will be able to examine your cat to determine if this is the problem.

In order to prevent your cat from experiencing troublesome hairballs, you should groom your cat with a brush that is designed to remove any loose hair that it might have. There are also special brands of foods that will help your cat to control hairballs.

Another problem that is relevant in cats is worms. Most often cats are infected with roundworms, tapeworms, and hookworms. Cats will also develop heartworms as in dogs. Signs include cats not gaining weight, a serious infestation of fleas; stool will contain white specks that resemble rice. You should immediate seek the attention of a vet in order for your pet to be examined. When treated promptly, worms can be eliminated with only medication however if left untreated the ultimate result would be death.

A common health problem in cats is urinary tract infections. Infections of this type are common in male cats that are not neutered and in female cats as well. Signs of urinary tract infections are visible when your cat stops going to the litter box. Also a urinary tract infection displays a strong urine smell. This infection can also be treated by a vet who will also be able to introduce ways that will reduce your cat’s chances of developing such infections.

Feline Infectious Peritonitis or FIP is a problem that is caused by a mutated corona virus. Experts have found that cats that live in an environment where there are multiple cats often test positive for enteric corona virus. This virus will remain in the intestines of the cat and some will show no signs of the disease over a lifetime. In some cases, however the virus will develop into FIP.

When FIP develops, the cat will show signs of a upper respiratory infection. Cats will display symptoms of sneezing, watery eyes, nasal discharge and diarrhea along with weight loss and loss of energy. Quite often cats will recover from this illness however some may still continue to be carriers. A very small amount of cats that were exposed to FIP will have lethal reactions.

Cat also can contract an illness known as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus or FIV, a form of cat AIDS which could be fatal if left untreated. This disease decreases the natural ability of the immune system to fight off infections. Symptoms may not appear for many years however when it does present itself, it usually comes along with other illnesses that are in chronic stages.

Other illnesses include oral-cavity infections, upper-respiratory infections, weight loss, even ear infections and diseases that attack the kidney’s of a cat. To date, there is not just one vaccine that can be administered to cats to protect them. Viruses are transmitted through saliva when cats are bitten or have been in fights.

Feline Leukemia Virus used to be the most common fatal disease of all that affect cats. There is a vaccine that is now available which has caused the number of affected cats to decrease. This virus is not only associated with leukemia as the name actually means (cancer of the white blood cells), it also involves many others such as anemia, arthritis, and all respiratory infections. Feline Leukemia Virus can be controlled if your cat received their immunizations prior to being exposed to the virus. Again, if left untreated, it could be fatal and therefore infected cats should be kept away from other cats.

Lyme disease is a common problem among cats that spend time out of doors. Owners of cats should check them for ticks which is the carrier of the disease. Symptoms include pain and loss of energy. Lyme disease can be passed to people as well as other animals.

Symptoms are so hard to recognize and are sometimes confused with other illnesses or just simply old age. Owners should be aware of their cat’s normal behavior and routines in order to spot signs if Lyme disease if ticks are not common in your area. Other symptoms besides loss of energy are failure to jump or climb resistance to weight on limbs and changes in appetite. Early diagnosis of Lyme disease is the key to dealing with this potentially deadly disease. Owners can also prevent contraction by taking precautions early and spraying the surrounding landscape to avoid the presence of ticks.

Cats are fun and can be good companions to anyone who has the patience. As with any animal, making sure that your cat receives regular check-ups will prevent infections and diseases that can be fatal to you friend. Many people have found that cats that spend their lives inside have a longer life span than those that are free to roam outdoors. Inside they are free from environmental dangers such as insects, other animals and cars. Cats will enjoy outdoors however it is important to keep an eye on them in order to preserve their life span.