How to give my cat Clavamox?!?

Question

He has a uper respitory infection! I tried to give him it(it is drops 2 times a day orally) And he wont let me open his mouth he sctraches me and tries to bite me! What else can i do to get it into his mouth? Can i mix it in his food or something? Please help!

Answer 1

Hi Justin...here are some instructional videos by Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine on how to give cats medications (both liquid and dry tablets):

Pill: http://www.felinevideos.vet.cornell.edu/pill_or_capsule/
Liquid: http://www.felinevideos.vet.cornell.edu/liquid_medications/

They show you how to properly restrain a cat with a towel as well as administer the medication.

Answer 2

Any antibiotic could cause diarrhea in a cat, just like it sometimes do on people. The importance of the antibiotic (whether cepha, clavamox, baytril, etc) is that you use the correct dose (usually every 12 hours with clavamox) and the correct length of time. Is she running a fever? Is the wbc count any better with the antibiotics? Above all, make sure she is eating, as cats can develop liver dz (hepatic lipidosis) if they stop eating.

Answer 3

I agree with Seattles answer. I would not recommend your trying to put the meds in your cats food, as that medication needs to be given all at once not over the course of a mealtime. Good Luck.

Answer 4

Learn how to scruff the cat, this can be done without harming the cat and you won't get scratched or bitten when giving meds.

Answer 5

This might be a two-person job. Get someone else to hold your cat and and have them firmly grip the scruff of his neck to immobilize him. Then, gently pinch his little jaws to open his mouth. Have the dropper filled and ready. Once his mouth is open, place the dropper as far back in his mouth as possible and quickly squeeze the dropper, then clamp his little mouth closed for a moment or two so he doesn't spit it out. After you've done this a few times, you'll be a pro :)

Answer 6

It's very hard to sneak anything into a cat's food - they always know it's there and will refuse the food.

Wrap your bad boy in a towel and force the dropper into one side of his mouth until he opens it (it is rubber and won't hurt him) way back on the side as far as you can go.

I recently had to give a cat the drops for a solid month. He would run under the coffee table in the den and then run under the table in the living room. I hope he doesn't need anything again soon as it was a real drag. I did get his doses in him though.

Answer 7

Ahhh -the joys of medicating a cat! pills are so much easier, once you learn the technique...

For liquids, tilt the head back a little, covering his eyes with your hand. With the dropper of meds, place the tip in the corner of his mouth and draw the lip back behind the teeth. Put the dropper further in his mouth (further down the throat), the less he tastes, the more successful you are. Squeeze the liquid in his mouth and close his mouth shut (firmly, yet not too tight, either). Give a slight blow of air in his face and he should swallow (you will know this when he sticks his tongue out, licking his chops).

Placing the meds in food won't help, unless you give a little tuna, which is so strong in odor, that he may still go for it. Good luck!!

Answer 8

When giving my cat medication, I hold him under one arm (with only his head sticking out from under my amr) and sit on the couch (so he can't back out!). Using the hand of the arm that is holding him, I pull his lower jaw down and insert the medication syringe with my other hand. I place it as far back in his mouth as I can get it and push the plunger. Not real pleasant for either of us but it gets the job done. You have to be fast.

I also heard you can wrap the cat in a towel or something (sort of like a straightjacket effect) but that didn't work for me, he got right out of it.

Answer 9

there are lots good answer out the i myself had to give my dad's cat drops it was hard he tried to scratch me he was then he bit me try and give in some moist food with the drops mixed in with that might work Good Luck

Answer 10

Everyone who answered knows what they are talking about. Wrapping your arm around him works well. Or with a towel, so his paws can't get to your arms. And sometimes, with difficult cats, it does take two people. But it is best to do it as fast as possible. The longer you take, the more time he has to figure out how to stop this from happening. We had a cat come into out vet clinic last week who was IMPOSSIBLE to medicate. And his owner lived by herself, so she brought him in twice a day for 10 days. We put him up on the table, and one person held him in a towel, kind of holding his butt up against their belly, and their hands holding his head, and the other one squirted it in the side of his mouth really quick. We did it quick so he didn't really know it was coming. I hope this helps, and i hope your kitty gets better!