# Word of warning for administering tablets\Capsules to cats



## Missie (Jan 18, 2009)

Hi everyone,

I thought Iwould post this as a word of warning to you all for when the vet gives you tablets or capsules to treat your cat. I recently have had a really terrible time with my cat Toffee, she was fighting and got an abcess on her paw, took her to the vets and they gave her an antibiotic injection and also 9 days treatment with Antirobe capsules incase an infection in the bone occured. Approx 6 hours after giving her the second capsule on day two, it all went wrong, she wouldn't eat even though she kept sniffing the food in her dish, and then kept bringin up a white foam everytie I touched round her throat, even tho I was hardly touching her at all. The vet told me to keep her comfortable overnight and take her in first thing the next day, thought something was irritating her throat...possibly a blade of grass. She sedated to her and could find nothing, so we had to take her to a specialist animal hospital so they could put a camera down her throat to have a better look....the result, oesophagitis caused by the capsule disolving in the first part of her oesophagis and effectively burning her skin so it became very inflammed and very painful. Toffee has since made a full recovery but that took 5 days of intensive hospital care and a further three weeks rest and wet food only, at home. All the care and medical treatment cost us in all £1300, this monetary value of having my little girl back home and fit and well was non negotiable however I wanted to make you all aware when getting medication from the vets for your cat that the nurse will not give you this information unless you ask. My Vet Surgery owner is basically saying that there is nothing tha could have been done to avoid this, and ironically the infection that she was being treated for was and infection that she didn't actually have, they prescribed them as a precaution. So please please please speak up and ask the nurse\specialist about the side effects, it could very well save both your self and your kitty alot of pain and stress.

Sorry this is so long but wanted to give you a good picture of the scenario!


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## pugsley Adams (Dec 30, 2008)

I agree, I usually give my cat meds, with hiding it in food that she likes, same with Jingi. Excellent of you to provide us with this information, very interesting to say the very least!


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## kozykatz (May 18, 2008)

Sorry you've had such a bad experience. It's advisable always to give a small syringe of water immediately following administration of any tablet or capsule to a cat, for this reason (danger of irritation to the oesophagus)
However I know that most vets don't give that advice 

I've had to give my cats antirobe capsules in the past and they're really too big to give directly, so I always open the capsule and suspend the contents in 2ml or so of water, that way there is no risk.

I do wish vets would be more careful and give appropriate warnings and precautions.



Missie said:


> Hi everyone,
> 
> I thought Iwould post this as a word of warning to you all for when the vet gives you tablets or capsules to treat your cat. I recently have had a really terrible time with my cat Toffee, she was fighting and got an abcess on her paw, took her to the vets and they gave her an antibiotic injection and also 9 days treatment with Antirobe capsules incase an infection in the bone occured. Approx 6 hours after giving her the second capsule on day two, it all went wrong, she wouldn't eat even though she kept sniffing the food in her dish, and then kept bringin up a white foam everytie I touched round her throat, even tho I was hardly touching her at all. The vet told me to keep her comfortable overnight and take her in first thing the next day, thought something was irritating her throat...possibly a blade of grass. She sedated to her and could find nothing, so we had to take her to a specialist animal hospital so they could put a camera down her throat to have a better look....the result, oesophagitis caused by the capsule disolving in the first part of her oesophagis and effectively burning her skin so it became very inflammed and very painful. Toffee has since made a full recovery but that took 5 days of intensive hospital care and a further three weeks rest and wet food only, at home. All the care and medical treatment cost us in all £1300, this monetary value of having my little girl back home and fit and well was non negotiable however I wanted to make you all aware when getting medication from the vets for your cat that the nurse will not give you this information unless you ask. My Vet Surgery owner is basically saying that there is nothing tha could have been done to avoid this, and ironically the infection that she was being treated for was and infection that she didn't actually have, they prescribed them as a precaution. So please please please speak up and ask the nurse\specialist about the side effects, it could very well save both your self and your kitty alot of pain and stress.
> 
> Sorry this is so long but wanted to give you a good picture of the scenario!


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## Cyberfyn (Nov 25, 2008)

I also always give with food. Either by crushing the tablet up and mixing with butter, then wiping on the front paws. Or just mix with their morning feed. Trying to cram a med down a cat's throat is never an easy experience!

Ian F.


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## joote (Dec 11, 2008)

god this is awful i'm glad everything is better now!
It's things like this that make me worry about vet trips, I always need to go by reccomendation. 
A lady I know took her cat for a routine operation but they gave the poor guy too much anesthetic, he's now blind and disabled, such a shame, she's taking it to the top though - hopefully they'll get some sort of justice


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