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Post by catcalleddog on Aug 6, 2013 15:02:04 GMT
Our cat Bumble has a stomach upset (caused by eating too much fur perhaps!) and we have some gastric medicine to give him (it's a her actually but behaves like a tom so...). I tried to get near him with a syringe earlier today, and he went nuts - flinching and running away. He is a VERY bold cat usually. We don't want him to run away (he did last year for 2 weeks) because he thinks we have got it in for him! (The good thing is that he had the most important medication by injection at the vets this morning; this syringed stuff is just to lessen his gastric irritation). We shall try and put the liquid medication in some tuna later. Has anyone got any better ideas? Some cats are immobilised if you hold the scruff of their necks. Bumble certainly isn't though! Here's a picture of Bumble by the way: www.thisissouthwales.co.uk/shaggy-dog-story/story-19617958-detail/story.html#axzz2b60KzCB0
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Post by tonib on Aug 6, 2013 16:41:09 GMT
If Bumble is shying away from the syringe then putting it in something he likes is probably the best thing, especially if its quite smelly, such as pilchards in tomato sauce etc. Howwever only a small amount to ensure he eats it & doesn't leave the medicine.
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Post by catcalleddog on Aug 7, 2013 9:18:20 GMT
Some success! We put the most important medicine from the syringe into some tinned last night, and Bumble finished it (the vet said the medicine was quite pungent so needed some strong-smelling food!). Then we did the same this morning with the usual pouched cat food - and he finished almost all of that too!
So then when he asked for more food later, I thought I'd try the second medicine (a paste to solidify his stools) and he ate that too in cat food!
The problem appears to be solved! Thanks for the help.
I have never known a cat react so badly though to someone trying to put something in his mouth (in this case a syringe). It can't be pleasant, but our previous cats just found it uncomfortable and annoying; for Bumble it was an utter trauma which he took half a day to get over! Maybe he has memories somewhere from a previous experience. We were worried Bumble might be so disturbed that he might run away; but a few hours later he could be approached again instead of shrinking away, cowering and growling!
Bumble's condition is not serious - just a stomach upset, retching and some diarrhoea, probably caused by eating fur! I shall try and groom him more now (but he hates his underside being touched!)
Also, with many cats one can immobilise them by holding them by the scruff. Not Bumble! He's a really fierce wild cat at heart - one reason we call Bumble a 'he' even though she's a 'she' (Bumble is very tom-like in behaviour in so many ways).
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Post by tonib on Aug 7, 2013 15:30:41 GMT
We've got 4 cats. Roman we can give liquids or tablets no problem, thank goodness as he's the one whose needed the most due to injuries. Lexie you can give tablets to although not over keen but never had to try liquids. Osiris is not useless with tablets, but with assistance I've given him liquids once for a few days. Penny don't even try it - she's on regular metacam & we put that in her food daily. Any tablets we have to crush into her food. Glad to read Bumble was a good girl & ate up all her meds
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Post by scallywag on Aug 7, 2013 15:41:43 GMT
catcalleddog glad Bumble co-operated with the meds. Hope she gets better soon
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Post by catcalleddog on Aug 8, 2013 7:06:37 GMT
tonib - I love your cats' 'ancient history' names - a real mix of Roman, Ancient Greek and Egyptian! Were you inspired by The British Museum?
Bumble is on the mend. I am taking the vet's advice and only giving the syrup in food twice a day to settle the stomach and cure the gastritis. Bumble is not retching any more anyway (maybe the vet's injection on Tuesday helped a lot). The other medication is just a paste to firm up stools - so can be skipped or given once a day. But 2 lots of medication in one serving of food may be a bit much (and if they can taste it, they won't eat it!).
I remember all our cats over the years, and the hell my mum had when I was a boy giving our first cat Tippy pills! I think he always manage to spit them out! Also, he was an ex-farm cat so very wild (he had to be sedated to let the vet examine him!)
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Post by catcalleddog on Aug 8, 2013 7:07:55 GMT
@scallyway
Bumble is getting better thanks - much brighter than before. Maybe it was just one of these bugs that go round - everyone gets them, whether they've got 2 legs or 4!
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Post by tonib on Aug 8, 2013 17:17:39 GMT
Glad to read Bumble is improving all the time. catcalleddog we have to give Penny 2 lots of meds in the evening, she gets powders in the morning every other day as well. As she's on a controlled diet (weight is lost but have to maintain it) we can't give her too much in the way of treats. She mainly has dry which also doesn't help but she gets a couple of teaspoons (or there abouts) of Applaws/Encore moist in the evening & we give her half with one meds in (its Yumega oil for her coat) & when sh'e eaten that she gets the 2nd with her metacam in & only then her dried. In the morning she gets a third of a tin of Gourmet Gold gravy in which her powders are mixed as required, again she gets that slightly before she gets her dried. That way she doesn't have to have all her meds in one go & is encouraged to eat it. As to our cats names they were called that when we got them from the rescue. Not sure if they called Roman that or he was named when he came in (there's a bit of vagueness about his history depending who we speak to there) Penny & Osiris came from the same home into the rescue (a lady having to go into care) & they were called that when they came in. A strange mix but there is 7 years between them but I think the owner had them both from kitten so no idea why the decided difference in name style. Thank you on their behakf for the complements on their names though
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Post by camorris on Aug 15, 2013 22:31:45 GMT
Sausage has a syringe of Metacam every day. To administer, I grip the corners of his mouth from above and slip my little finger between his teeth to get an opening. Then I squirt, quickly. I've only ever ended up wearing it once.
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Post by catcalleddog on Sept 15, 2013 8:30:22 GMT
camorris - I used to do the same with our old cats from 2010-2011 (they died last year, June and August). It was fine with them.
But boy oh boy, it just ain't possible with the more aggressive sort!
I ended up putting the syrup via syringe in morning food instead - and so long as the food smells strongly and one doesn't put too much in (if one has more than one medicine to administer, it can mean small, timed meals).
Tricky with 2 cats too - not good if the wrong cat gets a fix!
Tonib - yes Bumble is fine thanks. He does seem one of these cats that gets regular little bugs of diarrhoea episodes, probably linked to the fact that he's semi-longhaired and must eat an awful lot of fur! It's an issue to manage - not solve!
Got to keep Bumble looking his best though now he's famous (actually Bumble is a she but is so like a tom, we call her 'he' - and that also helps top differentiate Bumble from the other she, Honey Cat). The 'Me with Bumble' photo is on my Twitter account and is also getting used in magazines etc for features on my book A Cat Called Dog - so we have to keep Bumble looking supreme!
Our other cat Honey does not like being picked up - though she is getting better at trusting (she was traumatised when we got her last August after living under floorboards following a police raid on her former owner - a drug dealer). This is why only Bumble is in the photo.
Though Honey Cat did get a spot on TV last month (as part of a feature on health - I am involved in the soon-to-be-published report on the NHS complaints process by Ann Clwyd MP).
Both cats have featured in magazine viewer photo pages too. Famous cats eh? No other cats we have ever had have been in magazines, on TV, or in any way famous!
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Post by tonib on Sept 15, 2013 16:35:43 GMT
Glad to hear Bumble is OK now, Know what you mean about cats ingesting hair, luckily Penny, who is a short hair but with a thick coat, doesn't have an upset stomach just furballs, sometimes after she's just eaten so the food comes up as well. We possibly could give her Katalax to help but she's already on enough meds for arthritis & some hair loss - although she does have plenty still just the odd place, but that has now stopped. Poor Honey Cat, hope she can recover from that experience & trust more. You definitely have famous cats
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Post by catcalleddog on Sept 25, 2013 9:15:04 GMT
Oh Bumble is fine - I'm just keeping an eye, and seeing if any matting occurs, then manually sorting it out. He doesn't mind me pulling out clumps of fur either - except in his more sensitive parts. (by the way, Bumble is strictly a SHE but we can her a HE, because of tom like behaviour - Bumble is the most territorial cat we have ever owned and will chase any cat that comes into our yard all the way up the lane!) Honey Cat is still occasionally nervous - but only for some things. She doesn't like being picked up yet - but neither did Fifi when we first got her, and she loved being picked up after a while. The funny thing is, some things don't bother Honey at all - like a TV crew turning up! She slept through it all. You'd think she'd be nervous of strangers - but she is more likely to jump if I make a sudden movement in the kitchen when she's eating. The TV piece is not related to cats (though I did get my book on TV in the establishing shot, on the suggestion of the film crew!), but you can see Honey Cat (with me and my mum) on TV here: www.itv.com/news/wales/story/2013-07-26/wales-biggest-hospital-dangerous/
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Post by lotsofcats on Sept 25, 2013 10:09:09 GMT
So glad that Bumble has now improved and you managed to get her to eat her food with the medication in it. It's a nightmare trying to get my 7 to have any medication. Kiba-Khan is on long-term medication for constipation but that can now go on his food thank goodness. When I first had to give him his medication in capsule form I tried to just put it in his mouth quickly but he spat it out. Tried this another twice and then resorted to holding his mouth shut and it was done - or so I thought.........Kiba was then seen stalking away in a huff, tail in the air......with the capsule stuck on the end of his tail!
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Post by tonib on Sept 25, 2013 15:56:00 GMT
catcalleddog, Honey Cat looks really peaceful on the sofa, hope the issue of the hospital care is progressed satisfactorily
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feelwells
Newbie
Posts: 6
Pets I own: 3 Border Terriers - our Board of Directors - Alfie, Lola & Hudson plus a big Ginger Tom Rescue Cat
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Post by feelwells on Oct 10, 2013 16:14:25 GMT
Put it onto his leg - he wont be able to help himself - he will have to lick it off
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