Best way to ensure cat swallows Drontal pill?

[Gwen]

Just put it down his neck woman

[Millys Mum]

I tried that with hairball malt but it stuck to my fingers too much  a different brand may be better tho

[Team Svartalfheims]

Coating the pill with something they like the taste of like hairball paste or Nurish-Um paste means they usually object less when you put it in their throat as when they swallow it tastes nice.

[Millys Mum]

The syringe you mention is a pill popper, i prefer to use my fingers as its less of a handful 
Fancy a VN not being able to pill 

Get your vet to demonstrate the method and you could try milbemax as they are half the size and not bitter like drontal.
You need to tip the head right up and go over the back of the tongue, i follow mine up with a bit of water and then some food so they go all the way down.

[em1209]

I have real problems with worming tablets, I think it's been drontal we've had. Tried opening their mouths and putting it straight in, but I can't seem to close their mouths properly for them then to swallow, their tongues seem to get in the way? So then we try cooking some fish and breaking it up (interesting what you said about drontal neednig to be taken in one Millys Mum, I didn't know that). but they take a few bites of the fish, immediately know their something up and then leave it.

I know at the vets they have said before if you have any problems bring them in and the nurse will give it to them. So the last time that's what I did (I'm really lucky as they don't mind going in their carrier and the vets is only about 10 mins away). I saw the most dozy nurse ever who had the tablet attached to the end of a long syringey type thing. She tried first with Fergus and couldn't even get it in his mouth. I was having to hold him and so it was me getting scratched! She tried a few times and it was obviously just upsetting him, she tried Polly who at that point wasn't even coming anywher near the opening of the carrier. She was just useless. I should have said somehting at the time but nevermind. Anyway she then sold me the one you spot on their neck. I did this and it ran everywhere, made their fur really slimy for a good few days and Polly managed to lick some of hers so she was running around the house like a maniac foaming at the mouth. So all in all we haven't had a very good experience with worming!!!

They're due to go for their injections at the end of the month, so I'll see if the vet can give them a tablet each, otherwise I'll try the "dairylea method"!

[fluffybunny]

The late Sooty had all his tablets hidden in primula with shrimp.  I do the same with Milly now, but my darling greedyguts Geoffrey will eat anything vaguely in the vicinity of his food bowl so his isn't a problem 

[tigerbaby]

Tigerbaby - does jameson like raw steak? Its very easy to make a slit in a cube and slide the tablet in, steak doesnt touch the sides here so always works 

Shhhhh! He might hear you! Steak is a luxury here... ha ha! But yes it makes sense what you're saying, and I was thinking of doing similar but sticking them into a prawn. Jameson is absolutely addicted to prawns.

[Bazsmum]

One of my cats was being naughty and didnt swallow the Drontal and started foaming at the mouth with it....not a pretty sight! 

[Tiggy's Mum]

I'm the 1st to endorse the Primula trick with tablets but Drontal worming pills are pretty big compared to Milbemax 

Yes but that means they get more Dairylea so everyone's a winner 

Or they crunch them 

Not in my house, the dairylea is hoovered up in a split second with no chewing or even licking.  Riley then lunges forward to Lu's blob which is on my other hand, I then have to push him away with my other dairylea smeared hand so he ends up all sticky    When Lu's finished his they then get to share the rest of the triangle 

[Millys Mum]

I'm the 1st to endorse the Primula trick with tablets but Drontal worming pills are pretty big compared to Milbemax 

Yes but that means they get more Dairylea so everyone's a winner 

Or they crunch them 

Drontals need to go down in one go or the coating comes off I can pill all of my lot first time bar lola, shes always trouble 

Tigerbaby - does jameson like raw steak? Its very easy to make a slit in a cube and slide the tablet in, steak doesnt touch the sides here so always works 

[tigerbaby]

I will usre millbemax in future - Beavis looks like he has rabies after his worming tablet!

I'm so happy I read here about the ''foaming'' in mouth after Drontal - or I would think my cat was being poisioned!!!

Definitely will stick to Milbemax.

[Kirst]

I will usre millbemax in future - Beavis looks like he has rabies after his worming tablet!

[tigerbaby]

Also Milbemax have a meat flavoured coating so a lot of cats will eat them as a treat - they are called "Milbemax Tasty" now - quite a new thing. Cats up to 4kg only need 1/2 tablet. Drontal are very bitter and will make cats foam at the mouth.
PS - They claim 9/10 cats will eat Milbemax as a treat but none of mine would 

Interesting. I have already offered my friend our Drontals and will use Milbemax as usual when it's next due.

[Den]

I do down the hatch here as well.

[Mark]

Also Milbemax have a meat flavoured coating so a lot of cats will eat them as a treat - they are called "Milbemax Tasty" now - quite a new thing. Cats up to 4kg only need 1/2 tablet. Drontal are very bitter and will make cats foam at the mouth.


PS - They claim 9/10 cats will eat Milbemax as a treat but none of mine would 

[tigerbaby]

We had one Milbemax left so this morning I made sure Jameson was wedged in between my knees (I was sitting down on the floor), opened his mouth with both hands (right hand over head opening top of mouth, and left hand holding jaws underneath opening the bottom of mouth), I pulled his head back and OH popped the pill in! It was surprisingly easy and we watched Jameson afterwards to see he didn't spit it out. Gave him a treat and wetfood. He was a very good boy. I did an attempt on my own before that but it was quite hard and he spat it out!

Didn't realise Milbemax are smaller than Drontal - a bit annoying as we just bought Drontal yesterday and would like the de-worming process to be as easy as possible. If I had known I'd gone to the vets for another lot of Milbemax.

[swampmaxmum]

Milbemax is the one DEFRA make you use when you travel so it must cover all nasties.  I just open mouth and put pills down the throat (regularly get my finger a bit bitten mind you although not too hard!). I always give either some water or some wet food afterwards so it doesn't go down dry.
The large worm pill once got pouched by Swampcat - funny as it had been 'given' to him by the vet - and I found it in his vet basket about 3 months later when he had to go to the vet! They are wonderful at pretending it's gone down, then spitting it out when you aren't looking    So far the record for pill spitting is about 1 metre - can anyone beat that?! :-)

[Bazsmum]

I always go straight down the hatch, but I dont use Drontal, I find them too big, so I pay extra and get Milbemax instead. Not sure why one is POM and one isn't though.

Me too???  would make life so much easier! 

[Mark]

Here is the article about making sure your cat has some liquid or food to make sure the pill goes straight down to the stomach.

http://www.catinfo.org/pillingcats.htm

[Desley (booktigger)]

I always go straight down the hatch, but I dont use Drontal, I find them too big, so I pay extra and get Milbemax instead. Not sure why one is POM and one isn't though.

[tigerbaby]

Thanks Reynard - that sounds like what my vet is also doing so will try that.

[Reynard]

1) Wedge cat in corner of sofa / armchair & secure in place with knee

2) Pull head back as far as it'll go by holding either side of whisker pads

3) Open mouth - with head back it is a doddle

4) Use free hand to poke pill to back of throat

5) Close mouth and let swallow reflex take over

Works for me. Drontal are tiny compared to Toby's arthritis supplements and he can get the supplements down no hassle using this method. I do syringe a little water into his mouth before and after just to help it go down. It's a quick, easy and no-stress method.

[Kirst]

Oscar was a demon for sniffing out a pill , so I found the best way was to open his chops and get the pill right to the back of his tongue - then a gentle throat stroke and all gone.
 

[tigerbaby]

Yes the staff at PAH said the spot on only does tapeworm whereas the pill covers all of it.

[Mark]

That's funny - I wonder why Milbemax is POM but Drontal isn't? 

[Rosella moggy]

I know Droncit spot on is only tapeworm (just ordered some for Billy) but think Drontal tablets do the lot.

[Mark]

Milbemax is what the vet has been giving Jameson - but we thought we'd try Drontal this time. They work the same way right? I made sure it was for tapeworm too.

I thought Drontal only did tapeworm? - Mine get stronghold, except Clapton gets just a flea spot-on as he is allergic so I have to give him Milbemax - I also have some profender spot-on wormer but it's expensive compared to Milbemax - I also think you only need to give 1/2 tablet up to 5kg.

[Tiggy's Mum]

I'm the 1st to endorse the Primula trick with tablets but Drontal worming pills are pretty big compared to Milbemax 

Yes but that means they get more Dairylea so everyone's a winner    Primula is useful for regular meds as it comes in a tube so it's cleaner and easier, downside is that it only last for a short while once it's opened.  Dairylea/laughing cow are individually wrapped so you can keep them in the fridge for months and months.

[Rosella moggy]

I'm the 1st to endorse the Primula trick with tablets but Drontal worming pills are pretty big compared to Milbemax  

[tigerbaby]

Milbemax is what the vet has been giving Jameson - but we thought we'd try Drontal this time. They work the same way right? I made sure it was for tapeworm too.

[Mark]

Milbemax are smaller but you need a prescription for them but you can get Drontal from VetUk etc without one

[tigerbaby]

When we first got Jameson (and I didn't know better) we bought the Bob Martin stuff - and I chopped it up into tiny little pieces and hid in sardines. Problem now is Jameson seems to ignore sardines.

I will try the Dairylea thing though - need to get some first. Or..... anyone tried hiding a worming pill inside a prawn?  Now that might just work!!!!

[Mark]

I can't pill cats so they have to get hidden in chicken skin etc. I put a link on a while ago by a vet who says that after anypill, a small amount of water should be syringed as some tablets can damage the oesophagus if they stay in one place. I'm not explaining it very well so I will put the link in  

I tink Tan may have added it to the health section.

[Tiggy's Mum]

One word... Dairylea 

Dairylea, laughing cow or primula work best as they are a bit firmer than the likes of philadelphia.  Cut off a small chunk of a dairylea/laughing cow triangle, poke the tablet in, let J lick it off your fingers in one greedy gulp tablet and all    The dairylea method worked for literally thousands of tablets for Tiggy when she was on daily meds, it's been foolproof on the boys so far aswell!

[tigerbaby]

We bought Drontal today - usually our vet gives Jameson the pill - by opening his mouth, chucking in the pill and quickly gives the back of his mouth a little tap so he swallows it straight away.

Is this the way you guys do it too, or is there an easier way?