3

My kitty has some liver issues so is on a bunch of pills, and it is a lot of work to pill her.

Two big pills are Enrofloxacin/Baytril (left) and Clavamox (right). Pictures below with ruler for scale. They are about 1 cm wide as you can see in the picture below.

I have been splitting them in half to make them easier to swallow, but that of course increases the number of things I have to force down her throat. :( Also the Enrofloxacin is bitter and splitting it breaks the coating and exposes the bitter insides which makes it harder for the cat.

Is it ok to pill her on these whole pills or should I split them and do two doses?

I might try the Enrofloxacin first since it is thinner and rounded while the Clavamox is thicker and more rectangular.

enter image description here

Improve this question
2
  • My cat successfully swallowed an Enrofloxacin this morning. It did not seem difficult for her. Would be great to bet advice from someone who knows though...
    – minou
    Commented Feb 21, 2022 at 20:06
  • 1
    Where I live vets/pet shops have some kind of tasty clay to hide the pill in, my cat then swallows the whole thing.
    – AndreKR
    Commented Feb 21, 2022 at 20:38

4 Answers 4

Reset to default
2

Both of those pills are fine to give to a cat whole.

Both medications are specifically developed and sized for dosing cats (as cats and dogs are different species and therefore have different dosing requirements, as well as different sensitivities to both drugs and other ingredients used). There's no reason a manufacturer of a tablet specifically for dosing cats would make said tablet too large for a cat to swallow.

Additionally, giving the full tablet will be a more comfortable experience for your cat. Splitting the pill adds sharp, jagged edges and corners that can scrape and poke when she swallows the pill, as well as adding the bitter flavor from breaking the coating on the Enrofloxacin tablet. Intact, the pills have smooth, rounded edges and no sharp corners, making it easier for them to go down.

I have dosed average-sized cats with Clavamox many times over the years; they've never had any problems with the size of the tablet. Go ahead and dose with the entire thing.

Improve this answer
0

You can try any of these:

  • Crush the pill, then mix into the wet food (if in a wet food diet)
  • Crush the pill, mix with little water, then use a pet-friendly syringe to force-feed the cat. I always use this method, as I'm afraid big pill can choke.

There are many pill-crusher you can find at any online store.

Improve this answer
4
  • 1
    What about the bitter taste?
    – Allerleirauh
    Commented Feb 21, 2022 at 19:16
  • 1
    Bitter taste seems less hazardous than choked by a pill. My cat can detect a foreign substance added to the wet food, that's why I pick the second option.
    – Radityo Ardi
    Commented Feb 21, 2022 at 19:21
  • 3
    Enrofloxacin should not be crushed per the manufacturer.
    – minou
    Commented Feb 21, 2022 at 20:04
  • Are they water soluble? If so, try dissolving them in small amount of water, and adding to the wet food the next day
    – CSM
    Commented Feb 21, 2022 at 20:58
0

Buy gel capsules...break the pill into two or four pieces to fit in the capsule...give it to your cat. No taste and the capsule goes down easier.

Improve this answer
1
-3

Here's the easy way - get a bit of water (maybe 5 ml) in a small cup. Drop the pill in it for a while (couple hours or more). The pill will start to either

  1. dissolve into the water
  2. breakdown into powder form and settle in a heap at the bottom of the water.

Stir the water thoroughly and add it to some tasty wet food or gravy. The cat will be happy to eat it all up. No fuss, no struggling with crushing, etc.

Improve this answer

Your Answer

By clicking “Post Your Answer”, you agree to our terms of service and acknowledge you have read our privacy policy.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.