My cat has hyperthyroid can't get her pill down her

little daisy · ‎03-10-2010

My cat has hyperthyroid can't get her pill down her, any suggestions

SXMGirl · ‎07-07-2010

Your vet can prescribe a gel formulation of the meds that can be rubbed in her ear.

The next time that I hear salt and ice together, it better be in a margarita!

lolakimono · ‎03-29-2012

I had this too. The pills are very bitter, so you can try to use the Feline Greenies pill pockets, but you have to put them in with tweezers, because they can smell/taste it otherwise.

Image result for feline greenies pill pockets

I did the pills for about three days, and my cat was a zombie. She could barely walk, threw up a bunch, and then I decided I wasn't going to do that for the rest of her life.

I took her to Radiocat for the radioactive iodine treatment and she was right as rain. This bought us another year and a half together before she ultimately succombed to kidney failure, which is what hyperthyroid symptoms can mask.

You can also try the transdermal gel (goes in the ears) but that is an imperfect science and requres frequent monitoring.

Jtdmum · ‎03-17-2010

Great idea about the vet, if that doesnt work can you mix it in food? I know cats graze instead of eating " meals" like dogs. Could you pick up the dish for a few hours and mix the pill in their favorite wet food then watch to be sure they eat it up? Possible to maybe crush the pill and stir it in?

How about feline pill pockets? My dog thinks his meds are a treat since I started pill pockets.

Good luck!

graciesmom1 · ‎07-29-2010

My 15 year old Tuxedo is also has hyperthyroidism and I give him Methimazole twice a day using the pill pockets. I alternate between chicken and salmon flavors and he takes it without problem. I did have difficulty with episodes of vomiting (the med is very irritating to the stomach) but started giving him Pepcid AC (the generic version) 5mg (recommended by vet) once a day and he tolerates the anti-thyroid med without problem now.

carlycat · ‎06-07-2010

My Carly has been on the pills for over 2 years now. At first I dissolved the pills in chicken broth and shot it in her mouth with a syringe. She hated it, but I did that for a year. (Tried the ear thing, irritated her skin) Now I dissolve the pill in about 2 teaspoons of skim milk and she happily drinks it. She also has kidney disease and I can't recommend highly enough Pet Wellbeing Kidney Support Gold. It is an herbal tonic (bacon flavored) that I add a few drops to the milk. Her kidney results are back to normal after a year on the tonic. Carly is 20 years old and going strong.

susan kay · ‎06-28-2011

My cat has the same issue. My vet gave me my options, and I decided to use the methimazole gel inside the ear. He indicated that this was not as harsh on the stomach. We've been using it over a year, and there have been no problems. This is a compounded option, and there is only once place in my area that formulates this. I don't like him being on this medication for a long period of time, but I know what would happen if we stopped!

There is, also, a food option. I believe it's called Hills Y/D, but the cat cannot eat anything else when on this food! Also, and maybe your vet discussed this with you--there is a radioactive iodine therapy for cats that is an option. My cat was not a candidate for this procedure, or I would have chosen this option.

I do agree that pill pockets might help. You have to be very careful with the pockets and read the directions so that the cat does not smell the meds being put inside. I've used a "pill popper" with my cats before, but for me, I just don't like this option unless all else fails. Best of luck to you.

GCR18 · ‎07-03-2013

I dealt with this with my boy, Rick, for five years. He passed in March. We started with the ear gel. It was okay. It ended up not being a high enough dosage, so we switched to the pills. He was on four pills a day at the end. If I could do it again, I'd do the surgery option.

For a long time, I put the pill in a little piece of smoked turkey. Rick gobbled it down. When that trick stopped working, I put it in his food. I'll put it on top to be sure it was his first bite. It got hard at the end because his appetite wasn't there.

I wish you luck. I know it's not easy.

Naneen · ‎04-23-2010

We have two elderly cats approximately 18 years old each. Both are on thyroid pills for hyperthyroidism. We started with the methimazole in the white chalky pill, which was very hard to administer.. it was a battle each time we had to give it to them as it seemed to get stuck sometimes in their mouths as it was such a dry pill. Then, we went with felimazole (which is the same as methimazole) which is a small, round, coated pill that will slip right down their throats since its coated. We use something called a "pill popper" which they sell on Amazon, to insert the pill in their mouths. We use the straight one without the handles. Getting anything into a cat's mouth if it doesn't want it, is such a struggle and its still a battle sometimes, but the different pill and using the pill popper thing really seems to help a lot. Good luck to you and your kitty.

Oh, and by the way, ..... this may sound kind of odd, but I'm convinced they can read our minds. Our cats will be sleeping soundly in the bedroom many times, and I go to the kitchen to get their pills ready, and I come back, and they're both under the bed or have gone into another room to hide... lol. I know it sounds crazy, but many friends have said their cats behave the same before getting meds, going to the vet, etc. So, now I just hum a little song and try not to even think about pills while I'm getting them ready.....sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Its really sort of uncanny.

sandraskates · ‎06-26-2014

@Naneen wrote:
Oh, and by the way, ..... this may sound kind of odd, but I'm convinced they can read our minds. Our cats will be sleeping soundly in the bedroom many times, and I go to the kitchen to get their pills ready, and I come back, and they're both under the bed or have gone into another room to hide... lol. I know it sounds crazy, but many friends have said their cats behave the same before getting meds, going to the vet, etc. So, now I just hum a little song and try not to even think about pills while I'm getting them ready.....sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Its really sort of uncanny.

Hahahahah - so true! Our buff tabby periodically takes medication when his skin issues flares up. And *he knows* when the jig is up and I'm coming with the syringe. *He knows*.

We had a tuxedo cat and he took thyroid medication. His was compounded at the pharmacy and was liquid so we did the injection in his mouth. Never fun.
At least it was compounded in fish flavor.