How to Administer Medications to your Pet

There are a number of different ways that you may be asked to administer medications to your pet cat or dog.

1. Orally: tablets, capsules, liquids and suspensions can be given like this and they don’t have to be prescription medications – routine worming tablets such as Drontal are given this way.
    
2. Topical: these can be liquids, suspensions or creams applied directly to your pet.

• Onto the skin – eg. Antibiotic creams as well as routine flea treatments such as Stronghold or Frontline.
• Into the eye – eg. Antibiotic drops or ointments such as Fucithalmic or dry eye treatments such as Optimmune and Lubrithal.
• Into the ear – eg. Antibiotic and anti-inflammatory drops like Aurizon and Otomax.

You should approach giving medicines to your pet in a calm, confident and reassuring way.

Orally administering pet medicine

In Food: Tablets can be hidden or possibly crushed into strong smelling food. Check with your vet first as some medications cannot be crushed. Capsules can be opened and the powder inside mixed with food. They can also be given as a treat concealed in malleable food such as peanut butter or soft cheese.

Directly into the mouth: Steady or hold your pet still, this may require two people. Place your thumb and forefinger into the corner of the mouth and press to open the mouth.

You can also lift up their head and press down on the lower jaw to aid in opening the mouth.

Place the tablet at the back of the mouth and massage the throat to stimulate swallowing.

You can use a pill giver for this instead of your fingers.

 If reluctant to swallow you can syringe some water into the corner of the mouth. Liquid medications can also be given this way.

Cats may need to be wrapped in a towel whilst you are doing this to prevent scratching.

Topically administering pet medicine

Ears

Steady or hold your pet still. Life up the ear flap (pinna). Place the nozzle of the bottle a little way into the ear. Squeeze until the appropriate amount or number of drops has been instilled into the ear. Keep hold of the pinna and massage the ear canal firmly to ensure that the drops are distributed all around the ear canal. Repeat in the other ear if needed.

Eyes

Hold or steady your pet. Bathe away any discharge from the eye before applying drops. With one hand, gently open the eyelids and with the other, apply the appropriate amount of ointment or number of eye drops to the surface of the eye whilst keeping the dropper at a safe distance of around 1cm from the eye so no damage is caused if your pet jumps whilst having the medication administered into the eye. Repeat in the other eye if needed.

Onto the Skin

Hold your pet still and part the hair on the back of the neck until you can see skin. Place the liquid high enough up that your pet cannot turn around and lick it off. Squeeze the pipette or recommended amount onto the skin and then take care not to stroke your pet in that area so as not to remove the medication. Also do not bath your pet for a couple of days after application so as not to wash the medication off.

For a demonstration on how to give your cat a tablet please see the following instructive video;

020 How to give your cat a pill