Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic

Tips on Giving Your Pet Oral Medication from the Doctors at The Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic.
Cats
1. When giving a medication in pill form, first wrap it in deli meat, tuna fish, a pill pocket, or any treat that your cat will enjoy
2. Capsules are easy to break open and mix with wet food (a/d) or tuna fish.
3. For tablets, try hiding it in wet food. Be sure to ask before crushing up any medication as some should not be crushed!
4. If the above options do not work, you will have to force the cat to take the medication. Place the pill (throw the pill to the back of the throat) on the inside of the back corner of the mouth (as far back as you can get it) and then hold your cat’s mouth shut while they swallow. It usually slides down easier if dipped in a small amount of butter. You make also use a piller to get the medication to the back of the mouth.
5. If the medication is in liquid form, you can sprinkle it on their food or mix with their food, which your cat sometimes will eat without noticing. This will usually need to be a very tasty food such as a/d, tuna, salmon, beef jerky, deli meat, liverwurst, etc.
6. If you free feed your cat, you will need to give the liquid directly. Draw the medication up with a syringe and place the tip of the opening to the corner of your cat’s mouth. Place the syringe between the lips and slowly squirt the medicine into the mouth (not too quickly as to gag the cat, but quick enough she doesn’t have time to pull away). This may take a few tries because your cat will most likely pull away or struggle, until they understand what is happening. You can also hold the scruff, tilt the head back, and squirt the liquid in the side of the mouth. Giving them a treat or water chaser after medication, helps the medication go down and makes the next time easier.

Dogs
1. When giving a pill, simply wrap it in a very small piece of “Human” food (deli meat) or dog treat, and follow the “treat” with a much larger treat immediately. This will cause them to rapidly swallow the first treat with the medication as they anticipate the larger treat that follows.
2. When giving a liquid let your dog smell it first and then squirt it in on the side of the mouth. Remember to hold the mouth closed until you see a good swallow (about 3-5 seconds). Then give a treat after the medication as a chaser.
3. Pills may be given with a small amount of butter, followed by a treat.
4. Pills may be given with a small amount of peanut butter (since peanut butter is sticky it sometimes causes the medications to get stuck in the mouth).
5. A small hole may be punctured in a marshmallow and the pill may be given in this mechanism.

* If they refuse to swallow, holding their muzzle shut and blowing on their nose or rubbing their throat usually encourages them to swallow.

* At The Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic we can flavor most medication here with our flavoring system to make it more palatable. We can mix both pills and liquid into a variety of flavored liquids your pet will enjoy. Ask us about Flavor Rx Mandarin orange, chopped liver, grilled tuna, crispy bacon, salmon, mom’s banana bread and other flavors.

* We can also give many medications in injectable forms. Ask about Convenia, this injectable antibiotic only needs to be given once every 2 weeks.

* Call us anytime that you have questions about medicating your pet!!!

* Call to verify that the particular medication that you are trying to administer to your pet can be given with one of the things or methods that are recommended in this handout.  Some medications cannot be mixed with certain food, medications, or methods.  Some medications must be given at certain times of the day.  Some medications are sensitive to heat, cold, etc.  If you have any questions consult your veterinarian on a particular medication or disease.

Dr. Bill Langhofer, The Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic

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Open 7 days a week from 7 am – 9 pm.  Yes we are open on Sunday!!!

The Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic DENTAL CARE RECOMMENDATIONS:

Good teeth and gums are very important to the health of your pet, the average animal lives 2-3 years longer with healthy teeth, than those with gingivitis and tartar. Bad teeth and gingivitis can lead to heart disease, kidney and liver failure, and many other diseases.

1. We recommend starting on Plaque Off. It bonds to tartar, and breaks tartar off the teeth in addition to preventing new tartar from forming. Simply add this powder to ‘s food daily. This product works well for dogs and cats that do not like to chew or are too sick for a dental cleaning.

2. You can also use dental chews, and we recommend CET HEXTRA chews. A recent study in the Journal of Veterinary Dentistry noted a 46% reduction in gingivitis with rawhide chews. CET chews have enzymes that help eat the tartar off the teeth. It also has an antibacterial agent (Chlorhexidine gluconate), that acts like a mouth wash. These help to scrape tartar and plaque off the teeth and to reduce bacteria in the mouth. If you purchase chews from a local pet store, please keep in mind that they must be “enzymatic” to be really effective.
*Overall chews are safe and very beneficial to the teeth; however, if you pet swallows them whole they must be discontinued as they can cause a blockage and may require surgery. Other rawhides/chews tend to cause more problems with diarrhea/vomiting as they are cured with formaldehyde. The CET Chews are cured with a bake and press method which make them safer to give to your pet, and easier to digest when swallowed.

3. We also recommend you try brushing ‘s teeth 2 times weekly. You can buy toothpaste and toothbrushes here or at the local pet store. Do not use a human tooth paste as these cannot be swallowed.

4. Greenies can be beneficial to the teeth. Make sure your pet does not swallow them whole as they can cause a blockage and possibly require surgery.

5. Dental cleanings are recommended for pets with tartar and gingivitis, and for pets that will possible require tooth extractions. At The Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic we have great discounts on our dental prophys the month of September and February, with discounts of 25% on the cleanings. Most dogs and cats will require a dental cleaning around 7 years of age and every 1-2 years after to keep the teeth in good condition.

Dr William ( Bill ) Langhofer
The Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic
7311 E Thomas Rd
Scottsdale, Az 85251
Open 7 days a week!!

Many pets will not eat the commercially available diets when they are in kidney failure.  To make a home-made kidney diet for your pet, you may use the following ingredients and guidelines for mixing and creating the diet. Begin by feeding 1/2 cup twice per day and then increasing or decreasing diet based upon weight changes to maintain an appropriate weight. A new diet will need to be made every 5-7 days to prevent feeding spoiled food.  This is the recommended amount for an average size cat.

>> White meat chicken, chicken gizzard, plus 2 hard-boiled eggs, with a touch of clam juice or chicken broth: 20%

>> Kidney beans: 10%

>> Well-cooked white/basmati rice, polenta, barley: 60%

>> String beans, squash, asparagus, kale: 10%

All of these should be mixed together and cooked.  After cooking the mix should be refrigerated or frozen until feeding.  A batch should be remade at least every week.

Other supplements that may be recommended by your veterinarian, and may be added to the food after cooking :

Fish oil.  Pet tinic. Epakitin.

Dr. Darren Wright, Veterinarian at The Scottsdale Veterinary Clinic, a pet clinic that is dedicated to the whole health of your companion in the Phoenix, Arizona Area.

480-945-8484

TSVCpets.com