restraining the cat prevents either one of you from being accidental y hurt,
and can make medicating him less traumatic.
Your veterinarian can demonstrate using an effective restraint for
your particular cat. Usual y, an extra pair of hands makes medicating go
much more smoothly. One of you restrains while the other medicates.
The restraint technique you choose depends on which part of the
body requires attention. For instance, a muzzle wouldn’t be appropriate if
you needed to treat a wound inside the mouth. Here are some of the most
common types of restraints. Several types are il ustrated in the photos.
Scruff: To “scruff” the cat (top photo), grasp the loose skin over the
neckand shoulders and gently hold her in place against the table surface,
as demonstrated in the photo below. That may be al the restraint needed
for a second pair of hands to apply the necessary medication.
“Clipnosis” Restraint
DVM360, an online veterinary E-newsletter, reported in February
2010 that researchers at The Ohio State University’s veterinary school and
a veterinary clinic in Sainte-Foy-Lès-Lyon, France, studied how to safely
calm and immobilize cats for minor treatments without using drugs. They
found that applying neck clips produced similar results to “scruffing.” They
used two-inch standard binder clips to induce pressure on the neck, just
behind the ear in a study of 13 healthy cats and 18 cats with idiopathic
cystitis. Each cat was evaluated for pinch-induced behavioral inhibition
(PIBI), also cal ed “clipnosis.” The response to the clipping seemed nearly
identical to kittens picked up by the skin of their neck by their mother, and
some cats even began to purr. Of the cats studied, 92 percent of the
healthy cats and al of the idiopathic cystitis cats responded positively, and
tolerance improved with each subsequent experience. Neurologic exams
indicated that PIBI significantly decreased mentation but cats showed no
signs of discomfort, pain, or fear—there were no significant changes in
heart rate, blood pressure or temperature. However, the researchers
cautioned that the clipping procedure won’t work when the cat is already
excited or agitated, so it’s best to use in an already calm, quiet cat before
treating.
Collar restraint: Commercial cone-shaped col ars that surround the pet’s
neck like the elaborate ruff of an Elizabethan noble are cal ed Elizabethan
col ars or E-col ars. They come in a variety of sizes to fit any pet. However,
some cats have trouble eating or navigating with them on. A newer
alternative, cal ed a Bite-Not Col ar is more similar to the stiff cervical
col ars designed for people to wear after neck injuries. These col ars are
used to prevent cats
Kneeling restraint: This is one of the best techniques for medicating
cats, especial y when you are by yourself. Place the cat on the floor
between your knees, facing outward. That helps confine his movements.
(third photo) Then put one hand on top of the head, and the other beneath
his jaw to hold him stil . Slip one finger into the side of his mouth to prompt
the cat to open wide—and pop in the pil or liquid medicine. (fourth photo)
from pawing head wounds or from chewing body injuries. They are
available at most pet supply stores or from your veterinarian.
Body restraints: A baby’s T-shirt provides the cat with freedom to move
while keeping him from bothering healing wounds, stitches, stomach tubes
or catheters. His front legs go through the armholes, his head through the
neck, and the loose end is safety-pinned behind his rear legs beneath the
tail.
Muzzle: Yes, there are muzzles designed for cats. The commercial
muzzles typical y cover the entire face and are fixed behind the ears, and
prevent your cat from biting out of fear or discomfort during treatment.
When you don’t have a commercial cat muzzle handy, a pil owcase works
nearly as wel and also contains the claws. Place your cat inside the
pil owcase with the body part that needs treatment exposed through the
opening. Oftentimes, simply being inside the bag helps calm the cat.
The “Warm Whiskers” Pet Therapy Jacket with a comfy reversible fleece
lining is designed for hot and cold home treatment for your dog. Jackets
come in five sizes and fits pets from five- to 200-pounds. Heat and cold
packs that easily attach to the jacket and address achy joints or injuries on
hard-to-treat lower legs or various areas of the pet’s body. Heating the “red
pack” (fil ed with buckwheat and lavender) in the microwave for thirty
seconds provides twenty minutes of moist and aromatic heat therapy.
Freeze the nontoxic “blue pack” and apply for an hour of cold therapy. The
product uses a Velcro system to fit the jacket, and elastic extensions for
leg placements. The cold or hot packs can be applied inside or outside of
the jacket, where needed. It’s designed to soothe joint and muscle pain
from arthritis, injury, surgery rehab and more, and comes with
aromatherapy for anxious pets.
Medication
Giving cats pil s is notoriously difficult, but often you can request
another form of medicine and make administration easier on you both. A
pil may be turned into a liquid, or compounded into a flavored treat. Some
medicines can even be turned into a transdermal preparation that is
smeared on the skin and absorbed—no pil ing necessary.
Medicating your cat often becomes a quality of life issue for cats,
and may negatively impact the bond you share. If your cat hides from you
out of fear of being pil ed, don’t be shy with your veterinarian about asking
for alternatives. After al , not only his comfort but also the cat’s life may be
at stake.
Topical treatment: Topical application—that is, on-the-skin treatment—
usual y comes as an ointment, salve, or spray and is the easiest to
administer. Pain medicine may come in the form of a patch that’s stuck
onto a shaved area of the cat’s body. Tapazol, a drug used to treat
hyperthyroid cats, can be compounded into an ointment that’s smeared on
the inside of the cat’s ear and absorbed into the system. Take care the cat
doesn’t groom away topical medicine before it has a chance to do the job.
Liquid medicine: Applicators similar to eyedroppers or needle-less
syringes often come with liquids, and tend to be easier to give than pil
forms. Draw up the prescribed amount and then tip your cat’s head up
toward the ceiling. Insert the tip of the applicator into the corner of his
mouth, and squirt the medicine into his cheek, keeping his mouth closed.
You may need to stroke his throat a bit and keep his head tilted up until you
see him swal ow. Cats usual y lick their noses after they’ve swal owed, so
watch for that cue.
Pills: Cats hate pil s. Although dogs readily take pil s hidden in a hunk of
cheese, cats usual y see through the ruse. Or they may take the treat, but
you’l find the pil later in your shoe. When pil s are needed, circle the top of
your cat’s muzzle with one hand, pressing hi
s lips gently against his teeth
just behind the large, pointed canine teeth. That prompts him to open wide,
and when he does, push the pil over the hil of his tongue with your other
hand. Aim for the V at the center of the tongue. If you fear for your fingers,
use a pil syringe (pil gun or pil dispenser), a hol ow plastic tube that
places the pil at the back of his throat. Then close his mouth, and
gently hold it closed while stroking his throat or gently blowing on his nose
to induce him to swal ow. It helps to put butter or margarine on the pil to
help grease its trip down his throat. Watch for the nose-licking cue that tel s
you he’s swal owed. It works best to offer a favorite treat liquid, such as a
bit of tuna juice or a syringe ful of water, immediately after the pil , so the
cat swal ows the treat, pil and al . Otherwise, the pil may get stuck.
Eye medicine: Eye medicine usual y comes as a liquid or ointment. Tip
his head toward the ceiling, gently pul down the lower eyelid, and drip or
squirt the recommended amount of medicine into the cupped tissue. Then
release the eyelid and al ow your cat to blink. That spreads the medicine
evenly over the surface of the eye. It may take two pairs of hands to
administer eye medication safely.
Ear medicine: The feline ear canal is shaped like an L with the eardrum
right at the foot of the L. Keep the cat’s head tipped with the affected ear
aimed at the ceiling so that gravity wil help get the medicine where it
needs to go. Liquid and ointment medicine is dripped into the canal. Be
sure to gently grasp the cat’s ear flap (pinna) to prevent him from shaking
the medicine out. Use your free hand to massage the base of the ear. That
spreads the medicine deeper into the canal. Cats with itchy ears tend to
enjoy this, and may lean into the massage. Painful ears, though, may
require a few treatments at the veterinarians to get him to the point of
al owing you to medicate him at home.
Injections: Medicine administered by injection can provide quicker relief,
and for certain conditions such as diabetes, injection is the only option.
Needles can be scary to pet owners, but cats don’t seem to be nearly as
concerned. Injectable medications come in a vial. Insert the needle into the
vial and pul back on the plunger to fil the syringe to the prescribed amount.
Your veterinarian wil explain exactly how much to give for each dose. Point
the needle at the ceiling and gently thump the syringe so any air bubbles
float to the needle and can be squeezed out with slight pressure on the
plunger. Watch for a smal drop of fluid to appear out of the needle, which
means air is expressed and you’re ready to give the injection. Place your
cat on a countertop, table, or kneel on the floor. Grasp the loose skin over
the cat’s shoulders with one hand to form a “tent” of the tissue. Insert the
needle at the base of the tented skin, horizontal to the cat’s body, and then
depress the plunger to administer the medication. Remove the needle and
gently rub the exit to remove the sting and help the medication absorb.
Grasping the scruff also prompts the cat to be more wil ing to hold stil .
Fluid Therapy
“We’ve taught hundreds of people to give fluids at home, from the very
young to the elderly, and I’ve not met anybody who could not learn the
technique,” says Dr. Little. Fluid therapy is one of the main things you can
do to make cats with kidney insufficiency comfortable, give them a
continuous quality of life, and stabilize their disease. “It makes a
tremendous difference,” says Dr. Little. “It empowers people, too. Owners
are doing something very powerful.”
Al the proper supplies are available from your veterinarian—the IV kit
with the plastic line and large gauge needle, and appropriate fluids such as
saline for kidney disease, dextrose (sugar) solutions to feed, or a
balanced electrolyte solution for other conditions. Injecting fluid into the
veins requires special training, but once your veterinarian demonstrates,
it’s easy to administer subcutaneous fluids – beneath the skin – to your pet
at home. When your cat requires fluids regularly, it’s not only less
expensive to administer them at home, it is much less stressful for your cat.
· Warm the fluids to body temperature by running warm water
over the bag. That makes the experience more pleasant for the cat.
· Suspend the bag higher than the cat, so that gravity helps the
fluid run into the right place. You can use a coat hanger to make a
holder that fits over the top of a door or cabinet.
· Spread a towel or favorite blanket, or set the cat’s bed on a
tabletop, to pad the surface for your pet to lie down and get
comfortable. An ironing board makes a great treatment platform. He’l
need to stay stil for up to twenty minutes, so make the place as
comfortable for you both as possible. A position in front of a window
may help distract him. If he’s too antsy, have a second person on hand
to help manage him, or you can place him in a pil owcase or “cat bag”
restraint or wrap him in a towel. Ask the veterinarian if a heating pad
underneath a couple of layers of blanket is a good idea.
· Pets that need fluid therapy wil have lots of loose skin, and you
need to insert the needle so that the fluid drains into the space right
under the loose tissue. Anywhere on the body wil work, but the best
locations to place the needle are right between the shoulder blades or
right above the ribs. Use the same technique as described to give an
injection. Grasp the skin with one hand and “tent” it—draw it up off the
solid muscle. Then press the sharp end of the needle firmly into the
skin, between where your hand holds the flesh and the solid muscle of
the pet’s body. You’l need to push pretty hard, because the needle
has to be pretty large to feed enough fluid in, and cat skin can be
tough. Push it at a horizontal angle level with the body until you no
longer see any of the needle, but only the plastic head that houses the
plastic IV line. Don’t be surprised if the pet flinches a bit—but once the
needle is in place, he should settle down and won’t be much bothered
by the therapy. Hint: alternate needle sites to prevent scar tissue from
forming that may make subsequent treatments more difficult.
· Once the needle is in place, let go of the tented skin and let it fal
back into place. Open up the release valve on the plastic line, so that
the fluid begins to drain down and into the needle. Some cats object if
the liquid flows too fast, so adjust the speed to accommodate the
comfort of your pet. Watch the container of fluid until the amount your
veterinarian recommends has been given. A severely dehydrated pet
may need 30 mil iliters per pound, while for other conditions, 10
mil iliters per pound once a day may be enough.
· As fluid runs into the skin, you’l soon see the skin start to
bal oon with liquid. This does not hurt the pet, although it may feel a bit
cool, and wil tend to settle and spread out under the skin. The fluid wil
be gr
adual y absorbed into the body and the bal oon wil deflate.
· Shut off the valve on the IV line to stop the fluid, and then gently
remove the needle from your pet. It’s normal for a smal amount of fluid
to leak back out of the injection site—especial y when given over the
shoulders. Giving fluid over the ribs with the needle inserted
downwards wil reduce this loss. You can also help the injection site
hole to close by rubbing and massaging the place. Offer your cat a
scrumptious treat afterward to help associate the treatment with good
things.
Comfort Zone
Ask your veterinarian about the new “indwel ing catheters” designed for
subcutaneous (beneath the skin) administration of fluid. Dr. Martin G. St.
Germain of Practivet developed the administration unit, cal ed the Greta
Implantable Fluid Tube (GIF-Tube). The nine-inch silicon tube is surgical y
implanted just beneath the cat’s skin and a smal skirt of material is sutured
in place to hold the tube steady. An injection port is attached to the outside
portion of the tube. The veterinarian wil change the port each month, but
the tube itself can remain in place for up to a year. A needleless injector
connects to administer fluids through the port. That al ows you to give fluids
to your cat without poking him with a needle.
Golden Moments: Caring for Kricket
Karen and Len Holden of Cedar Hil , Texas, currently share their lives
with three senior citizen cats. Tiffany (aka “Tiff-the-Terror”) is the baby at 8.
“She is our perpetual kitten. It’s like having a two-year-old loose in your
house 24/7,” says Karen. Pumpkin, an orange gentle-giant of a cat, is 12.
“He is the most laid-back guy you wil ever come across.” The two cats are
great pals, and usual y leave the oldest cat alone.
Eighteen-year-old Kricket is a Persian/Manx and the matriarch of the cat
clan. She stil rules the roost. “She can be very grumpy with the other fur-
kids,” says Karen, “but with Len and me she is very loving. ” Kricket has
overcome many chal enges in her long life. The black and gray tabby
survived the bite of a water moccasin snake, being hit by a car, and even
was lost for six weeks before returning home. “We should have named her