Medicating-St Mary's Veterinary Clinic-Treating cats, dogs and rabbits

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This section provides information on a number of subjects. It should be realised that it is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice.

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Giving tablets

Some tablets are palatable so its always worth seeing if your pet will take them when offered. Making it a game sometimes helps such as tossing them in the air or rolling them along the ground. If they can be given with food try wrapping them in cheese or making a slit in a morsal of chicken and sliding them inside. If they can be crushed (some tablets must be given whole) then try mixing them in with food. If they have to be given whole and your pet does't like them then you will need to give them as follows.

If right handed stand to the right side of your pet. You may need help to hold them and your assistant should stand to the left with their right arm over the patient and in the case of cats holdint the front legs.
For dogs open the mouth by placing your left hand over the top of the head and muzzle and pushing the upper lips inward over the upper teeth. Lift the head to point skywards. For cats open the mouth by placing your left hand over the head and gripping the cheek bones.
Hold the tablet in the thumb and middle finger of your right hand. Use the index finger of this hand to pull down the lower jaw by the incisor (front) teeth.
Place the tablet at the back of the tongue as far back as you can reach making sure it is placed centrally.
Close the mouth and stroke the throat. A spoonfull of water helps to ensure the tablet doesn't stick in the gullet.

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Giving liquids

For right handed people stand to the right of your pet and hold their head pointing upwards with your left hand.
Hold the syringe of liquid in your right hand
Place the nozzle of the syringe into the side of the mouth between the canines and the large cheek teeth.
Slowly squirt the liquid in giving time for your pet to swallow.
Keep the head raised and stroke the neck to encourage swallowing.

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Bathing your pet

Reasons for bathing

Pets may be bathed for cosmetic, social (pheew!) or medical reasons. The reason will obviously effect the type of shampoo and the frequency of use. Here we are talking about medical treatments. The type of shampoo will be dictated by the skin condition being treated and will be supplied by your vet. The frequency will also be dictated by the condition but is generally 2-3 times weekly. Less than this is unlikely to help.

How to bath

Bath as frequently as instructed.
Make it a positive experience.
Wet the animals coat thoroughly.
Do not stand your pet in water as this prevents adequate contact of the shampoo with the feet.
Apply sufficient shampoo to several points on the body
Massage the shampoo in using circular movements
Make sure it penetrates to the skin surface. Remember we are treating the skin, not the hair!
Make sure you get in between the pads and toes and under the tail.
Take care around the eyes and ears.
Leave on for 10 minutes. Use a watch.
Rinse thoroughly with clean water making sure not to get it into the ear canals.
Dry gently with a towel and then allow to air dry in a warm draught free enviroment
Cats: luckily they don't need bathing very often!

Using ear medication

Your pet's ears

The appearance of ears varies greatly amongst breeds. This is mainly due to variation in the ear flap or pinna. The ear canal is more uniform. The canal is much longer than in humans and is L shaped. Imagine your own ear canal and adding a further tube that runs towards the top of your head.

Applying medication or ear cleaner

Only use medications prescribed for your pet. Incorrect medications can make problems worse or result in deafness.
If right handed hold the ear flap up in your left hand to expose the entrance to the ear canal.
Use your left hand to instil the recommended amount of drops into the ear canal. It is usually better not to insert the nozzle but to use sufficient drops for the medication or cleaner to run down the inside of the canal.
While still holding the ear flap, gently massage the canal. You should be able to feel the tube as it runs down the side of the head
The final part of the ear canal is often missed and is best massaged by pushing the canal from behind against the jawbone. Try it on your own ear canal to better understand what to do.
Your pet will almost certainly try to shake their heads, so be prepared. Any excess wax or debris from the ear can be cleaned with a small piece of cotton wool on the finger.
Do not use cotton buds.

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Using eye medication

Topical eye drops or ointments are used to medicate the front part of the eye and the conjunctiva lining the inside of the eyelids. When applying the medication it is important to ensure that it doesn't just end up on the outside of the eyelids!

If the medication needs to be given several times a day make sure these are as evenly spaced as possible.
When using ointments make sure they are at room temperature as they will be more liquid and easier to apply.
Tilt your pets head upwards and use one hand to open the eyelids while dropping the medication onto the eyeball or
With your pets head horizontal pull the top eyelid back to reveal the white of the eye and place the medication here or
With your pets head horizontal pull the bottom eyelid down and place the medication on the inside of the eyelid
Liquid medications generally require only one drop as any excess will just overflow.

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Using spot-ons

Spot-ons have revolutionised the treatment of parasitic disease. No more chasing the cat with an aerosol spray or trying to keep the dog in the bath! They have also resulted in unintended suffering due to misuse. Please follow any directions carefully.

Not all spot-ons are equal. Some are more effective than others. If you pet suffers from flea allergy the control from a cheap product may be inadequate!
Not all spot-ons are equal. The type of parasite killed depends on the product. Read the package or ask us what to use.
Spot-ons can kill cats! Cats are very sensitive to certain parasite treatments. If it says do not use in cats, don't! If you've lost the packaging, don't guess! Only use cat spot-ons on cats.
Always read the instructions.
Check how long after bathing you have to wait before you can use it. This may be 48hrs or more.
Make sure you are using the correct size for your dogs size.
If it has a snap off top make sure you shake the fluid back into the pipette before snapping it.
Some pipettes have tops that need to be pushed down firmly before removing or turned over to puncture the vial
When applying, part the fur and make sure you can see the liquid going onto the skin and not just onto the fur
Apply between the base of the skull and the shoulder blades in cats and between the shoulder blades in dogs where the animal cannot lick. In larger dogs the volume may be such that several places along the back may need to be used.
Most are in an alcohol base and so are flammable until dry.
Don't allow other animals to lick the area applied while wet.
Don't allow children close contact for several hours after application.
Don't allow pets to sleep on the bed after recent application.
Check when and how often it is safe to bath your pet without reducing the products efficacy.
Always read the instructions prior to use!

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