# Medicating w/ Ear Cream?



## AmberD (Dec 29, 2003)

Apparently, it is possible to have medication turned into a cream that can be rubbed into the tip of a cat's ears, where it is absorbed into the blood stream. Has anyone had experience with this?

At the ripe age of two, my cat Scooter was diagnosed with congestive heart failure. He is on a daily dose of Lasix (furosemide) for the rest of his life. Traditional pilling is not an option. It really isn't. My cat is screwed up in the head. He has issues. If you do something he takes as an attack, he will react in fear to you for some time. If he doesn't see you for a couple days, he will forget who you are and believe you are some evil alien out to abduct him. If you sneeze, he runs in terror and hides until any lingering sneeze particles are completely dissipated. These don't even begin to cover Scooter's special-ness. 

He is generally a nice cat, and has become increasinly loving since I moved with him to my apartment a few months ago. At almost 4 years old, he is getting back to the bonding phase we were in the middle of when I had to leave the state for 5 months when he was 6 months old. All that is really beside the point, sorry. 

PILLING

The first couple times, he was fooled with cheese. Then he was not. Then, he was in love with Pill Pockets. When he lost interest, I switched flavors, and that was okay for a little while. Now, Pill Pockets of any flavor are of no interest to him. Then, he became quite fond of these cranberry treats we sell at petsmart, that I could stick a pill in. Then he lost interest. After I moved, I was able to get him to just eat the pill in his canned food, now it doesn't work. I'm near tears every night, trying to get him to eat it.

Physically, I could pill him, but then I might not see him for three days. He would run, bug-eyed, at the sight of me. Neither he nor I could spend the rest of his life like that. 

Then I heard about this ear cream. It might be expensive, and I don't exactly have a lot of money, but I don't care. If I could possibly afford it, I will get it... if it works.

Any info would be great.


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## dmcwlvssr (Apr 24, 2005)

I would be interested in this too, I have 2 kitty's on daily meds that is a constant struggle to deal with.


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## AddFran (Jul 10, 2004)

If this is an option for other meds, I think it would be GREAT. After my recent experience caring for sick kittens, I'm about over trying to force meds in and dealing with the drama queen stressed out foaming mouth, yowling, gaggingm, vomiting aftermath!


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

I've heard of this done with holistic/naturopathic and homeopathic medicine, but not allopathic (conventional) medicine, so I'm interested in the answer, too.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Yes this is an option for some meds but not all. It's called Transdermal Gel. I used it on Callie with an anti-nausea med. Very easy to do, it comes in a syringe, you squeeze out the right amount on your finger (I used the pad of my thumb) and rub on the inside of the ear. They give you little latex finger covers that you need to use so that you don't absorb the med.

You would get it at a compounding pharmacy. If they can't do the gel, compounding pharmacies have a variety of other options. They can make liquids in all kinds of flavors like chicken, beef or fish. They also can make treats in different flavors. Look up compounding pharmacies in the yellow pages in your area and then give them a call and see what alternatives they can suggest. Your vet will need to call in a prescription. 

As for pricing, I've tried the treats, the liquid and the gel...it seemed that the minimum charge was $30, usually for a 30 day supply. I had one that was $45, but it had 2 meds mixed together in the same gel cap, so I only had to give one pill. Of course it will depend on what the med is, but expect at least $30ish.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

I was typing while your were posting Tim...yes, allopathic meds can be done this way, but as I said...not all of them. The most common is Tapozole used for hyperthyroid. I was using it for metoclopramide (aka Reglan) for Callie. Callie was also on prednisone and flagyl and neither one of them could be done as a transdermal gel.


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## OsnobunnieO (Jun 28, 2004)

I would suggest trying a liquid first and mixing it into a food. Or keep trying with hiding it in treats (have you gone back to the old favorites to see if you can fool him like the cheese or pill pockets?)

My vet is the only experience I've had with the transdermal gels. She has 4 cats on clomipramine (kitty prozac) and another she has just started on it for thyroid medication.

I'm not a fan. I never feel like they actually get the right dose even if they are. I'm always afraid they'll immediately start to groom or otherwise rub some of it off. You're supposed to alternate ears and (at least with the thyroid meds) clean them every few days to get rid of the residue. Almost seems like more work than what its worth. Plus, the medication is just gross.

I'd use it as a last resort. I'd say switch up the treats really often so he doesn't have much of a chance to get bored. If that doesn't work, try mixing it as a liquid into his food (or even seeing if he'll lick it up on its own) before trying the transdermal.

But before you get all worked up about it, I'd call and ask if they can do the Lasix in a gel... because if not you're better off knowing now rather than later.


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## AmberD (Dec 29, 2003)

OsnobunnieO said:


> I'd use it as a last resort.


Trust me, it IS a last resort. Two years of this now has me totally broken. I know it's really hard to get an idea of what this cat is like. If I were everyone else, I would probably think I was just a bit neurotic. I'm not. He is.

He likes his ears to be rubbed. He does not like leaving his food half on the plate because there is a pill in there. Medicine in liquid form still tastes like medicine, and the second he tastes the medicine, he is gone, no matter how much he wants the food. Believe me, we have tried everything several times over. If I do put it in real chicken or hamburger, he'll probably eat it, but I'm sure even hamburger would lose favor with him if I used it long enough.

Hsving the pharmacy put it in treat form is an interesting idea, but given his track record, there's a good chance he wouldn't like it from the get go, or else he'd lose interest in it after a month or two. I want something I can use the rest of his life. I am willing to wash his ears every day. I cannot handle his increasing paranoia as I follow him around the house sticking different treats under his nose, trying to get him to eat it before the pill just disinegrates.

Lasix can be made into the gel. I found out about it from someone who used it for the same problem, and his regular EKGs indicated the medicine was working great.


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## Leazie (Apr 14, 2007)

They will flavor liquid meds for kids, do you think you can get the lasix flavored? It might help. 

The only thing I would worry about with a kitty with CHF is that he might not be perfusing as well to far off places like his ear tip, so absorption of the med might be difficult to regulate. Of course, the stress of trying to give him a pill when he's terrified isn't going to help the stress on the heart, so you will really have to weigh the options.

I don't envy your positin. Wish I had more to offer.


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## AddFran (Jul 10, 2004)

I would think that trying to coax him to eat - watching him only eat half a meal where the medicine is hidden or him spitting out most of a dose of liquid medicine would be more ineffective than the possiblity of slight irregular dosage being provided through the gel. 

In other words, even if the gel on the ear doesn't gaurantee a perfect dose each time it's applied, he'd probably be getting a more regular dose of the medicine with the gel rather than trying to figure out how much he's spit out, thrown up or walk away from and wasted in a food bowl. 

I think this is a great idea when you've exhausted other options. I had the same problem getting Trot to take medicines before and after his surgery even pills if I put them in his mouth and held his mouth closed, I'd see him swallowing, but sure enough even a few minutes later he'd spit the pill out or slide it out between his teeth. Crushing it up and putting in food, he'd take one bite and walk away...then not only would he not eat the food with the medicine again, but he'd associate that food with the medicine and wouldn't eat that flavor/brand of food again either until he had long forgotten about it. 

The drama I recently encountered with the kitten who yowled and foamed at the mouth before her gagging and self induced vomiting probably wasn't the most effective method either, so when you have cases like these, I think this gel is a fab idea.


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## Leazie (Apr 14, 2007)

I hadn't thought about the fact that mixing the med with food might mean less med being taken  . Sorry about that...it's the human nurse in me again.


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## AddFran (Jul 10, 2004)

Leazie said:


> I hadn't thought about the fact that mixing the med with food might mean less med being taken  . Sorry about that...it's the human nurse in me again.


LOL.


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## Nell (Apr 7, 2005)

I used the gel for a while with Trixie for her Thyroid meds. It worked great as far as getting the medication into her and was pretty easy to apply. She just didn't like me messing around with her ears. She doesn't exactly like being pilled either, but it seems to be quicker and easier for both of us, which is why I didn't continue with the gel.


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## AmberD (Dec 29, 2003)

AddFran said:


> I would think that trying to coax him to eat - watching him only eat half a meal where the medicine is hidden or him spitting out most of a dose of liquid medicine would be more ineffective than the possiblity of slight irregular dosage being provided through the gel.


Thanks. That's what I'm thinking. The liquid doesn't seem like a good idea at all for that reason. Unless it's squirted down his throat, there's no way to tell how much he eats. And if I wanted to shove something down his throat, I'd be pilling him, because he can't drool out a pill.

I appreciate everyone's thoughts and suggestions. I have to go to the vet today for a refill anyway, I will mention it to her. The closest compounding pharmacies are about 40-50 minutes away, but that's okay.


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## OsnobunnieO (Jun 28, 2004)

most of them will ship the medication to you


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## AmberD (Dec 29, 2003)

Talked to the vet, she talked to a pharmacy... and I should have the gel in a couple days. Will let you know how it goes


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## OsnobunnieO (Jun 28, 2004)

good luck!


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