# Crush & Mix pill ahead of time



## Kittys Mom (May 7, 2004)

I crush up Kitty's Methimazole and mix it with a tiny amount of baby food. Then I suck it up into a syringe and give it to her. I WAS mixing it with tuna juice and letting her drink it on her own, but she's being a dork and refusing to eat again, so the syringe method works best.

However, it's really time-consuming. I give her the meds in the morning, so that I am consistant on the administration time (evening meals are totally unpredictable). But I'm always rushed in the morning and the pill preparation just slows down the process.

My vet knows that I crush and mix and she's never said that it was a bad idea. What I'm wondering is, if it would be okay to prepare the syringe the evening before and stick it in the fridge overnight. It would really save me a hassle in the morning. Does anyone know if that would be okay?

If the pill would have the same strength, etc, then I suppose the only issue might be that, given the time to completely dissolve, it might taste nastier than usual to Kitty.

What do you all think?

btw, last time Kitty was pilled, 3 weeks ago, she bit a hole right through my sister's fingernail. She hates being pilled and it's really not an option on a day to day basis. I've been looking into the transdermal gel, but I have not yet committed to ordering it.


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## Smirkitty (Apr 19, 2008)

When my RB kitty was diagnosed with thyroid issues, I told the vet that I could not do pills, that I had to have a liquid. This particular cat was VERY no-touchy, and I was not about to stress her (and me) even more with the struggle of trying to pill her twice a day.

So my vet had an oral solution of the methimazole mixed up, and I used an oral syringe which went much more quickly, with less stress for both of us.

Just before she passed away (5 years after initial diagnoses, at the age of 20), my vet informed me of a transdermal gel, you just wipe it inside the ear and you're good to go.

Check with your vet about these two options. It may take some work to find a compounding pharmacy (yes, got my kitteh meds at a people pharmacy!), but I can't imagine your vet doesn't have other clients who require the oral meds instead.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

Having that exposed to liquid the whole night doesn't sound like a good idea. I prefer the idea of getting it made into an oral suspension or a transdermal gel. Let us know what your vet says; I'm curious to find out.


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## Casey76 (Jun 11, 2008)

Please do not mix up batches of medicine with food.

Some drugs are very sensitive to how they are stored, and can have thier pharmacodynamics radically altered by exposure to heat/cold moisture etc.

According to the SPC for Felimazole (thiamazole) (aka methimazole): http://www.noahcompendium.co.uk/Dechra_ ... 40417.html

"Do not break or crush tablets."

At best nothing happens to the drug, at worst it could precipitate a reaction to the drug, or the drug may lose efficacy and not work properly.

If you are unable to pill your cat I would ask the vet for an oral suspension.

(PS. I am a pharmacologist and work in drug safety, so this is something very close to my heart)


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

I've heard of people having Methimazole compounded into a transdermal gel and also into a chewy treat. Talk to your vet and a compounding pharmacy. I believe they prefer to use oral carriers as it's easier to regulate the amount ingested, whereas the absorption of transdermal gels may vary cat to cat.


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

^^What doodlebug said. I got Puzzles Tapazole compounded into a chewy tuna treat that she just loved and was easy to give and inexpensive.

The transdermal gel is also good, but not as reliable as oral administration.


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## Kittys Mom (May 7, 2004)

Thought I'd just update this thread. 

I finally got my prescription to an online pharmacy and ordered her methimazole compounded into a tuna flavored oral suspension (liquid). I don't think she likes it too much, but she DOES accept it just fine. 

It's SUCH a relief! It's SO much easier to just grab the bottle and syringe and I'm ready to go, as compared to before when I was crushing and liquifying and trying to get it into the syringe that way. It's gone from a 15 minute event to a 2 minute one!

My vet was excited too! 1/2 of a pill isn't quite enough for Kitty, but trying to do 3/4 of a pill would be ridiculous (the pills are quite small...if you cut it into fourths, it'd be pulverized). Now that I'm doing a liquid (0.5 ml per day), we can adjust it slightly (and easily) to a stronger dose. 

Thanks for the advice everyone!


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

Maybe your vet is excited to learn something new from a client.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Cool!

Callie had the tuna flavor once and didn't like it, the chicken went over better. They also have beef. Might be good to mix it up on her anyway...keep her on her toes :lol:.


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