Page 71 - Complete Cat Care: How To Keep Your Cat Healthy and Happy

Giving your cat a tablet

Step 1 Step 2 Step 3
With a helper holding the cat, place your Grasp the jaws between forefinger and thumb Place the tablet on the back of the tongue.
hand over the top of the head. Try not to and gently tip the head back. With the other Close the cat’s mouth and stroke the throat
bend the whiskers. forefinger, open the mouth. to make the cat swallow. 69

clean, warm water. For itchy skin ◁ Elizabethan collar
or minor wounds, bathe the area A soft or rigid cone-shaped collar, sometimes
called an Elizabethan collar, is designed to
with saline solution—a teaspoon of prevent a cat from licking a wound or surgical
salt dissolved in 1 pint (500 ml) of incision site.
warm water. If the cat resists, wrap Nursing a sick cat
him in a towel, leaving the sore
part exposed.

After an operation Alternative therapies
A cat that has had a general Many pet owners have an interest
anesthetic may be groggy for a in using alternative therapies to
while. Stay with him until he is maintain their cat's health or to
fully alert. Keep him indoors until treat certain disorders, such as
any surgical wound has healed and Giving medication allergies and joint pain. Some
therapies involve plant-based or
dressings or stitches have been It is essential to follow your vet’s other natural remedies, such as
removed. Your vet may fit a soft, directions on giving medication and herbalism and traditional Chinese
cone-shaped collar to prevent your complete the full course, especially medicine. Others involve touch
cat worrying at a wound, and you with antibiotics. Ask your vet to and manipulation, such as TTouch,
chiropractic, and shiatsu. Other
may have to remove this to let the demonstrate how to give eye or ear alternative therapies include
cat eat. For small wounds on the drops or dose the cat with a syringe. acupuncture and magnetic
limbs, the vet may cover the area Medications should be given by therapy to stimulate the cat’s
with “antilick” strips impregnated an adult. Give tablets by hand natural healing mechanisms. Some
with a taste that cats dislike. You (see above) to make sure the cat of these therapies may even be
covered by your pet's insurance
should check a dressing or a cast swallows them and that other pets policy. If you do wish to try an
several times a day to ensure do not take them. It may help to alternative therapy, ask your vet
it is clean and dry. If the cat crush tablets into a small amount for guidance. All practitioners
seems in pain (hiding, resisting of tasty food, or wrap a small should be registered with a
examination, or unwilling to eat), amount of food around them (do veterinary governing body, such
as the American Association of
or if the wound looks sore or has a not do this if the tablet has to be Veterinary State Boards in the US.
discharge, contact your vet. taken on an empty stomach).

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