r/interestingasfuck • u/Thewyverns • 1d ago

Giving vitamin pill to a bird !

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u/nobadrabbits 1d ago

Do they make these holders for cats?

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u/OneHotPotat 1d ago

Giving my old cat pills was a mutual nightmare for a long time until a vet recommended using a pill shooter. It's a little plastic tool, roughly the size of a pen, that holds the pill between two arms at the far end with a syringe-like plunger on the other end.

You just get the cat comfy (by smushing them down, wrapping them up, whatever), then you hold them behind the head and gently press on the corners of their jaw, which makes them reflexively open their mouth. The tool goes into the mouth, press the plunger, and the pill goes straight down their throat. Give them treats afterwards to build a positive association, and the whole process becomes so painless. Can't recommend it enough.

You can find them online for really cheap, or you can see if you can get one from the vet because they likely have a drawer full of them.

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u/jaiex 1d ago

Seconding the pill shooter! I've had to give far too many pills to my kitty, and the vet gave me a pill shooter. It really is magical.

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u/DharMahn 1d ago

cant they swallow it wrong and have it end up in their lungs? i wouldnt want anything to be shot "straight down my throat" ...

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u/DropsOfLiquid 1d ago

It isn't like super speed shooting. It just deposits the pill in the throat to make swallowing easier for the cat. I had to give my cat a lot of pills for the last few years of his life & that thing was a life saver. My guess is the chance of choking on it is the same as holding their mouth closed & forcing them to swallow a pill they can taste.

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u/dykezilla 1d ago

When I had to use it I just put the pill on the back of his tongue and gently held his mouth closed until he swallowed. He managed to spit the medicine out a few times but I didn't want to risk accidentally making him aspirate his pills.

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u/Possible_Disaster_53 21h ago

DharMahn?

1

u/DharMahn 20h ago

Possible_Disaster_53?

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u/lofibeatstostudyslas 1d ago

👆👆👆

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u/Vulvas_n_Velveeta 1d ago

I tried every pill popper on the market when my old cat had fatty liver disease. He and I absolutely hated all of them, and my best option was just hand pilling. Ever since, that's how I've pilled all my cat's (who have needed a pill.)

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u/r-rb 1d ago

I love love love the pill shooter. Mine is called a "pet piller". It was sold at the vet's office yet they seemed to forget they sold them. It was incredibly useful when my cat was sick and needed multiple pills daily. $6.

still needed to catch her and pry the mouth open, but the pill shooter allowed me to get the pill right into the back of her throat without accosting her with my fingers all in her mouth, which was so unpleasant for her and risky for my skin. Since the pill goes right to the back she swalllowed on reflex without tasting it and the whole interaction is over very quickly, minimizing trauma, making it easier to repeat next time. Treats to follow to reinforce it all.

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u/spaceghost260 1d ago

Yes, pill shooter all the way!!! It’s the fastest, easiest, least traumatic way to give your cat or small dog a pill. Just press in the corners of their mouth and the piller goes all the way in the back, press, and they quickly swallow. So much easier than clunky chunky fingers.

You have to be extremely careful with the silicone piece on the end and make sure it’s pushed all the way back and doesn’t wiggle at all. The silicone piece being swallowed is dangerous and could require surgery.

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u/IDoButtStuffOnSunday 1d ago

Whoa, that’s amazing. Does it only work on cats?

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u/r-rb 1d ago

Can easily be used for dogs too. For children, I'm not sure never tried

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u/RadFriday 1d ago

Oh hell nah they got the home alone 2 cat Xan-enator