Many pets require daily medication—often in the form of pills—for chronic health problems.  While it’s easy for most pet owners to sneak a pill into a dog’s food and treats, pilling a cat can be more of a challenge.

There are some interesting alternatives to pills if you need to medicate your cat on a daily basis.  Of course, you should always talk to your veterinarian about the pros and cons of pill alternatives before deciding.

Many compounding pharmacies make veterinary medications for pets in a variety of forms.  The two most common are in the form of flavored treats and transdermal medicine that gets absorbed through the skin.

Treat meds are usually soft and chewy and come in a variety of flavors such as fish, chicken, beef, and even butter.  Most pharmacies will recommend that you store them in their original sealed packaging in the refrigerator to keep them fresh.

Transdermal meds are compounded into a gel form that you can rub into the inner part of a cat’s ear where there is little hair.  Vets call this area the pinna.

Be careful to use rubber gloves or finger cots if you apply the medication by hand.  You can also get it in the form of a pen that twists to dispense the drug onto a sponge tip that you apply to the ear.  Most vets will recommend that you alternate ears if you medicate your cat every day.

Here’s a YouTube video that shows how to apply transdermal medication to a cat’s ear:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULGzluh5LA4&w=560&h=315]