Purrs In Our Hearts - Cat Forum UK

Cat General => General Cat Chat => Topic started by: Christine (Blip) on September 21, 2007, 20:08:14 PM

Title: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Christine (Blip) on September 21, 2007, 20:08:14 PM
After discussion with the vet, a very slight stiffness in Blips right hip (which several chums on here and I discussed last December) has led us to try Cosequin.  Blip is very difficult to medicate so I have capsules to sprinkle on her food.  You can guess the rest.  :tired:

I want to try the processed cheese trick but cannot remember what folks use?  Dairylea or Primula?  And which is the smelliest, fishiest flavour?

This may be doomed to failure, but I am determined to try  :thanks:
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Kittybabe (Ruth) on September 21, 2007, 20:10:22 PM
Lexy loves Dairylea  :innocent:  and highly recommends Blip have some dropped on her fur because lapping it up is fun!  :doh:
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on September 21, 2007, 20:31:18 PM
The smelliest fishy thing is pilchards in tomato sauce  ;D
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Christine (Blip) on September 21, 2007, 20:35:50 PM
The smelliest fishy thing is pilchards in tomato sauce  ;D

Yep.  And guess what?  Blip wont go near it  :tired:
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on September 21, 2007, 20:36:12 PM
hmmmmmmmm
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: berties mum on September 21, 2007, 21:32:07 PM
Bertie loves Primula and it has a picture of a mouse on the tube.  Enough said  ;D
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Gwen on September 21, 2007, 21:44:13 PM
The smelliest fishy thing is pilchards in tomato sauce  ;D

Yep.  And guess what?  Blip wont go near it  :tired:

Don't blame him,its disgusting :evillaugh:

You tried salmon paste?  Mine go mad for salmon paste
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Tiggy's Mum on September 21, 2007, 21:48:01 PM
Hmmn, tough one  :doh:  Dairylea is the original cheesy treat but Primula is in a tube so much cleaner as you just squirt a blob instead of dissecting a triangle  :evillaugh:  Primula also comes with the added delight of either Ham or Shrimp too - can't decide, all I can say is the boys have only ever tried Dairylea (and Dairylea light) and they both got the paws up  ;D  Tiggy loved both equally although I think she was pleased to find little hammy or prawny chunks in it from time to time.
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Reynard on September 21, 2007, 22:42:12 PM
Pearl recommends Laughing Cow!

Toby has glucosamine & green-lipped mussel capsules - putting the stuff in his food is pointless, so I just ram a capsule down the hatch and he doesn't get a choice...  :evillaugh:
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Pinkbear (Julie) on September 21, 2007, 23:08:10 PM
I tried the kittens on the Dairylea that Jumpy wouldn't touch tonight. They loved it!  ;D

Does Blip go for liver pate?  :shy:
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Christine (Blip) on September 22, 2007, 16:28:12 PM
Well, here is my Lack of Progress report  :shify:

Blip took one look at the elegantly presented Primula swirl into which I had lovingly mixed the Cosequin then turned and walked out of the kitchen.  I think we can deem that a failure  :tired: That probably rules out the whole cheese motif.

Pinkbear, she used to go wild for Waitrose organic pork pate but the wretches no longer sell it.  I have tried other pates but they do not have the same effect.

I will try Gwens idea of salmon paste (I have a jar of Thai shrimp paste on the go all the time for us and I imagine that is similar stuff?) but this is the cat that will not eat any type of treat except tuna.  I tried to Mickey Finn her tuna a couple of years ago and she even rejected that.

I have managed to get two doses down her by stirring them into her suppers and hardening my heart against the pitiful miaows so I have a feeling that might be the only way.

Sigh.   :thanks: for all the good suggestions though!
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Reynard on September 22, 2007, 17:22:25 PM
Christine, I have had the same problem with Toby and his glucosamine capsules. IMHO best method is just to pill Blip with the capsule rather than trying to put the contents in food.

Toby doesn't have any choice - down the hatch the capsules go. So far, my fingers are just about intact, but he has turned spitting pills out into some sort of an art form...  :evillaugh:
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: deni on September 22, 2007, 18:29:02 PM
Try Marmite or Vegemite, a tiny amount of course. Old animal nurse trick, vitamin B is good for them in small doses.

Make sure there is plenty of water around.  ;)
Title: Most expensive answer
Post by: deni on September 22, 2007, 18:33:14 PM
Just remembered something called Gentleman's Relish, it stinks, it's expensive but my boyz loved it. :P
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: blackcat on September 22, 2007, 18:35:39 PM
a cheaper version is anchovy paste.
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on September 22, 2007, 23:46:03 PM
Marmite is very high in salt I believe, or am I mixing it up with OXO cubes  :-:
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: blackcat on September 23, 2007, 08:11:39 AM
No. Marmite, Vegemite, oxo cubes and soy sauce are all very high on salt - that's why we love them (well, except for the Marmite yech)
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Corporal Smokey on September 23, 2007, 12:03:02 PM
Heinz (I think it is) do a baby food called "Mum's Own". There's a beef or chicken flavour one (just beef or chicken, no fancy casseroles or stews bleurgh! :sick:). It's about 90% meat and the rest is all good stuff too. I think it's quite pricey but worth a shot. And, as it's baby food, you'd hope it's low in salt and stuff.
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Mark on September 23, 2007, 12:11:04 PM
As long as it doesn't contain onions - I think a lot of baby food does.
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Corporal Smokey on September 23, 2007, 12:17:44 PM
No definately not. I posted somewhere else about how fussy meowmy is about food after researching for her crf cat. We're not allowed onions or anything onion related, salt (not even briny tuna) or anything else that's not as close to 100% meat as possible. She doesn't even give us a nice bit of liver...
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Tiggy's Mum on September 23, 2007, 12:30:06 PM
Mum's Own Chicken and MO Beef is definitely safe for cats...  It's like the holy grail trying to find it though, Asda and Tesco's both apparently stock it but I've never seen a single real life jar of the stuff  :evillaugh:
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Christine (Blip) on September 23, 2007, 14:08:58 PM
Lots of ideas  :wow:

My OH reminded me that Blip used to like Terracusty (I havent seen it for a while  :() and, in similar vein, ate some vanilla ice cream that I had bought for a friend.  So we have bought a carton of custard and some vanilla icecream to try.

If that doesnt meet with approval, I shall try these good suggestions one by one.
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Christine (Blip) on September 23, 2007, 16:06:51 PM
oops, forgot to respond to Witty  :-[

I am embarrassed to say that I have never given a cat a pill: when Blip had to have daily antibiotics I got a friend to come and do it  :-[

I think I may need a training session as, inevitably, we all of us tend to need more medication as we get older.
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Gill (sneakiefeline) on September 23, 2007, 18:35:03 PM
I also have never given a cat a pill except when it crushed up.

Dont have full use of one hand so cant hold them, cat or pills  :rofl: :rofl:  Also cant get the tops of bottles and stuff where you have to push and turn!!!!!!!!!!!

Cant hold flaming Misa anyway he is just toooooooo big and strong for me, I such a weakling  :rofl: :rofl:
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Reynard on September 23, 2007, 22:35:35 PM
oops, forgot to respond to Witty  :-[

I am embarrassed to say that I have never given a cat a pill: when Blip had to have daily antibiotics I got a friend to come and do it  :-[

I think I may need a training session as, inevitably, we all of us tend to need more medication as we get older.

No worries, Christine. Thought you responded in the "general methods" bit!  :evillaugh:

Here's a way to try, works well enough with Tobz, though he oft doth protesteth much. 

Jam the cat in the back corner of an armchair or sofa and use your hip (and body weight) to keep cat in place. Have pill ready to hand. With one hand take the cat's upper jaw, with the bridge of the nose in the bridge between your thumb and index finger. Pull the mouth open and the head right back so that the drop to the back of the throat is effectively straight down. With other hand, drop pill in. Quickly close mouth to avoid spittage of pill and rub throat until you see a swallow. Have dollop of butter or laughing cow to smear on nose to encourage swallowing of said pill.
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Christine (Blip) on September 29, 2007, 17:33:49 PM
If anyone is following the Joint Supplements thread, you will know that I have had success by mixing the Cosequin into Primula and smearing it on Blips front legs - which is pretty close to what Ruth said at the start of this thread, of course.  I had resisted doing that (not sure why, really  :Crazy:) but in fact, I think, Blip rather enjoyed the Primula.

 :thanks: everyone.  Blip will thank you all as the Cosequin starts to work, too.
Title: Re: Urgent advice required: Dairylea or Primula?
Post by: Susanne (urbantigers) on September 29, 2007, 17:48:20 PM
I'm glad Her Royal Blipness is taking her medicine and fingers crossed the Cosequin helps with her stiffness.

I admit I go for the shove it down the throat method.  Provided I can catch them (Mosi doesn't run away but Jaffa just knows when I'm plotting something so is harder to catch) it's less stressful all round as it's down the hatch quickly.