If your feline isn’t feeling well and has been prescribed medication by a vet, it’s important that you adhere to the dosage schedule. Even missing just one dose of medication can be dangerous.
Not giving your cat the medication it needs in any situation isn’t wise. It’s important to carefully follow a veterinarian’s instructions on scheduled dosages. Missing a dose can lead to unfortunate health complications, and so can giving your cat an incorrect dose. To prevent this from happening, cat owners can write dosage schedules into daily planners or set reminders on their phones. You can make your cat look forward to getting their medicine by playing a game or giving it a tasty treat. And finally, if you cannot be there to give your cat its medicine, a dedicated cat sitter can do so for you.
Our team of compassionate cat sitters is here to help you take care of your furry friend. To learn more about the caring cat sitters at Critter Sitters, call today at (404) 793-6178.
What Happens if My Cat Misses a Dose of Medication?
Cats can be prescribed all sorts of medication, from preventative tick and flea tablets to life-saving heart pills. Depending on your cat’s exact medication and how many doses it’s missed, there might not be a problem. However, in some cases, missing a dose of medication can lead to an emergency trip to the vet.
If yours is an outdoor cat, you may administer flea and tick prevention meds monthly. Missing a dose, in that case, isn’t necessarily life-threatening, but it does mean you should thoroughly search your cat for any pesky bugs.
More serious types of medication, like those for heartworms or other dangerous diseases, must be administered carefully. When a cat is young or old, missing doses can be even more dangerous.
Missing a dose can cause meds to lose their effectiveness and become less capable of protecting your furry friend. This can obviously have serious consequences, especially if you miss multiple doses of medication in a row. Even if your cat seems to be improving, and you think there’s no need to continue giving it its prescribed medication, don’t stop. Your vet prescribed that medication in that exact dosage for a reason. Choosing to stop giving it to your pet can cause your cat even more harm.
Just like missing a dose of medication isn’t good for your cat, neither is upping its dose of medication. Pay careful attention to the exact dosage prescribed by a veterinarian. Giving your cat too much of certain medications at once can have negative consequences.
If you’ve missed a dose of medication and are fearful for your cat’s health, go to the vet right away. Your veterinarian can monitor your cat and tell you how to proceed. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry, especially when your cat’s health is on the line.
How to Make Sure Your Cat Never Misses a Dose of Medication
Having a cat is like having a child. When your cat is sick, it’s your responsibility to give it its medication and care for it. Unfortunately, the world doesn’t stop turning, and life doesn’t get any easier just because your cat is unwell. To make sure your cat never misses a dose of medication, mark its dosage schedule on a calendar. If your cat doesn’t like the taste of its medication, get creative instead of missing a dose. And finally, if life takes you away from your feeble feline, a dedicated cat sitter can stop by to give your pet its medication.
Mark Your Calendar
Some medications are administered weekly, others daily, and others still are given hourly. The less frequently you have to give your feline its necessary dose of medication, the more likely you are to forget. That’s why the cat sitters at Critter Sitters advise owners to set reminders. Whether that means writing dosage times on your daily planner, setting alarms on your phone, or putting notes on your fridge, do whatever works for you. Writing out your cat’s dosage schedule and dosage amounts, and setting up friendly reminders, can help you make sure you never miss a dose.
Get Creative
Some cats are stubborn and would rather stay sick than take their medication. After struggling with your feline for hours, frustration may take over, causing you to just try again later. Unfortunately, this can mean your cat misses an all-important dose of medicine. If your furry friend is not a fan of its medication, get creative. Ask your veterinarian if there are other ways for your cat to ingest its medicine. If it doesn’t like swallowing a pill, there may be a powder or liquid option your vet can prescribe. When all hope is lost, a little bit of their favorite treat can be a great pairing to an unappetizing dose of medicine.
Hire a Sitter
Although you’d love to, you can’t be by your cat’s side daily. Sometimes life will take you away, whether for work or vacation, making it hard to give your cat its medicine. This can be especially difficult for owners who work outside the house and have a feline that requires medicine during work hours. If that’s a struggle you’re facing, turn to our team for help. A caring cat sitter can come to check in on your feline while you’re at work or on vacation to give it the medicine it needs. While nothing is more important than your cat’s health, sometimes life pulls you in another direction. When that happens, a cat sitter can give you a helping hand.
Call Our Caring Cat Sitters Today
If you need help caring for your cat, our team is always there. To learn more about how the dedicated cat sitters at Critter Sitters can help you, call us today at (404) 793-6178.
