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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Ted on August 9, 2003, at 12:43:48
For those who don't know: my cat takes amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant, prescribed because of bedwetting (i.e., the cat pees on my bed!).
For those who do know, The Saga Continues....
Well, she (Dusty) was prescribed 10 mg daily. That turned her into a zombie. So we reduced the dose to 5 mg (half a 10 mg tablet), and that was much better.
Then we left for 3 weeks vacation. Well, Dusty would not take the amitriptyline mixed with food -- only stuffed down her throat. We couldn't ask our cat-sitters to do that, so we simply weaned her off the AD until we returned. (Remember, she takes tapazole also, and has no problem with it, and will take it mixed with food without a problem).
Well, we returned from vacation and she is a good kitty and doesn't pee on our bed at all for 2 weeks. Then it starts again. Uggh. So my wife decides to give her only 1/4 tablet, 2.5 mg. All hell breaks loose. Since there is more inner surface of the tablet exposed, she can taste it more and gags, coughs, hacks, and often spits it out. Even kitty treats that she loves won't help it down. Fortunately my wife is handling this problem.
Meanwhile, the bedwetting seems to have stopped.
BTW: we have 4 litter boxes for 2 cats. That is NOT the problem.
Ted
Posted by BekkaH on August 9, 2003, at 15:19:02
In reply to My cat's ADs -- the continuing saga, posted by Ted on August 9, 2003, at 12:43:48
Hi Ted,
Do you know whether the amitryptiline is available in liquid form or in a transdermal/cream form? Sometimes the liquids are made in more palatable flavors than the cut pills. My cat is also in Tapazole, but the pills gave her severe nausea and vomiting, so the doctor prescribed the cream/transdermal form and that has been working out well. Unfortunately, very few pharmacies make the transdermal form. I have it compounded at a pharmacy that specializes in that sort of thing, and it is quite expensive. Perhaps liquid Elavil administered with a medicine dropper would solve the problem??
Posted by Ted on August 9, 2003, at 16:37:36
In reply to Re: My cat's ADs -- the continuing saga - Ted, posted by BekkaH on August 9, 2003, at 15:19:02
Hey Bekka
>Perhaps liquid Elavil administered with a
>medicine dropper would solve the problem??Excellent idea! I will check into (human) Elavil in liquid form and see if I can either use it directly or dilute it to the correct strength.
Thanks
Ted
Posted by BekkaH on August 10, 2003, at 0:28:43
In reply to Re: My cat's ADs -- the continuing saga - Ted » BekkaH, posted by Ted on August 9, 2003, at 16:37:36
Hi Ted. Perhaps I'm not looking in the right place, but it appears as if Elavil is not available in liquid form for oral use. I think it is available for intramuscular use in humans. Doxepin/Sinequan is available in liquid form for oral use. I wonder whether your cat could take that? Of course, you'd have to check with your veterinarian, but doxepin is just as anticholinergic as Elavil, so I think it would cause urinary retention, which is what you want for your cat. I just don't know whether it's safe for cats.
Posted by Ame Sans Vie on August 10, 2003, at 1:18:55
In reply to My cat's ADs -- the continuing saga, posted by Ted on August 9, 2003, at 12:43:48
A compounding pharmacy, like Bekka mentioned in her first post would be a good idea. But, to avoid the added expense of the compounding process, you could just have the prescription filled as powdered amitriptyline HCl. It is water-soluble, so you could easily dilute it at 1mg amitriptyline per 1ml water and add a little something to disguise the taste.
This is the end of the thread.
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