Your Guide to the Most Common Cat Medications

 Most of the time high-quality food is all you need for a healthy and happy cat. Your biggest concern so far was whether to get dry or wet cat food. And supplements aren’t that hard to remember, they're just vitamins. Right?  

We never want to think of worst-case scenarios but just as you know the go-to meds for fever or heartburn, you should be familiarized with the most common cat medications as preparation is key to success, including fighting disease.  

What Are the Most Common Cat Health Problems? 

Infectious diseases are common amongst cats. Representatives from all classes of the kingdom of microorganisms visit our feline friends. Viruses like Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV), Feline Leukemia Virus (FelV), rabies have an indolent course. Parasites and fungi are common.

The most common trauma in cats is high-rise syndrome or the set of injuries they sustain after falling from high places. They do love the windows. Last but not least, as they have been keeping up with our pace, many cats suffer from the same diseases of the 21st century as we do, including cancer and diabetes. 

How do You Solve Cat Problems?

Antimicrobial Medication 

You should take your cat to the vet anytime you suspect an infection. It’s not the time to play doctor with over the counter drugs or supplements when your cat needs the most commonly prescribed cat medications, antibiotics. 

Vomiting or diarrhea are the most common signs of gastrointestinal infections. Persistent cough and/or breathing difficulties (panting, wheezing, rapid or open-mouthed breathing) are signs of a respiratory infection but usually, the unspecific signs like lethargy, being much less or much more vocal than usual, sudden changes in appetite, drinking, or eating habits and noticeable weight loss or gain predominate. Moreover, look for constricted or dilated pupils. 

Amoxicillin is a broad-range prescription antibiotic, highly effective against everything from skin infections to gastrointestinal infections. Cephalexin is another broad-spectrum antibiotic popular due to its minimal side effects. Most commonly it’s used to treat urinary and respiratory tract infections, skin and soft-tissue bacterial infections and osteomyelitis (infections of the bones).

Tolerated both by adult cats and kittens, Clindamycin is used to treat toxoplasmosis, an infection caused by Toxoplasmosis Gondii which they get from rodents or birds and can transfer to us. Moreover, it’s used to treat skin, oral and bone infections. 

Enrofloxacin, a fluoroquinolone antibiotic, is a potent antibiotic reserved for urinary tract, skin, prostate, lungs, gastrointestinal system, and liver infections. Metronidazole is a go-to antibiotic for both periodontal and gastrointestinal infections in cats.   

Erythromycin is a macrolide antibiotic primarily used in cats, dogs, and small mammals to treat diarrhea and inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. Doxycycline is used in cats to treat susceptible bacterial infections and infections caused by Bartonella, Hemoplasma, Chlamydia felis, Ehrlichia, Anaplasma, and Toxoplasma. 

When it comes to fungal infections like cryptococcosis and dermatophytes, itraconazole is the most commonly prescribed drug by veterinarians. Cats most commonly get infected by coming in contact with an infected animal. How does an indoor cat get ringworm though? Usually through a contaminated object. Interestingly, the small spores can also be carried on air currents and dust particles.  Don’t worry about how long does it take for itraconazole to work in cats as a rapid clinical response is observed in itraconazole-treated cats as early as 1 week into treatment.  

Behavioural Medication 

Disruptive cat behaviour might be due to physical pain or anxiety.  

Physical reactions such as increased heart and respiratory rates, panting, trembling, and salivation can occur while the most common behavioural changes are increased movement, hiding, destruction and excessive vocalization. 

Many fears, phobias and anxieties during the first year of a cat’s life can leave their mark. A common cause for cat misdemeanour is a multicat household.  Being solitary hunters, it’s normal for cats to avoid each other. Things, however, can go out of hand and when you need them to play nice you should try a kind of behaviour modification procedure called desensitization and counterconditioning (DSCC). Even so, cats are so excited and upset by the sight and smell of each other that DSCC isn't possible. Behavioural medication can reduce the cats' reactivity to each other enough so that DSCC can be carried out successfully. 

Also, changes in the house (e.g., construction, family members leaving, new family members arriving) can stress cats and lead to litter box issues and urinating outside the box. Aggression towards other cats or people is not uncommon and can be caused by stress, anxiety or by a medical problem that causes pain or hormonal changes in a cat. In addition, stress can cause obsessive-compulsive licking which may be serious and should be addressed without delay. 

Problematic scratching is one way cats show their discontent which you can try to fix with a scratching pole. 

However, sometimes cats develop behaviour problems that can't be resolved that easily and help from a professional animal behaviour expert is needed.  In some cases, a behaviour problem can be treated most successfully with a combination of behaviour modification and behavioural medication.

Benzodiazepines (BZs), monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs) and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) is how cat behaviour problems are treated.  For instance, Clomicalm, clomipramine, belongs to the class of tricyclic antidepressants and might be useful for general timidity, litter box problems caused by anxiety, urine marking, aggression, compulsive behaviour, such as excessive grooming and cognitive dysfunction. 

Cancer Medication 

Immunosuppressants, like Chlorambucil, are commonly prescribed by veterinarians to cats suffering from immune-mediated disorders and cancers, such as lymphoma and leukemia.  Chlorambucil's mechanism of action is through disruption of DNA strands and suppressing antibody production. It's often used in conjunction with Prednisone, a corticosteroid.

Importantly, Chlorambucil is considered more appropriate for cats than Azathioprine. Side effects, however, still occur and they are mostly gastrointestinal distress, like vomiting and diarrhea, and bone marrow suppression. Alopecia (baldness) and seizures have been reported.  

Palladia or Toceranib phosphate is an antineoplastic/anticancer medication primarily intended for dogs but it has shown results in treating certain cancers in cats. Make sure to give with food because vomiting occurs when taken on an empty stomach.

Heart Medication 

Besides the beta-blockers and diuretics we humans are quite familiar with, another medication used in dogs and cats with heart and/or kidney problems is Benazepril This is due to its effect on vasodilatation (relaxation of the small blood vessels). This, in turn, decreases blood pressure, enables circulation and lowers the heart’s strain. 

Speaking of diuretics, Furosemide is prescribed for dogs with mild heart failure and cats with reduced kidney and liver functions.  

Ear Medication 

How to put ear drops in a cat smoothly is easier said than done. Remember that ear infections can cause severe pain so it’s normal for some cats to be irritable and upset.  

A common ear infection cat medication is an antibacterial, anti-inflammatory and antifungal suspension containing miconazole nitrate, prednisolone acetate and Polymixin B. It’s used for the treatment of external ear inflammation (otitis externa) and skin infections caused by fungi, yeast and gram-positive & gram-negative bacteria in cats and dogs.