Struggling to get my cat to take her Yumove dose 26 August 2018 at 10:31AM in Pets & pet care 12 replies 2.9K views

Fuzzy_Duck

My vet has suggested I give my cat Yumove for her arthritis, but she clearly doesn't like the taste. I used to sprinkle it on her breakfast but she was eating less and less of it. I'd like to continue using it if possible as she does seem to be able to get up on the furniture more easily than she used to. Any ideas of what I could hide it in that may mask the taste better?

sheramber

Mix it into some wet food that she likes

donnac2558

Can you mix it with a small amount of water and syringe into her mouth?

NeilCr

I've found that hiding tablets/powders in fish paste normally works. Give them a couple of "non tainted" lumps first then slip in the one with the medication in.

Otherwise the syringe with water but that's often (literally) bloody and you end up with a very p""""d off cat, bent on revenge.!

Fen1

There are other options to Yumove, from powders to oils to chewie biscuits. Try a different formulation or brand. They pretty much all contain the same or similar ingredients in varying quantities:


Glucosamine HCL:

Chondroitin

MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) helps build cartilage.

Fish oils

Mussle extract

Quite a few options here:
https://www.viovet.co.uk/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=Cat+arthritis


If your cat really doesn't like a product, instead of throwing it away, could you donate to the local cat rescue?

graschu

Maybe you can try to divide it into a few smaller doses and add it into every meal. If you add less of Yumove in every meal the taste of meal will be changed less.

Fuzzy_Duck

Thanks all. She loves Encore cat food which seems to be fishy and pungent enough to mask the taste of the tablets. I'm hoping I can find a cheaper alternative though as at £1 a pouch it's quite expensive. I'll look into fish paste next time I'm at the supermarket. It sounds ideal but I wouldn't want a huge tub of it as it seems it goes off quickly and no one else in my household would eat it.

NeilCr

Fuzzy_Duck wrote: »

Thanks all. She loves Encore cat food which seems to be fishy and pungent enough to mask the taste of the tablets. I'm hoping I can find a cheaper alternative though as at £1 a pouch it's quite expensive. I'll look into fish paste next time I'm at the supermarket. It sounds ideal but I wouldn't want a huge tub of it as it seems it goes off quickly and no one else in my household would eat it.

I use the Shippams pastes.

They do meat ones too but my cats have preferred the fishy ones. They are small and inexpensive so, if it doesn't work, not too much harm done!

Savvy_Sue

Fuzzy_Duck wrote: »

I wouldn't want a huge tub of it as it seems it goes off quickly and no one else in my household would eat it.

Couldn't you put the Yumove into small portions and freeze them, maybe in an ice cube tray? Or freeze without the Yumove and defrost the night before?

Frickle

I love the idea of Shippams fish paste, thanks for that. My old boy hates the taste of Yumove now although he was fine with at first, so I've been trying all sorts but nothing's worked so far.... Shippams here I come :-).

nicter

We use these for all tablets we need to give. Crush the tablet and mix in half a tube of webbox Our cats love the chicken one
£1 for 5 so a bargain !
https://www.webbox.co.uk/lick-e-lix