Give Codeine to Cats in Pain

Codeine is an opioid painkiller that is sometimes prescribed for cats with considerable pain. Consult your veterinarian to see if codeine is a viable option for your cat and make sure that your cat doesn't have any conditions that would preclude it from being on the drug (e.g. kidney or liver problems). Administer the drug regularly, as instructed, and finish the prescribed amount unless otherwise advised. Give the pills to your cat directly by hand, or hide them in treats or food. Ask your veterinarian if you can cut or crush the pills to make them easier to ingest.

Steps

Making Sure Codeine is Right for Your Cat

1. Assess your cat's pain level. A cat may experience pain for a number of reasons, including injury, illness (e.g. arthritis), or old age. While it is difficult to accurately assess your cat's pain level, there are a number of indicators that your cat may present due to its discomfort. Observe your cat to look for signs of pain that you can relay to your veterinarian, including:
   • Aggressiveness
   • Increased vocalization (e.g. meowing, growling)
   • Self-harming (e.g. biting itself)
   • Evasiveness
   • Decrease in appetite
   • Reduced mobility
2. Consult your veterinarian. Ask your veterinarian if codeine is a suitable option for your cat. Codeine should only be considered after all other milder pain relief options (e.g. milder medications like Ketoprofen), as it is a strong, potentially addictive drug. Codeine is not FDA approved for use in pets, so a veterinarian must write you a prescription before you can administer it to your pet.
   • For instance, codeine might be the best option for an aging cat with severe arthritis that does not respond to milder pain medications.
3. Make sure that your cat won't react badly to codeine. Before giving your cat codeine, make sure that doesn't have any conditions that would cause a bad reaction. On the off-chance that your veterinarian may not be aware of all your cat's conditions (or may have overlooked something), avoid giving your cat codeine if it has:
   • A respiratory disease
   • A heart condition
   • Kidney or liver problems
   • Head trauma
   • Prostate problems

Managing the Codeine Dosage

1. Give your cat the right dosage. The proper dosage of codeine for cats is between 0.25 and 1 mg per pound (0.5 to 2 kg). This dosage should be given to cats every 6-8 hours, or 3 times a day. To ensure that you remember, set an alarm on your phone or time each dose to coincide with other daily rituals (e.g. meals).
   • To make it easier to give your cat codeine pills, use a weekly medicine tray to separate and organize the pills.
2. Make up for missed doses. If you forget a dose or are unable to give your cat the dose at the correct time, give them the codeine as soon as you are able to. If it is already time for the cat’s next dose, skip the missed dose. It is better to miss a dose than to give your cat two doses at once.
3. Complete the full prescription unless instructed otherwise. Unless your veterinarian advises you to stop, administer the full prescription of codeine to your cat. Consult with your veterinarian after the prescription is done about whether your cat will require more pills. Get your veterinarian's approval if you wish to take your cat off of the medication before that point.
4. Monitor the side effects. Keep a close eye on your cat while you are giving it codeine to watch for side effects of the drug. Some common side effects are manageable (e.g. lethargy), but other symptoms may put your cat at risk for injury or illness. Contact your vet immediately if you observe one or more serious side effects, such as:
   • Vomiting
   • Labored breathing
   • Constipation
   • Sedation
5. Taper off of the drug. If you and your veterinarian decide to stop giving your cat codeine, it is best to taper off gradually as an abrupt stop may cause withdrawal symptoms. Start by administering two pills a day instead of three for a week, then move to one pill a day. Stop giving your cat the pill after two to three weeks.

Getting Your Cat to Take the Pills

1. Administer the pill by hand. Position your cat so that is it sitting up against you with its back to you. With one hand, brace your cat's head gently and tilt it upwards. With the other hand, open your cat's mouth with your middle finger and insert the pill (braced between your thumb and forefinger) as far back on your cat's tongue as you can.
2. Encourage your cat to swallow the pill. Gently close your cat's mouth and hold it closed until your cat swallows the pill. If it hesitates, gently massage its throat under its chin. Once it swallows the codeine, give your cat a treat and lots of praise.
3. Use the three treat trick. Choose a brand of treat that is hollow or soft enough to be molded around a pill. Give your cat one treat, without a pill in it, then immediately give it a treat containing a codeine pill. Have a third treat lined up and ready so that your cat eats the second treat quickly to get to the third.
4. Divide the pill. If the codeine pills are too large for your cat to swallow as is, consider cutting them into smaller pieces. Ask your veterinarian if you can use a pill cutter to divide them, as breaking through the coating of a pill can sometimes cause the medication to irritate the stomach lining. If this is allowed, smaller pill fragments can be hidden in treats more easily than full pills.
5. Crush the pills. Ask your veterinarian if it is safe to crush codeine pills, as crushing can sometimes affect the potency of a medication. If you go this route, opt to mix the crushed pills into thick, flavorful canned food to mask the taste and texture. Crushed medication often has bitter taste that may deter your cat from eating if it is not properly disguised.

Sources and Citations

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See also

• Give Steroids to Cats with Inflammation
• Give Gabapentin to Cats with Cancer
• Give Subcutaneous Fluids to a Cat
• Give a Cat Medicine
• Give a Cat an Enema at Home
• Give a Cat a Pill
• Give Cats Liquid Medicine
• Give a Cat an Injection