Contrary is a Siamese

Our oldest just got herself stuck in the spare bedroom. I realized after a few minutes of hearing her yell that this wasn't a normal moment of confusion. I also realized it was time for her medication.

Part of her treatment for failing kidneys is a daily dose of a drug called Azodyl. It's basically dialysis in a pill, and we take it out of the gel cap and mix it with the smallest amount possible of ice cream or baby food. It's hard to believe that it tastes other than horrible. She accepts our sticking it in her mouth but immediately drinks or eats after, and the youngest cat literally turns up his nose at smelling it.

Her companion, a slightly younger male Siamese, is the hardest cat to medicate we have ever had. Even using liquid medications in an eye dropper, he occasionally draws blood. Luckily he has yet to develop a condition requiring long term daily meds.

But he LOVES the smell and taste of Azodyl. Not only will he clean up whatever is left around her mouth, he'll lick the small plate I usually mix it on. We haven't had a reason to get his kidneys tested, but he isn't much younger than her and even if he is healthy he is older-healthy. So we let him finish it off - it can't hurt him at that small amount and maybe we have found a way to get other medications into him if needed. Perhaps we can mix whatever he needs next with a bit of this foul-smelling stuff and he'll just lap it up.