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For so many years cat owners have struggled to persuade their cats to take the tablets and capsules, which have been prescribed to make them better.

For over 14 years, iCatCare’s Easy to Give awards, alongside the efforts of some pharmaceutical companies, helped to ensure that giving medications to cats became easier.

Whether manufacturers provided drugs in a highly palatable form or introduce a new mode of administration, we welcomed their recognition of the problems of giving medicines to cats and providing solutions for owners. Proper compliance with the prescribed dose is vital for safe and effective use of drugs. Without such help owners often fail to complete the course and leave cats inadequately treated.

The annual awards have now been replaced with the Easy to GiveTM ISFM Approved Licensing Scheme.

Award criteria

The Easy to Give awards were given to new and innovative POM-V products developed for cats. The veterinary panel proactively asked the ISFM community for recommendations, then selected from those products put forward.

Awards Winners

2019

Elanco for Credelio for cats 
Credelio flea and tick treatment is a chewable yeast flavoured tablet which is well accepted by cats. In a three-month field study, pet owners were 100% successful in administering the product, replicated each consecutive month. In trials, Credelio was also shown to kill more than 98% of ticks within 24 hours, and more than 99% of fleas within 12 hours with all fleas killed within 24 hours, for one month. The tablets are available in two sizes according to cat size.

Kindred Biosciences for Mirataz
Mirataz is an ointment containing mirtazapine, which is licensed for use as an appetite stimulant for cats with unintentional weight loss. It is available as an ointment which is easily applied to the inner surface of the cat’s ear once a day. Mirataz provides a practical way to manage a cat’s weight loss without the need to administer oral medication, which can be stressful and difficult, especially in a cat with no appetite. Mirataz is licenced in the US and Kindred Biosciences are currently applying for a European licence.

2018

Dechra for Felimazole® Coated Tablets for Cats
Felimazole is a drug used in the treatment of hyperthyroidism in cats in which the thyroid gland produces too much thyroid hormone. These tablets come in three dose sizes (1.25 mg, 2.5 mg and 5 mg) to help with accurate administration and are small and coated, making them easy to hide in food or give in pill pockets. For many years, vets and owners struggled with human tables that were large, unpalatable and hard to administer – Felimazole is the opposite and shows what can be achieved when a company ‘thinks cat’.

Zoetis for Stronghold® Plus Spot-on Solution for Cats
A spot-on for cats to treat against ticks and fleas, lice, mites, roundworms, hookworms and prevention of heartworm, all in one solution. The extended spectrum of activity of Stronghold Plus, together with its spot-on delivery method makes this a highly useful product for owners who prefer spot-on therapies.

Zoetis for VibraVet® Paste
VibraVet Paste contains doxycycline for the treatment of infections in dogs and cats, eg, respiratory, skin and urogenital infections and is given orally. It is available in a number of countries, although not Europe at present. Doxycycline is a valuable antimicrobial in cats and can be used in many situations – Vibravet Paste has the advantage that this is a paste which is much easier to administer to some cats, the dose can be adjusted accurately and the active ingredients is the monohydrate salt of Doxycycline, rather than Doxycycline hyclate, and so carries a lower risk of inducing oesophageal damage.

Bayer for Seresto® Flea and Tick Collar for Cats
Seresto® is a flea and tick collar which has been developed using a novel blend of materials, which means it can release active ingredients (flumethrin and imidacloprid) in controlled, very low doses – giving a cat up to 8 months of protection against fleas and ticks. The collar has a safety opening mechanism and a secondary breaking point to ensure the collar can breakaway if it becomes caught. Providing both safe and effective flea treatment for cats via a collar has been difficult, but Seresto achieves this with a long duration of action. As such, this is a valuable product for owners who wish to control fleas in this way.

Boehringer Ingelheim for Semintra 10mg/ml oral solution for cats
Semintra is an angiotensin receptor blocker licensed for the treatment of systemic hypertension in cats. It is an oral solution which is well accepted by most cats.

2017

Amflee Combo spot-on solution for cats (and ferrets) from KRKA
This is a combination spot-on containing Fipronil and S-Methoprene effective against fleas, ticks, biting lice and flea larvae and eggs. It also prevents environmental flea burden and has a pipette for ease of use.

Bravecto for Cats from MSD Animal Health
A spot-on product with active ingredient Fluralaner using a ‘twist n’use’ applicator which treats fleas and ticks and lasts for 12 weeks (most other products only last for 1 month, so less applications are required). There are 3 products for small, medium and large cats.

Thyronorm Oral Solution for Cats from Norbrook
Contains thiamazole and can be used for the stabilisation of hyperthyroidism in cats prior to surgical thyroidectomy and for the long term treatment of feline hyperthyroidism. Thyronorm comes as a solution with a syringe to give the product directly into the mouth of the cat.

Milpro for Cats and Milpro for small cats and kittens
A broad spectrum wormer for protection against most common intestinal worms with two active ingredients (milbemycin and praziquantel).

Effipro Duo Spot-on solution from Virbac
Protects pets from fleas and ticks and from household flea infestations – pyriproxyfen and fipronil combination.
This is a product update of a previous Easy to Give award winner.

Rilexine from Virbac
Cefalexin tablets for oral administration in cats and dogs. A broad-spectrum bactericidal antibiotic and a 1st generation cephalosporin.
This is a product update of a previous Easy to Give award winner.

2016

Amodip Chewable Tablets for Cats (Ceva) – The first ever cat-friendly amlodipine licensed for veterinary use for the treatment of hypertension in cats.

Benazecare 5mg Tablets (AnimalCare) – Act to reduce the protein lost in urine in renal disease and increase the appetite and quality of life of cats with chronic kidney disease.

Noraclav Chewable Tablets for Cats and Dogs (Norbrook) – Contain amoxicillin and clavalanic acid; because antibiotic resistance is a growing concern having routinely used antibiotics in an easy to give and palatable formulation for cats is very important.

V-Gel (Docsinnovent) – A supraglottic airway device for cats which enables a clear airway to be obtained quickly, efficiently and effectively for general anaesthesia and emergency resuscitation purposes without the need for traditional endotracheal intubation.

2015

Prinovox (Virbac) is a new spot-on ectoparasiticide active against fleas, mites, roundworm and heartworm, effective for 4 weeks.

Loxicom (Norbrook Laboratories) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory product containing meloxicam given as an oral solution which can be put on food or given directly into the cat’s mouth.

Vectra Felis (Ceva Animal Health) is a new ectoparasiticide which kills on contact for a month and prevents flea reproduction for three months.

Zodon (Ceva Animal Health) is the first clindamycin on the market to offer a flavoured oral solution for cats; as a commonly prescribed antibiotic it has only previously been available in tablet form.

2014

Efex (Sogeval, part of Ceva) – Brings marbofloxacin tablets in different sizes, which are small and palatable to cats and break easily to help with accurate dosing.

Broadline Spot-on for Cats (Merial) – Combines four active ingredients in one product combing flea and worm treatments in a single topically administered product.

Caninsulin VetPen (MSD Animal Health) – Provides an alternative to the traditional syringe and needle to make giving insulin injections easier, simpler and more accurate for owners of diabetic cats.

For pictures of the award winners click here

2013

Semintra 4mg/ml oral solution for cats (Boehringer Ingelheim) – An angiotensin receptor blocker for use in cats suffering from chronic kidney disease. It is an oral solution which is well accepted by most cats.

Activyl (MSD Animal Health) – A flea spot-on treatment for cats using a bioactivation process where the product is converted by flea enzymes into an active form which kills the flea.

Kesium Chewable Tablets (Alstoe Animal Health) – Palatable to cats, it is used in the treatment of infections caused by bacteria sensitive to amoxicillin in combination with clavulanic acid.

2012

Therios
 (Alstoe) – Therios contains the antibiotic cephalexin as a palatable tablet that can be easily split for accurate dosing in cats.

Effipro
 (Virbac) – A spot-on preparation for the treatment of fleas, ticks and lice. The new transparent pipette prevents spillage and ensures a complete dose is given. An image of a cat appears on each pipette, so that if one is separated from its packaging it is still clear for which animal the product is intended.

Atopica
 (Novartis) – Atopica is a treatment for allergic dermatitis that comes in solution form and can be given in food or directly into the cat’s mouth. The specifically designed syringe dispenser allows accurate dosing.

Fiprospot
 (Ceva) – A spot-on medication for the treatment of fleas and flea allergic dermatitis.

2010

Effipro
 (Virbac) – A spot-on flea and tick treatment, supplied in a new style of pipette which enables the owner to open the pipette prior to application without the contents spilling

Onsior (Novartis) – A non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug for the relief of pain and inflammation in cats. The tablets are small and flavoured to be accepted easily by the majority of cats suffering from pain and inflammation due to musculoskeletal disorders.

Fortekor
 (Novartis) – The only ACE inhibitor specifically licensed for the management of chronic renal insufficiency in cats. The tablets are flavoured to encourage cats to take the medication they need.

2009

Clavaseptin (Vetoquinol) – A highly palatable formulation of amoxicillin/clavulanic acid that cats can chew

2008

Vidalta (Intervet Schering-Plough Animal Health) – A one-a-day tablet treatment for hyperthyroidism, a common hormonal disease of middle-aged to older cats. Cats suffering from hyperthyroidism need life-long medication to maintain normal thyroxine levels. Until Vidalta, medical treatment usually involved two tablets a day. Vidalta tablets are formulated to release the active ingredient carbimazole, over 24 hours.

Milbemax (Novartis Animal Health) – A combined wormer for cats (ie, treats roundworms, hookworms and tapeworms).  After winning an Easy to Give Award in 2005 for its broad spectrum of action combined with small tablet sizes, the manufacturers of Milbemax have gone one step further and improved the palatability of the tablet.

2007

Convenia (Pfizer)
 – A long acting injectable antibiotic, removing the need to give tablets at all for some conditions – great news for owners unable to give tablets regularly for these specific problems. A single injection may be all that is needed in some situations.

Metacam for cats (Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica) – For so long veterinary surgeons and cat owners have wanted an effective form of chronic pain control for cats.  Now that Boehringer has produced Metacam for cats in its palatable drop form, treating arthritic cats has become much easier and drawn attention to this widespread painful problem. This is the first ‘non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug’ that has been licensed for long-term use in the cat.

ProMeris (Fort Dodge Animal Health)
 – A new effective veterinary flea treatment applied by the spot-on method.

Rilexine (Virbac) – The potential problems of not completing a course of antibiotics are always a cause for concern. This tablet was found to be palatable among the cats that tried it out.

2006

Profender (Bayer) – Spot-on solution for roundworm and tapeworm; it comes in three convenient sizes for small, medium or large cats

2005

Advantage (Bayer) 

Advocate (Bayer)

Droncit (Bayer)

Frontline combo (Merial)

Frontline spot-on (Merial)

Stronghold (Pfizer)

Milbemax (Novartis)

Caninsulin (Intervet)

Panacur (Intervet)

Aerokat (BreathEazy)

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