Fentanyl patch for Bubbles the cat

[Bubbles_Mom]

I have an unusual situation.  Our 17-year-old cat Bubbles has a rare form of cancer.  Our vet has prescribed Fentanyl pain patches for him.  We clip/shave a spot on his back where he can't reach the patch and replace it every 2 to 3 days.  It works great on his pain. The problem is that the adhesive on the patch is so sticky that I can't get it off.  It's awful.  I've tried pulling it off like a BandAid and ripped his hide right off.  I've tried soaking it in olive oil, I've tried putting olive oil under the patch before I put it on him, I've tried some expensive "human" medical adhesive remover called Detachol but that seemed to make him sick.  I currently use something called De-Solv-It.  Once I can get a corner lose, I use a QTip and go slowly back and forth until bit by bit the patch comes lose.  It can take up to an hour because we have to take breaks when Bubbles gets fussy or it pulls his fur and hurts.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what I can use to make the adhesive less sticky but still effective?  Or any tips or tricks on getting the patch off?  Thank you so much.  

[nancyjac]

I suspect the adhesion problem is due to his fur.  You said you "clip.shave" the spot, which implies there is still some fur under the patch.  Removing it would be like trying to remove duct tape from a scalp full of hair.  You may need to reshave the spot so that no fur is remaining each time you replace the patch.

[ChristNonsense]

Fentanyl is an *extremely* potent medication -- those patches are not just bandaids with goop in them, they are designed using *HIGHLY* technical specifications -- the microscopic nano-channels in the membrane allow an absolutely PRECISE measured amount of medication to be released onto the skin to be absorbed on a specific schedule.

Altering or changing the design of those patches is out of the question -- especially since, nowadays, the actual ADHESIVE contains the medication. Fentanyl is so-many-times more powerful than the most powerful narcotics, not something to be messed with (or even TOUCHED -- you wear gloves, don't you?).

I'm not trying to scare you... well, actually I am, a little bit -- I'm just trying to make you aware of how serious this medication is, and to convey the importance of talking to your cat's veterinarian and/or pharmacist about this matter.

If it were anything else (e.g. a bandaid with antibiotic in it, or whatever), that would be a different story. But, no, this is serious stuff. Please heed my post.