Question re: giving pills to dogs (allergy, bite, vet, skin)

[no kudzu]

Lucy the 10 year old Bichon has a terrible hot pink mess around her nether regions. I thought it was food allergy but vet says not necessarily so. Anyway she must take several different pills for at least 2-3 weeks. I can't get her to swallow with the blow-in-her-face method so have been putting them in cheap hotdogs.

She manages to eat the hotdog and then spit out the pills.
What am I doing wrong? I don't want to use good cheese and already she is begging in the kitchen cause she knows I will now give her people food (hotdogs).

Suggestions????

BTW vet says dogs can be perfectly happy on same food for months or even years and then wham-ooooo- here comes an allergy. She said most food allergies manifest in tummy problems, not skin issues and that one flea bite can cause a world of trouble with Bichons. I was only a few days late in her flea treatment so this must be what caused the hot pink mess.

[Hedgehog_Mom]

You could use a pet piller: http://www.amazon.com/Pet-Piller/dp/B0002AL6U6

I've done the same thing with my fingers, wet the tip of my finger just enough that the pill sticks and then poke it into the dog's mouth until it's at the back of her tongue, too far to spit out. But that only works with a dog that's not going to bite you, and the piller is a better option. I've seen them at Petsmart.

[DawnMTL]

Have you tried hiding it in a finger full of peanut butter?

If that doesn't work, try Pill Pockets. They're pricey but they'll likely do the trick if the PB doesn't work.

[talloolla]

I have used cream cheese, butter, peanut butter apple sauce, yogurt , even cake frosting in a pinch. I never had much luck hiding in a food they normal chew but tried to get something to coat the pill before they got the bad pill taste.

[Lola4]

Open her mouth, put pill to the back. Hold her mouth closed for a nano SECOND. She'll swallow.

Food allergies do often show up as skin issues. The first thing I would do is change her food to something with no grains.

[netwit]

I agree with Lola4. I have one dog who will swallow pills tucked in Pill Pockets or smeared with a bit of butter, and she's a beagle, and they'll eat anything.

But my other dogs will suck or eat off the good stuff and spit out the pill. I always tuck my finger into the corner of their mouth, pop the pill far back in their throat, hold their heads slightly elevated, with my hand wrapped around their muzzle. Stroke their throat until you know they've swallowed.

My dogs have become very good at it - they don't try to pull away at all because they are promised a treat after. I give them something like a Milk Bone right after they've swallowed the pill, so it doesn't seem bad to them anymore.

[foxywench]

actually my experience with food allergies is the MOST COMMON symptom is skin issues, redness flaing itchyness, typically the feet and groin/butt are first effected.

what food is she on?

in terms of pills find out if you can crush them...if so cruch em up put em in a little no salt peanut butter and tada, ive found whole pills and small dogs are difficult...if youve got a "seperator" NOTHING will work with a whole pill, pill pocket chese peanut butter, they will find it and spit it out...
i cruch ANYTHING that can be crushed with the little ones and mush it into a tiny bit of peanut butter (about the size of a large pea) the peanut butter sticks to the roof of the mouth keeping all the bits in the mouth to be eaten.

The other option is as the others described and how most vets pill...
you open the mouth, stick the pill as absolutly far back into the thorat as you can without choking the dog then holding the muzzle gently closed and lifting it skywards (straigtehn the neck) and then with the other hand gently rub in a downward motion youll see and feel the dog swallow and often start to lick its lips.

im always cautious about suggesting this method though unless youve seen a vet doing it, especially in small dogs.

i always choose crushing as a frist choice if its ok to do so!

[Charles22]

Try putting salt on top of the butter or peanut butter. The salt causes salivation and triggers the swallow reflex. Plus, she'll love it.

[foxywench]

dogs should not be given extra salt even in small amounts theres enough salt in peanut butter naturally, you dont need to be adding salt...bad for the kidneys liver and heart!

[Honeycrisp]

A tad of liverwurst works well too, would give her a small piece w/o the pill, then a small piece w/ the pill and then a small piece w/o the pill, to finish it off. Ours is fine w/ just the one piece of liverwurst though (very small piece as she's a small dog).