Giving pills (vet, skin, cough, kennel) - Dogs - - City-Data Forum

Driller1 · 03-12-2010, 07:27 AM

Bear is on a med. He has some skin problems.

I was having a hard time giving him the pills. Our vet told me put them as far back in his mouth as I could.

The hold his mouth closed and blow in his face, he would swallow.

He did!!!! Three days now!!!!

DawnMTL · 03-12-2010, 07:32 AM

Awww, I'm sorry that Bear has to take icky pills!

If the trick stops working, I have a few other tricks that you can try:

1. The pill squished deep into a gob of peanut butter. Artie eats the entire gob in one shot, so the pill is in his belly in seconds.

2. Pill Pockets. They *apparently* taste like chicken. Artie loves 'em. It's a little pocket of "chicken"-flavored goop, you put the pill in the pocket, seal it, and your guy will just suck down the whole pocket, pill included.

Rottnboys · 03-12-2010, 07:38 AM

Hey Driller - we sometimes do what DandJ does with the peanut butter - but most often, we cut a hot dog into chunks, stud one or more of the pieces with the pill(s), and offer the entire hot dog, one chunk at a time, pretty quickly one after another - and trust me - if your dog is like ours, he won't realize 'which' chunk contained his pill

The pill pockets are GREAT too - my daughter-in-law uses those with her dogs!

Hope Bear's meds clear up his skin issues!

groar · 03-12-2010, 07:40 AM

yeah, is there some reason you can't give the pill with food? that's generally the easiest way.

when i first got my dog, she had kennel cough and i had to give her meds. being used to cats, i figured i'd have to hold her down and shove the pill down her throat, or totally pulverize it and put it in a tiny amount of food. well go figure, i just put it in some peanut butter and she eats it right up!

meanwhile with my cats, i can totally crush a pill and put it into a tablespoon of tuna and they will somehow eat the tuna and leave every piece of pill in the dish.

jaime_mac · 03-12-2010, 07:47 AM

I use peanut butter for one dog and cheese for another. Just find whatever works for you and your dog and it should be easy.

skel1977 · 03-12-2010, 07:53 AM

peanut butter

elston · 03-12-2010, 08:17 AM

I had a dog who had to take a large anti-biotic pill with meals for a period of days....the peanut butter and the hot dogs couldnt mask the bitter taste...and the dog not only was refusing treats but was so suspicious of dinner....that it had pretty much stopped eating......I got Greenies pill pockets....and instantly solved the problem! They are pretty expensive.....but well worth it. My dog stopped fearing its food and stopped being suspicious of me offering treats. Everything is back to normal.....and normal is all about Love and Trust.

Niftybergin · 03-12-2010, 08:19 AM

Bandit's pills (2x per day) are small, but I hold a cookie in my palm and the pill between thumb and forefinger. When he hears the pill bottle rattle and the sound of me digging a cookie out of the jar, he comes running and raises his head...even opens his mouth a little. I pop the pill down fast and open my palm so he can get the cookie, then he gets a bonus cookie for being such a GOOD DOG!! YOU'RE SUCH A GOOD DOGGIE!! Works for us. 8 years and counting...

grannynancy · 03-12-2010, 08:33 AM

many pills should NOT be crushed as it impacts dog delivery.

I had one dog that could extract a pill from a hot dog and spit it out.
My current dogs will eat any pill just thrown into their kibble.
You can also stroke their neck when you put it down their throat
pilling a dog is pretty easy compared to a cat

jimboburnsy · 03-12-2010, 08:38 AM

I have yet to meet a dog that wouldn't eat a pill so long as it was surrounded by cheese or butter. Placing the pill on the back of my dog's tongue has never worked for me. In spite of my best efforts, he just will not accept having his mouth held shut and seems to have an amazingly dexterous tongue.