Tips For Administering Medication To Dogs
At some point, all pet owners must experience trying to medicate their dogs. Perhaps your furry buddy has allergies, just got fixed, or is suffering from another medical issue that can only be resolved with some kind of medication. While humans have no problem swallowing pills to banish their medical complaints, dogs aren’t quite as willing. Their sensitive noses can alert them to the presence of a nasty-tasting pill, or they may simply be too scared to eat something that doesn’t smell like food. Fortunately, dogs have evolved beside mankind for millennia, which means humans have spent about as much time trying to figure out how to get dogs to take their medicine.
If your dog has trouble accepting their medicine, at least one of the following tried and true tips might work for you.
Wrap Pills In Food
This method is one of the easiest ways to administer medication to a dog. If you wrap pills in food, your dog will likely gobble up their treat without even realizing he’s eaten a pill. You can use store-bought 'pill pockets,' which are special treats manufactured exactly for this purpose. You can also use items from your kitchen, such as sliced cheese, cream cheese, deli meat, or peanut butter. Simply take your dog’s pill, wrap it or hide it in your food item of choice, and offer it to your dog as if it’s a regular treat. After your dog has taken the pill-laden treat, stick around to make sure your dog swallows the entire helping. If your dog spits out the pill, you can try cutting the pills in half to make them smaller and harder to detect.
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Try Liquid Medication
For extremely pill-phobic dogs, try liquid medication instead. Liquid medication is great for mixing into canned food. However, mixing the medicine with food isn’t the most reliable way to ensure your dog gets the required dosage, especially if they don’t finish the entire meal. Some dogs may also be able to detect a foreign presence in their food, which can make it difficult to get them to eat. If your dog is like this, you can still administer liquid medication directly into your dog’s mouth with a syringe. With the syringe method, it’s helpful to ask your veterinarian for a demonstration before trying it at home. This requires physically holding onto your dog’s mouth as you dispense the medication, which can be stressful for your dog. Therefore, be sure to offer lots of praise and a treat to reward their patience when it’s all done.
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Opt For Chewable Tablets
Some pet medications are also available as a chewable tablet, which looks very similar to a regular treat from a dog’s perspective. You should opt for chewable tablets if you have a dog who hates pills, is food-motivated, or loves performing tricks for treats. Some owners can still have trouble convincing their dog to take a chewable tablet, but wrapping it in a morsel of food often gets the job done. The one downside of chewable tablets is that they can be more expensive than regular pills. However, the cost is often well worth it if it gets your dog to actually take their medicine!
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Reward With Treats
Positive reinforcement is the cornerstone of dog training, and taking medicine is no exception. Many dog owners have found success in offering their dog’s medicine to them by including it in a series of regular dog treats. To reward with treats, simply go through your dog’s repertoire of tricks, offering a treat after each successful sit, shake, and roll-over. One of the treats will have the pill hidden inside, but hopefully your dog won’t realize it because they're too busy waiting for your next command (and their next treat). Another variation of this method is to offer a very high-value treat at the end of the session, such as real cooked chicken or steak. If your dog grows to expect an extra special treat at the end for good behavior, they might be more willing to take their medicine.
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Get Help From A Friend
If two heads are better than one, then four hands must be better than two! If you have difficulty giving medicine to your dog on your own, try to get help from a friend. Preferably, it should be another human your dog loves. Having an extra pair of hands is useful for holding onto your dog or distracting them as you administer the medication. You can also recruit your friend to engage your dog in a friendly competition. To do this, simply offer both your friend and your dog some 'treats,' but give your friend more of them. The more treats your friend receives in front of your dog, the crazier your dog should become. Eventually, they should be so happy to receive a treat that they won’t realize there’s something hidden inside.
