At some point in your dog’s life, he or she is going to need to take some type of medication, for one reason or another. While some canines will eat their pills with no issue, others need a bit of trickery to make the medicine go down. Here are a few different ways you can coax your canine into taking their medication.
Hide Their Medicine in Food That Is Strong-Smelling
If your pet’s medication isn’t already flavored, hiding the capsule inside of wet food is one of the easiest ways to get them to take it. In fact, there are actually delicious treats on the market that are specifically manufactured for this purpose.
However, there may be no need to go out and buy these special treats. Your dog may be equally enticed by human foods such as hot dogs, cheese, bread, and even butter.
Be sure to check the food that you gave them to make sure that they actually ate the pill and didn’t spit it out. Dogs have such sensitive noses that some are able to sniff out the medicine. This is why it may be wiser to try a wet dog food first, as the smell is much stronger and may successfully mask the pill.
Use a Pill Pocket
Pill pockets are super tasty dog treats that have a hole in the middle where you can insert a pill. Next, you simply pinch the top half closed so the dog doesn’t see or smell the medicine. Pill pockets are ideal for dogs who gobble treats so quickly that they don’t even chew them. Dogs who like to chew their treats will bite down into the pocket and taste the often unpleasant medicine, which will make the pill pockets easier to use next time.
Opt for Liquid Medications
For dogs who refuse to swallow their pills, liquid medications are a viable alternative. Special flavorings can be added to make it taste desirable to your dog. Chewable tablets are another option. The downside to these is that they tend to be more expensive, and depending on the drug, their effectiveness may be reduced.
Wait Until You Are on a Walk
When you take your dog on a walk, they are busy focusing on all of the exciting smells, sights, and sounds happening all around them. If you give them a pill-laced treat during this time, they are not as likely to notice its true contents.
Use a Pill Device
If all else fails, you may be tempted to reach your fingers into your dog’s mouth and place the pill far back on your dog’s tongue. The problem with this is that you might accidentally get bitten. This is where a pill device comes in handy. You use it to place the pill behind the hump on your dog’s tongue. After you do that, you close his mouth and pet his throat gently to get him to swallow the pill.
Final Thought
If none of these tricks work for you, don’t hesitate to make a quick visit to your veterinarian, as they specialize in such things. If you have become frustrated, request a demonstration.