Giving your dog his medicine

Dogs don't understand the concept "it's for your own good" and they'd rather not take their pills.

They do love their treats, though. Any dog with a good appetite is easy to give pills to.

I have found soft bread the easiest to use for hiding medicine in. I frequently use bread as a treat, so my dogs all love it and gobble it down.

We play sit, stay, come at my house every now and then. And bread is a treat I frequently use. They all sit and I toss each one a treat. Then I walk away and tell them to stay. And when I tell them to come they rush to me and sit in front of me. The first one to sit gets the first treat. The one who needs a pill gets a piece of bread folded over his pill. He never notices the difference.

The problem comes in when the dog isn't eating well, which sometimes happens when he's sick, and some dogs just aren't good eaters.

If the dog won't gobble down his bread and pill you can try to find something he likes better. Try meat, peanut butter, catfood, use your imagination. Since he's just getting a tiny amount it doesn't have to be something that's "good for him" - it can be people food, or junk food. Whatever it is it will probably get all over your fingers. That's why I like bread the best.

If none of those things work, or if he's supposed to have the medicine "on an empty stomach" you'll have to go to plan B.

Plan B involves holding his mouth open wide and putting the pill as far back in his mouth as you can, then holding his mouth shut while he swallows it. When he spits it out you have to do it again, this time even farther back in his mouth. If you get it partway down his throat he can't spit it out.

For a large dog I generally sit on the floor next to the dog, with him sitting at my left side facing the same direction I'm facing. I put my left arm around his shoulder and my left hand on his upper jaw. I pull up so he's facing up and his mouth begins to open.

I have the pill in my right hand ready to pop into his mouth. as the mouth begins to open I put the pill at the tip of my index finger and put my right hand into his mouth. As quickly as I can I shove the pill back into his throat and shut his mouth. I hold his head in the upfacing position and stroke his throat. Most of the time he swallows it. Sometimes he spits it out and we do it again.

Sister sites:
Auntie Donna's Dog care and training tips

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