Your veterinarian has just finished your dog’s exam, and tells you that your pal needs medication for its problem.
You remember how hard it is to get your dog to take its monthly flea and tick medication — and that is a tasty chew.
Now this is going to really suck!
You are then told there are three medications. Two tablets once a day and one capsule twice a day but they cannot be crushed and the capsules cannot be opened, or they will not work as well.
Can this get any worse? You remember the pill battle from two years ago when your dog was sick.
This column may help. I sure hope so.
Putting a pill in food hides the taste and smell of medicine. Most dogs will eat a pill in a snack without tasting or smelling it before they swallow it.
There are food items that usually work to hide your dog’s medications. You can use salmon-flavored or plain cream cheese, easy cheese in a can (especially sharp cheddar), liverwurst, sardines, xylitol-free peanut butter (as xylitol is extremely toxic for dogs) or little meatballs.
Marshmallows (also xylitol-free) can be cut in half to put the pill inside and then squished back together. Even bread and cut-up hot dogs may work, along with deli meats.
Finally, you can give your dog canned food with or without its kibble food and hide the pill in there.
Be sure you wash your hands after touching the medication because your dog will smell the medication on your hands and not eat its food or treats.
There are also pill pockets you can buy that most dogs like. You can get them in flavors such as salmon, chicken, beef, peanut butter, bacon and cheeseburger, and duck.
You can also purchase “pill popper.” Your veterinarian can help show you how to use it, or you can look on YouTube. When administering a pill with pill popper, only use the device when your dog is standing or sitting in a sternal position, never while lying down to protect your dog from choking on the pill.
Dogs are very observant, especially when it comes to treats and when you are doing something new, especially if you are anxious about pilling them.
It is best not to let your dog see you open the prescription bottle. They can smell the medications. Just like dogs respond to a can opener or the sound of kibble, they will smell and hear the pills in the prescription bottle and associate it with getting a pill.
If your dog is on to you giving it medications, chasing the dog will just make it worse. Make giving a pill just like having a treat. In fact, giving treats that you hide a pill in but that are empty will disguise the pill-giving time.
Dogs are magicians when spitting out a pill. Keep an eye on your pets after giving them medicated food or pills disguised in food in case they spit out or throw up the medicine.
Numerous medications are made into a liquid form by specialty compounding pharmacies, such as San Ysidro Pharmacy in Montecito and, possibly, Sansum Clinic Prescription Pharmacy at Pueblo, and there are other online pharmacies that your veterinarian can call in a prescription to.
Liquids are frequently flavored with beef, tuna, salmon or chicken. If the liquid needs to be refrigerated, do not warm it up in the microwave; just rub it between your hands or place it in warm water. Your veterinarian can show you how to give medication as a liquid.
Crushing medications or emptying a capsule into food may make them not work as well and they may have a bad taste.
Your veterinarian also may stock at their hospital suspension liquid medications and transdermal medications (absorbed through the skin). Be sure to ask your veterinarian about their recommendations for “hard to pill” dogs.
I hope these ideas all may help you outsmart your dog — and cat — when it comes to giving them medications.
