Sometimes, giving your dog a pill can be quite the challenge.
Dogs are smart and know that they don’t always like taking pills.
The good news is that there are ways to make it easier for both you and your furry friend.
There are some things you can do at home to make taking your dog’s medication easier on both of you. One trick is giving them their pill wrapped up inside something tasty like cheese or peanut butter so they don’t even realize what they’re eating.
It can be tricky to get a dog to take pills
As a dog owner and an animal lover, I know how difficult it can be when you have to give your dog medication.
Often this can be prescribed by your vet or over the counter such as for fleas or ticks.
They are usually naturally fearful of new things and that is often why they don’t want to take their medicine.
This can lead to dangerous situations as we try other ways to get them into taking it, which can often result in things such as the dog biting.
In this post we will discuss 8 of the best tips on how you can make sure the process goes smoothly for both you and your adorable pup from start to finish!
If you’re having trouble getting your dog to take their medication, try these methods before giving up!
You may find that it only takes one of these techniques for them to start taking their medicine without any fuss at all.
Easy ways to get your dog to take a pill
Use cheese
Put the pill in a piece of cheese – Many dogs find pills to be a bit of an unpleasant experience, but luckily there are ways you can make the pill go down more easily.
One way is by hiding it in cheese.
The strong smell will help mask the scent of the medication and will also encourage your dog to eat it faster than they might otherwise have done so on their own.
This method has been known to work for many owners, although some say that using peanut butter instead works better.
Be crafty and use dog treats
Hide the pill inside a small bite-sized dog treat – Place the pill inside a small bite-sized dog treat and then give it to your dog.
The smellier the treat, the better. If the treat smells tasty and can mask some of the smell of the pill then you stand a better chance of your dog taking it from you.
Most dogs love cheese or peanut butter. Hide pills inside these and you’ll find that he’ll gulp them down quickly and easily.
Peanut butter is a great dog pill tip
Wrap the pill up with some peanut butter or cream cheese and put it on top of their food bowl – You can also make it easier for your pet to take their medication by using peanut butter or cream cheese as a bait.
The medication will taste better this way and they are more likely to eat it, which will help them recover faster!
You might be thinking that you have a stubborn dog that doesn’t like taking pills… well think again!
You could use some peanut butter or cream cheese as a reward for finishing the medicine so that it tastes better and is more enjoyable.
This tip makes getting over the sniffles even easier with our four-legged friends.
Hide it in his food
Mix the pill into your dog’s favourite canned food, like wet dog food or low-sodium soup –
There are many ways to get your dog to swallow a pill, but our favorite is mixing it into their favorite canned food.
1) If you have a picky eater, try mixing the pill with low-sodium soup or paté.
2) For those who want something more appealing, mix some of dog’s kibble in with some wet food or gravy and then top off with another spoonful of wet food on top of the mixture.
5. Cut open a hotdog and fill it with the pills (if you’re feeling really creative) – I’ve found that dogs love hotdogs.
Stick a pill inside a hotdog and try this, there is a really good chance that your dog will gulp it down without any hesitation.
Give medicines when he is hungry
Reduce the chances of your dog refusing the pill when it is hidden inside food by giving it to him when he is hungry.
Healthy, hungry dogs tend to ‘wolf’ their food down, particularly if it smells good and there is less chance of him spitting a pill out if you do things this way.
Do it the hard way
Open your dog’s mouth and pop the pill in. Hold his mouth closed and rubbing his throat until he swallows the pill.
This method can work if you know what you are doing, it also presents the maximum risk of getting bitten by a frightened dog.
Use a pill dispenser
Use a purpose made pill dispenser that can easily and safely get your dog to take his medicine.
They work like a syringe and insert the pill directly into your dog’s mouth in a manner that makes it difficult for him to spit out.
Recommended Pill Dispensers for Dogs
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Final Words
Dogs are great companions but they can be a handful at times. They require constant care and attention and we love them for it!
Sometimes, however, this means that we have to give them medicine or deal with other stressful situations such as vet visits.
In order to make sure our dogs get better faster and don’t feel sick for too long, giving your dog their medication is sometimes the only option you have if you want them to get healthy again.
We all know how much dogs hate taking pills and the 8 tips that we’ve outlined above will help you to give your dog his pills when he needs them.
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