My dog is feeling much better.He's basically back to his old barky self.I've been hiding his meds in treats/food.Well he's figured it out and now he's spitting the pills out.I've put them in peanut butter,cheese and in chichen balls.Is there an easy way to give a dog pills?These are hard coated so I can't break them.I've tried putting them in the back of his throat and massaging him only to find out later that he'll hide it and spit it later.HELP I still have a week to go and running out of ideas and patience.

By Janet on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 09:36 am:

I've only given medicine to cats, so I don't think I can help (stuff it down the throat, hold the mouth shut and massage the throat, like you've done). Sounds like one smart pooch!

By Sandysmom on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 09:41 am:

I'm not an expert on dog's medicine, but can you dissolve it & put it in his water even though it is hard coated? Or will that make it lose it's potentcy(sp?)?

By Karen~moderator on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 09:44 am:

I usually grab my dog's jaw from underneath and open her mouth, then push the pill pretty much down her throat with the other hand, rub it and let her drink afterwards. I usually don't have problems pilling her.

By Jackie on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 10:03 am:

At the Vet's office they sell these things called "pill pockets". I am not sure what they are made of, but dogs love them. I have not used them on my dogs. I have had customers(doggie customers) come over with medicine and pill pockets. It seems to work.
Basically they come in different sizes, and you stick the pill in this pocket, and kind of squish it together and the dogs "usually" just eat it right down.

By Cat on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 10:35 am:

Gosh, if your dog is finding it hidden in cheese and peanut butter I don't know what to tell you! When we were giving Bean pills for his UTI we wrapped them in a little bit of bread. He's such a pig though, I don't think he even tasted that! lol Good luck.

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 11:12 am:

What about a small piece of bread, smothered in peanut butter?

Liver sausage is something good and disgusting to a human, but dogs love it. Maybe that would hide the pill enough.

The last time we had to give a pill to Jasmine, I hid it in some bread and tossed it to her and it went right down the hatch.

With Honey, the first time I had to give her antibiotics, I would slip one into a slice of hotdog, toss it to her and down the hatch. A year later, when I had to give antibiotics again, she somehow figured this out and would get the hotdog and not the pill. So, then I ended up having to just shove them down her throat. She didn't like it and neither did I!

By Marcia on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 02:11 pm:

I do it the same way as Karen. My dogs have both always been able to spit the pill out of any food I've hidden it in.

By Reds9298 on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 02:29 pm:

I have not read all of the responses, but my female Jack is the same way. No matter how hard I try to "hide" meds, she ALWAYS finds them and eats around them!

She has to take meds for relaxed incontinence and (if yours will let you) I just open her mouth with one hand from the sides, and quickly stick the pill directly down her throat as far as I can go. Then I close her mouth manually and it goes right down. She's gotten used to taking them that way because there's just no other solution.

Before that though, I did cottage cheese (she licked everything off of the pill!), plain yogurt, hotdog, and cheese.
Good luck!

By Reds9298 on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 02:29 pm:

Sorry...exact same thing as Karen. I didn't get a chance to read them all before I posted!

By Tripletmom on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 03:01 pm:

I will definately try putting them down his throat as far as I can.I wasn't going far enough, I guess.I found 1/2 pill today when I went to wash his bed.No more tricks with the food.He's got me figured out and why not get more food if you can(little bugger)Thx for you're suggestions and here's hoping tonites dose is easier.

These 4 legged kids are alot more work than the 2 legged ones LOL

By Ginny~moderator on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 06:50 pm:

Sherri, Scott says after you give the dog the pill, stay with him, gently hold his mouth closed and his muzzle tilted up until he swallows. Stroke his throat to encourage swallowing. If he still doesn't swallow, get a hypodermic without a needle and squirt a little bit of water into his mouth and he will probably swallow.

But whatever you do, don't just give him the pill and let him walk away without swallowing.

By Reds9298 on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 07:41 pm:

Yes, I always make sure it's gone down the throat before I walk off. Maybe once she has still tricked me though! Yes, Triplet....having 2 terriers DEFINITELY feels like more work than my one little girl at times!!! LOL

By Tripletmom on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 09:26 pm:

Thx Ginny-It didn't work I got it back in his throat and used a medicine syringe with water.I massaged his throat and tilted his head back.He's very stubborn-takes after the DH side(ha)Speaking of DH and thats NOT dear,he gave Rem his meds last night and didn't check,thought it was all gone.Well I found 1/2 tab today and was not impressed with 4 chillins in the house.So needless to say he took them in cheese tonite.Funny how I pretended that I was eating it and then he wanted some.....

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, May 25, 2006 - 09:38 pm:

Whatever works, Tripletmom! LOL!

By Ginny~moderator on Friday, May 26, 2006 - 06:07 am:

Sascha will do anything for cheese. If I start to open one of those wrapped slices of processed cheese, she appears at the refrigerator like magic. If I give her a pinch of a slice of cheese, she will lick her mouth for several minutes to get all of the taste, and then come and lick my fingers. Good choice, Sherri. And, as Dawn says, whatever works, works.