Medicating Your Pet
It is very important to administer all medication prescribed to your pet.
Administering a Pill to Your Dog
MaggieIf your dog is not on any dietary restrictions, and your veterinarian said the medication can be given with food, the easiest way to give a pill is to hide it in a piece of food. For many dogs, the treat is just so tempting that they readily swallow it, along with the medicine. If you are going to put the pill in the dog’s food, it is best to not mix it with an entire meal, since the dog may not eat the whole meal, he will not get the appropriate dose of medication.
Some common foods to hide pills in include
- Cheese
- Peanut Butter
- Piece of hot dog
- Cream cheese
- Bread
- Big marshmallows
- Bologna
- Canned cat food ( just enough to cover pill )
- Canned dog food formed into a meatball
- Liverwurst
If your dog will not take the pill in food or cannot have food with the medication then it is time to push the pill down his throat.
- Get pill out of the bottle and have it near by.
- Call your dog in a happy voice.
- Take our dog to a convenient spot, and place your dog’s hind end against something so he cannot back away form you.
- Hold the pill between your thumb and index finger. (If you are right-handed, use your right hand.)
- Using your other hand, gently grasp your dog’s muzzle from above with your thumb on one side and your fingers on the other.
- Squeeze behind the upper canine teeth and tilt your pet’s head back over his shoulder so he is looking up at the ceiling. His lower jaw will automatically drop a bit.
- Use finger on your right hand to lower bottom jaw further by placing finger between the lower canine teeth and pushing down.
- Place the pill as far back in your dog’s mouth as possible, getting it over the hump of the tongue. Not too far, or your dog may gag.
- Close your dog’s mouth, hold it closed, and lower his head to a normal position, which will make swallowing easier. Gently rubbing or blowing on your dog’s nose may help stimulate him to swallow.
- Give your dog praise and possibly a treat. This may make medicating next time easier.
Administering a Pill to Your Cat
You may find that pilling a cat is a touch more challenging. Cats tend to be delicate in their eating habits and placing medication in their food will only end up with a pill left in the bowl. We have provided a link that shows in great detailed video on how to pill a cat. Click on the link and see step by step instructions.