Dog Medication - Getting Your Dog to Take Her Pills

It could be arthritis, a thyroid condition, or just a simple bacterial infection. Every now and then, your dog will require some sort of medication. These medications can come in all sorts of forms, from big pills, little pills, oral liquids, injections, sprays, ear drops, and anything in between. It is very rare for a dog to take her medicines willingly. How then can you get Fido medicated?

Your technique will depend on the type of medication, or the form it comes in.

Pills and Capsules

Pills and capsules can be some of the hardest forms of medication to get your dog to swallow. Many veterinary pharmaceutical companies will flavor their canine medicine like meat, liver, and the like, but these flavors are often far from true and many dogs will be able to tell the difference. The idea is that a beef flavored pill will be something that your dog wants to eat, but this is rarely the case.

Many dog owners attempt to hide or disguise the pills in a dog's food, perhaps covering the pill with peanut butter and putting it in the bowl with the other food. This has often yielded results, but some dogs will still find the pill and spit it out.

Another option involves wrapping the pill up in a little ball of ground beef. By taking a small quantity of ground beef, squashing it flat, placing the pill in the middle and rolling the meat back over it, you create a delicious smelling and tasting little ball that your dog will not even need to taste. Occasionally a dog will still recognize the pill inside. In this case, the only option may be to hold your dogs mouth shut with a hand on top and on bottom of his muzzle. This will force him to swallow.

Liquid medicine

Medicines that must be given in an oral form can be just as difficult as pills. Usually a dog owner must measure out a very precise amount before attempting to squirt it into a dog's mouth with the help of a syringe. This type of medicine can often be mixed with food, but again, a dog may recognize that their food has medicine in it. Unlike a pill however, a liquid medicine cannot be spat out effectively.

Injections

Most medicines that require an injection fall within the realm of your veterinarian's job. For these medications you may be required to come into the clinic regularly so your pet might receive these injections. Some injections however do not require a veterinarian. These are usually known as subcutaneous injections, and are administered by lifting up the scruff of your dog's neck and injecting the medicine just under the skin.

Sprays

Sprays are perhaps the easiest medicines to give to your dog. It's easy enough to simply pull out the bottle and spray the medicine on the affected area. Many of these sprays are fast acting and will be absorbed quickly, but you may still need to keep him from licking the spray off. You may need to put a plastic cone around his head for a short while to keep him from licking.

Ear Drops

As a general rule, dogs hate ear drops. For that matter, most people do too. Who enjoys having a cold liquid slide down their ear canal? Dogs are no different and once they understand what's happening, they will probably do their very best to wriggle out of your grasp. Consider straddling your dog from behind or enlisting the help of a friend or family member. Your dog will try to shake the drops out if you let him go right away, so hold him a moment longer and massage the ears a little bit.

When toilet training your puppy, take note that she is not able to control her bladder overnight before she reaches four months old. To learn more about canine health care and canine dog supplies, visit us at CanineTouch.com.