Taking care of a pet is the duty of every owner. There are often cases when it is necessary to give a dog medicine (to prevent or treat a certain disease), which can cause difficulties for novice dog breeders. As a rule, voluntary animals do not want to ingest any drugs. Complicating the situation is the fact that dogs have an excellent sense of smell and are able to recognize a trick. But with patience, persistence and a little cunning, you can find a method that will force your animal to swallow the unpalatable medicine.
There are several ways to feed your pet a tablet or give it a suspension.
Method No. 1
The easiest and fastest way is to hide the medicine in a piece of some treat. You can use minced meat, liver, cheese, meat. If the dog can catch a treat on the fly, then you can play with it: first throw two pieces without a tablet, and hide the medicine in the third.
This method is only suitable for cases where the medicine can be given with food. If it should be given before or after meals, then you will have to use a different method. This method is not suitable for picky pets who may refuse food, sniff for a long time or carefully chew it. Often the dog may eat the treat and spit out the tablet. Therefore, you should make sure that the animal has swallowed the medicine.
If the dog spits out the tablet, it can be crushed into powder and mixed with food. But this technique is only suitable for drugs with a neutral taste and odorless. Otherwise, the animal may even refuse the treat.
Answers on questions
The dog can eat the tablet on its own only if it smells and tastes good. For example, Bravecto flea and tick tablets. In all other cases, you will have to resort to one of the options described above.
Our readers ask frequent questions, the answers to which we will now tell you.
How to give a dog a deworming tablet?
Medicine for helminthic infestations usually tastes bitter. Therefore, to give it to your dog, it is better to dilute it with a sweet liquid in order to hide the bitter taste as much as possible.
How to give a dog a pill if it spits it out?
If your dog deliberately spits out the tablet, feed it with food. Let the animal get a little hungry, and then wrap the medicine in minced meat, pate or cheese.
What is better: injection or tablets?
If you have the opportunity to purchase the medicine not in tablet form, but in the form of injections, then it is better to use this option. The injection is given to the dog in the withers or in the hind leg in the thigh. For the animal, this is a more convenient option for taking medication than tablets. In addition, this way the effect of the drug occurs faster and is more effective.
What to do if your dog won't swallow the pill?
If you have tried all the ways to get your dog to swallow the pill, but he refuses, it is recommended that you contact a veterinary clinic so that the doctor can prescribe the medicine in a different form or from a different brand.
It can be:
- syrup;
- suspension;
- injections;
- pipettes for eye drops;
- flavored tablets;
- suppositories for rectal or anal administration.
What tablets should not be given to dogs?
The desire to quickly help his four-legged friend prompts a person to give him pills that are strictly prohibited for dogs. These are non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs that are suitable for humans, but not for pets.
Here is a list of which tablets should not be given:
- Aspirin;
- Analgin;
- Paracetamol;
- Diclofenac;
- Indomethacin;
- Ketoprofen;
- Ibuprofen;
- Ketorol or Ketanov;
- Ortofen;
- Voltaren.
These drugs can cause liver and kidney failure, disrupt blood clotting, and cause gastrointestinal bleeding in the dog, which will lead to its death.
How to give a small dog a pill?
It is better to give the tablet to a small dog in crushed form, mixed with water or food. This will ensure that she doesn't choke when swallowing.
How to give a dog a pill if it bites?
A dog that bites or is afraid of its owner will not simply open its mouth and put in a pill. In this case, it is better to use a special device - a tablet dispenser. Its price in a veterinary pharmacy is from 100 rubles.
How to give a dog a pill if it won't eat?
If the animal refuses to eat and it is not possible to give it a tablet, then use other options for administering the drug:
- injections;
- liquid form;
- candles.
Method number 2
They call the pet to you, stroking it and talking affectionately to it, and sit down on the side, as if hugging it. Then carefully open the mouth and place the pill on the root of the tongue (if you put the pill on the tongue, the dog will spit it out), holding it with the thumb and forefinger (the other fingers are clenched into a fist). In order for the pet to swallow the medicine, lightly stroke its throat - this way the swallowing reflex is induced. In some cases, the tablet sticks to the tongue. To push it through, a syringe without a needle is filled with water in advance and carefully poured into the mouth. You can also grease the tablet with butter and freeze it slightly. Then the medicine becomes slippery and easy to swallow.
You can, after fixing the dog, do things a little differently. In this case, they press on the animal’s cheeks in the place where the jaws connect. The dog will open its mouth slightly, after which its cheeks are clamped between its teeth, which will not allow it to close its mouth and bite its owner’s hand. With the other hand, they put a pill in the throat and stroke the neck.
How to give tablets to a dog - methods
There are pets for whom swallowing a pill is a mere trifle; they will do it easily. But for most animals, the entry of a foreign body into the mouth against their will leads them to a state of stress and even aggression. There are several universal ways to give even a bitter pill to a dog. Let's look at each of them in detail.
Important! The owner must first carefully study the instructions for use of the drug. Some medications can only be given with food, while others can be given on an empty stomach.
Give the tablet to your dog with food
If the tablet is allowed to be given with food, then it can be hidden whole in a small ball of soft food, for example, pate or minced meat. The dog will happily swallow the treat, and you can treat your animal without any problems.
Crush
However, there are times when the animal quickly notices the catch and spits out the hard tablet. Then crush it into fine powder or crumbs using a spoon, and mix with a small amount of viscous food. It could be porridge, cottage cheese. Well, if the dog is hungry, then he will definitely swallow the treat.
With water or liquid
You can’t just mix a bitter pill into food. It will change the taste of the food, and the dog will immediately refuse to eat it. In this case, do this:
- grind the hard tablet into powder;
- pour it into a liquid (5-10 ml), such as water, milk, warm broth, kefir or yogurt;
- Shake well until a homogeneous consistency is obtained;
- draw the contents into a syringe without a needle.
Now carefully open the dog's mouth and direct the liquid medicine to the root of the tongue. The pet will swallow the liquid without problems.
Treat tablet
Dog training time can be combined with taking medication. Place the tablet in a piece of any treat, such as cheese. After each correctly executed command, reward your pet with a regular piece. The dog will get used to its taste. When it's time to take the pill, ask her to demonstrate a skill (eg, voice, fetch a toy, sit on command), and as a reward give her a tidbit with a hidden pill.
The dog will swallow it without noticing the substitution and without understanding it, as it awaits its well-deserved reward.
How to give a tablet without water or food
Some medications are not recommended to be mixed with liquid or food. So the absorption of the drug will be significantly higher. In this case, you will have to use a method that will require patience and confidence from the owner.
Important! Before the procedure, the dog must be calm and trust you completely.
- Sit opposite the dog. Hold the tablet between the index finger and thumb of your left hand.
- With your right hand, lift your pet's muzzle and gently open its mouth. Do not put your fingers under the teeth; if the dog closes its jaw, you will get a bite.
- With a quick movement of your left hand, place the tablet as far as possible on your pet's tongue and close your mouth.
- Start massaging your dog's neck to stimulate his swallowing reflex.
- The animal should swallow the tablet without difficulty.
After a couple of minutes, make sure that the medicine has been swallowed and is not in your mouth. Give your dog a small amount of water or milk to wash down.
Important! The main disadvantage of this procedure is that it cannot be done with every dog. There are breeds that will not allow even their owner to get into their mouth.
How to give a pill using an introducer
Introducer or piller or tablet dispenser are all names of the same device with which you can give a tablet to a dog. This is a reusable device. Outwardly, it resembles a regular syringe. The difference is that at its end there is not a needle, but a soft rubber tip. The tablet is clamped at the end between the cavities of the forked tip and is pushed out with the help of a piston.
How to use the introducer:
- place a hard tablet on the tip of the tablet dispenser;
- open the dog's mouth by pressing the left hand on the sides of the jaw;
- insert the introducer as close to the root of the tongue as possible;
- press the plunger to expel the contents.
All actions must be performed quickly, clearly and confidently.
On a note! It is better to give liquid medicine to a dog using a regular medical syringe, and hard tablets and capsules using a tablet dispenser.
Method number 4
If you need to give liquid medicine and the dog is calm and obedient, then you can slightly raise its head and pour the suspension from a spoon or syringe into the cheek space. The head is kept slightly tilted back for some time so that the medicine does not leak out.
If you need to give a suspension to a disobedient and energetic pet, you cannot do without an assistant. One person carefully fixes the pet's face and opens the jaws. Then, pulling back the cheek, inserts the index and middle finger into the mouth. As a result, a funnel-shaped hole is formed, into which a second person pours a sip (no more) of the medicine from a syringe, lifting the animal’s head up. The procedure is repeated until the entire suspension is gone. Between swallows, the dog's mouth is closed and the neck is stroked from top to bottom to facilitate swallowing.
There is another, easier way to administer liquid medicine, which does not require opening the animal’s mouth. The suspension is drawn into the syringe, after removing the needle from it. The volume of the syringe depends on the amount of medicine. Gently part the pet's lips from the side and slowly introduce liquid into the interdental space. If you press sharply on the syringe plunger, the mixture may fall not into the pharynx, but into the larynx. You also need to make sure that the nose of the syringe does not rest against the palate, gum or tongue. After administering the medicine, you need to hold the dog in the same position for a while so that it swallows the medicine.
Our pets are very different, and often we have to try many methods before finding a compromise. Nowadays, you can easily choose a dosage form that is convenient for you and your dog. This is especially true for anthelmintic drugs, which have to be given regularly. These drugs include the following:
- Dironet tablets
. This is a complex anthelmintic drug, the active ingredients of which are pyrantel pamoate, praziquantel and ivermectin. The advantages of Dironet tablets include a convenient dosage (suitable for animals with different body weights) and the presence of an aromatic flavoring additive; - suspension "Dironet"
. A drug with a wide spectrum of anthelmintic action. Active ingredients: pyrantel pamoate, praziquantel and ivermectin. The drug also contains a flavorful additive (salmon flavor for cats, fresh meat flavor for dogs); - suspension "Febtal-combo"
. This drug can be used for the treatment and prevention of nematodes and cestodes. Active ingredients: praziquantel and albendazole. The kit includes a dosing syringe.
When giving your pet medicine, you must show affection and patience, avoiding threatening intonations, irritability and nervousness, so as not to frighten or anger him. After taking the medication, be sure to pet and praise the dog.
How to Give Your Dog Liquid Medicine
The liquid medicine is drawn into a syringe without a needle, then, lifting the dog’s head and gently spreading the animal’s lips with your fingers, pour the medicine into the space between the upper and lower teeth in the corner of the mouth or into the pocket formed between the cheek and teeth. You need to infuse slowly, especially if the syringe is completely full. The mouth should be kept slightly closed to prevent the dog from spitting out the medicine, and the head should be kept elevated for several minutes to prevent regurgitation.
It is impossible to pour liquid medicine into an open mouth due to the risk of liquid entering the respiratory tract, which may result in bronchopneumonia.
If a large amount of liquid medicine is given, then it should be infused intermittently, allowing the dog to swallow.
Useful trick
And finally, the most interesting way to give a pill to a dog is to use a special syringe, the so-called petpiller, or introducer. It will become an indispensable assistant if your pet is too small and you are afraid of harming it, or, on the contrary, you are afraid that your finger may be grabbed. To do this, place the tablet in the rubber tip and open your pet’s mouth, it is best to get into the interdental gap, and trying to get to the root of the tongue, press the piston (see video). The dog won’t even have time to get scared before the medicine is swallowed. What tablets can be given to dogs this way? Almost any, from a small quarter to a large capsule, the main thing is that it fits into the introducer, because they also come in different sizes. Of course, even with such a device, not everything can work out the first time. But the undoubted advantages of this method are that your hands are protected from bites, you can give your pet a pill alone, because one hand is free and the process goes very quickly. By the way, you can fill the tablet dispenser, as it is simply called, with water. This way, the liquid will ensure even smoother passage of the tablet, and the dog will not have time to spit it out or hide it behind its cheek. You can find out how to use the introducer correctly from your veterinarian, or look for a video of this procedure.
And finally, a very important question: what tablets can be given to dogs. Definitely, you should treat your pet only with veterinary medications prescribed by your doctor. But this is not always possible. Either there are no medications needed, or the minutes are counting. Then you can use “human” medicines, many of them are suitable for our four-legged pets. However, it is worth remembering that the main thing is to correctly and competently calculate the dosage based on the weight of the animal, so as not to harm the pet. You can learn how to do this correctly from the instructions, but it is better to carry out treatment under the guidance of a veterinarian.
Here are some examples of which tablets produced for people can be given to dogs: probiotics (HilakForte, Bifiform), drugs for poisoning that remove toxins (Enterosgel, activated carbon, Smecta), antispasmodics (No-shpa, or domestic Drotaverine), some antibiotics.
If you are still in doubt about the best way to give a pill to your dog, remember that only your calmness, patience and goodwill will help your pet survive the unpleasant procedure.
