Give a dog pills

wypadek

So Ziva just got home from the vet. Oh man does she look pathetic ! Needless to say we have some meds she needs. Some of them are pretty big. The vet made it sound like they threw it in her food and she took 'em no problem. Well she's not a fan of her horse pill antibiotic. She bit it open then spit it out. I put it in some kraft single and then basically shoved it down her throat just now. Is there a better way to do this? This thing is HUGE! Like one of those awful pills they give you when you have strep and can't swallow anything so they give you the largest pill imaginable! The anti-inflammatory doesn't look much smaller....

kristinanddan

I'm not sure what type of pill it is, but if it isn't time release, maybe you could ask the vet if you could crush them, then mix them in her food.

kristinanddan

PS - Did you get Ziva's name from NCIS? My parents have a Gibbs.

wypadek

Thank you so much guys!!!

kristinanddan:

PS - Did you get Ziva's name from NCIS? My parents have a Gibbs.

And yes we did! DH and I have always thought both Jethro and Gibbs would make FABULOUS dog names. But we also don't know if we want a boy dog.

ndolehan

We use a treat (the ones that are "bone" shaped, usually the medium size) and put peanut butter on the treat and hide the pill in the peanut butter.

Usually the cheese works for us, or a slice of lunch meat, just 1/2 a slice or so. 

dexteroni

I always ask if a pill can be split or crushed; it makes it so much easier.  If not, you just have to try various things until you find what works.  Some things that have worked for Dexter - wrapped in turkey or roast beef lunch meat, stuffed into a piece of Babybel, a piece of chicken breast, a little piece of cooked ground beef (like a tiny meatball), or sometimes inside a little ball of wet dog food if it's solid enough consistency.  What does not work for him: pill pockets, the thing where you put it in the back of their mouth and rub their throat, any cheese other than Babybel, and basically anything else.  Peanut butter was like an insult. lol.

GrayGhost13

In addition to all the good suggestions pps have already offered, I would add that you can lightly lift her chin and gently rub the front of her throat in a downward motion. The throat rub prompts them to swallow if they're trying to hold the pill in their mouth. HTH!

dexteroni

TobioLovesAce:

you can lightly lift her chin and gently rub the front of her throat in a downward motion. The throat rub prompts them to swallow if they're trying to hold the pill in their mouth.

Unless your dog is Dexter, in which case it prompts him to bolt like a spooked horse, choke on his pill, and spray it out all over the kitchen. lol.  

justaname

What works well for our girl is to get something spoonable (wet food, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc) that she loooves. Make sure your other dog is sitting next to the one being pilled (assuming no serious resource agression issues.) Then just give the spoonful of goo w/ the pill to the sick dog. I have found that the presence of another dog makes her competitive and will make her want to swallow the nastiest of pills. Good luck!