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How To Give Oral Medication To Dogs
Image by Cindy Parks from Pixabay
Tips and tricks to get an uncooperative dog to take medicine
It is almost inevitable that they will need to take some form of medication at some point in their dog's life. This could be antibiotics for a cut paw, some painkillers, or medication for cancer.
Dogs do not know what you are trying to give them, and they will not know that the medication is for their good, so they may be stubborn and try to refuse the medication. So, you need to administer the medicine safely that is not too stressful for the dog. This is especially important if it is a puppy.
How to give oral medication to Dogs
Most medication is some form of pill, tablet, capsule, or liquid.
Step 1
Gently but firmly hold your dog's snout, between your fingers and thumb with your left hand, and support under the jaw with the palm of your other hand.
Step 2
Use your hands to gently tilt the dog's head back to a 45-degree angle. Keep the firm hole of their snout and do not let them wiggle free, which they might try to do if they know what you are trying to do.
Step 3
Have the Pill or syringe ready in your right hand. Now you need to pry the jaws open. Your left hand is on the top of the snout already. Grip around the snout, and with your right hand, carefully open their mouth. If you are worried about them biting, with your left hand, fold some of their lip over their teeth. They will be less likely to try to bite, and if they do, they will also bite their lip.
Step 4
You now place the tablet or squeeze the syringe into the dog's mouth. It would help if you got it as far back as your can without forcing it down, as you do not want the medication to go down the respiratory pipe. Aim for the back of the bulb of the tongue.
Step 5
Now you close the mouth but still keep hold of their snout and keep the mouth shut and tilted with one hand. They rub their throat for 15-30 seconds or until it is evident that the dog has swallowed.
Tips and tricks to get an uncooperative dog to take medicine
The above is the standard way to administer medicine to your pooch, but there are numerous tips and tricks you can try to make the process a little easier.
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Stick to a routine
Once you have found a way that works, stick with it, and do everything in a set routine. Dogs like patterns, and if they take their Pill quickly and effectively, they will be more likely to know they have to do it and are happy to get it over and done with.
Out of sight
Always prepare the medicine away from your dogs. Open the pill bottle or fill the syringe in the kitchen with the door shut. Dogs have excellent hearing and smell; you don't want them to start stressing about what is coming. You want them to become involved in the process as late as possible.
Mix it up
If it is ok to do so, break the Pill up or crush it into a powder, then add it to their regular food. If it is not allowed to be broken up, you can still add it to the food whole, but it is not advisable for a large pill as you do not want them to chew it. If you do this method, always stay with them, and ensure they consume it and haven't spat it out. This method works best with raw or canned food rather than dry kibble.
Snack time
Wrap the Pill inside a snack. The stronger the taste and the more they like the snack, the better—peanut butter, fish, chicken hearts, and pate. Always make sure they have consumed everything before leaving them alone.
Helping hand
Pills can be very chalky and bitter, so it is no wonder your doggie doesn't want to take them. In these cases, you can buy other products as delivery devices, making it easier for you and your furry best friend. For instance, you can purchase edible gel container capsules, or you can buy treats that as designed to have a hole in them for you to add a pill.
Make it fun
Make taking medicine as fun as possible. If you give them the tablet while you are on the walk, then they are more likely to take it without protesting too much because they want to get back to walking and sniffing. You could also incorporate it into a dog training session or playgroup. Again, if you have arrived at a dog meet-up, then if you give it to them after seeing the other dogs, but before you introduce them, they are more likely to take medicine because they are desperate to go over and meet their friends.
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Final thoughts
Your Vet should always be invoiced in the process, they should be prescribing the medication, and they should be providing you with advice on the dosage and delivery method.
This is important because some pills can be broken up into food, but some medications like Amoxicillin must be swallowed whole. Sometimes there may be different versions of the same drug, the Vet might try a flavored pill form first, but if that becomes an issue, there might be a liquid version available. They even sometimes do flavored tablets to make it more likely that the dog will take the medication.
It can be stressful for the dog and human when trying to administer the drugs but remember you are doing it with your dog's best interests in mind.
For all general inquiries, please contact us at customer@petdreamland.com
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