Do you know how to give a dog a pill ? In most cases, dogs are very reluctant to take medication, especially those that are in the form of large tablets and have a very strong odor.
This becomes a difficult mission for the dog owner, however, it is necessary to learn the correct handling to offer the medicine in the animal’s mouth. Otherwise, he adopts mechanisms to spit the pill without the owner noticing.
Man’s best friend is very smart. Medicating it can be equated with the difficulty of how to offer vegetables to young children. It takes dexterity and techniques to deceive them, so they ingest it without realizing it.
If the dog is a puppy, angry or even hyperactive, naturally you will have more work, as they tend to spit.
However, you as a tutor need to learn, as most dog remedies are in pill form. When he gets sick, you must be prepared to help him.
But take it easy! To the relief of tutors, there are techniques that make this mission easier and possible. Check out what vets say about it:
How to give pills to dogs in an uncomplicated way
If you have a rebellious dog that refuses to take the medication, you need to train some techniques that will help you to take care of it. At first, it may seem difficult, however, soon you get enough skill to master it.
You need to understand that dogs don’t know and don’t understand that they need to take medicine to cure some illness. Therefore, it is practically necessary to somehow force the administration of these drugs, because you, as a tutor, know the importance of taking them.
Below are some dog pill tips that really work for all dogs. But, be patient and persist, that way, it won’t be a big difficulty to medicate him.
1- Use snacks as bait
Dogs love an out-of-hours treat . They just love to feel rewarded for something they do. Also, remember that they are attached to their owners, so they enjoy the playtime involved.
The first tip is to throw the pill at him as if it were a snack. Dogs in a hurry will swallow quickly as long as they don’t smell the pill.
Another more efficient way is to take two handfuls of the snack he likes the most, mix the pill in one of them and play the following game:
With the two packs of treats in both hands and very close to the dog’s muzzle, first offer the treat rolled up with the medicine and then give the other treat. The puppy is overcome by gluttony, because as he will be so eager to eat the second treat, he will quickly swallow the first, not realizing he has the pill.
This second tip is the best, especially if the dog has to take this medicine for more days.
Some tutors believe that mixing the pill in the feed can facilitate its ingestion. However, this strategy is already known to puppies and most of the time it does not work, because when the food is on the plate, before ingesting it, they sniff it.
Of course you can try, it will work, right?
2- Give the medicine in the mouth
One of the strategies on how to give a pill to a dog taught by veterinarians is to force the medication directly into the dog’s mouth .
This technique is used as a last resort, when none of the other ways worked. The dog needs to take the medicine, unfortunately if he doesn’t ingest it in another way, it will have to be like this.
You have to insist, it won’t always work on the first try. In certain situations, this action is necessary. To do this, open the animal’s mouth and try to immobilize it. Then push the pill down the puppy’s throat and close the puppy’s mouth.
To help, give him a light massage on his throat to make swallowing easier. Some experts suggest blowing the animal’s nose while it has its mouth closed.
To make sure the puppy swallowed the medicine, assess whether he licked his mouth.
The first few times, you may need someone else’s help to immobilize the pet. You have to do the procedure quickly, so as not to stress the dog.
3- Do the correct administration of the pills
The dog’s recovery depends on following the treatment as prescribed by the veterinarian, and this is undoubtedly the owner’s responsibility.
Some people think that kneading the pill can make camouflage easier for the puppy to ingest. However, this rule does not work for everyone. Some are good pill detectors and may reject feed because of this.
Also, pay attention, as only pills that can be broken (capsules that have a line in the middle) and that serve to divide the dose. If in doubt, ask the veterinarian.
Dissolve the medicine , only if the specialist allows it, otherwise, do not do this, as it may reduce the effectiveness of the treatment.
Another recommendation is regarding manipulated capsules. Experts warn that they should not be opened to use the powder in food, as they were developed with the exact doses to be administered in the original presentation, that is, in capsules.
4- Show animation when administering the medicine
When you go to give snacks or play with your pet, naturally, you are happy and excited, he can see this in the intonation of your voice. This contagious energy must continue when administering the medication, otherwise the puppy will notice the difference.
Therefore, when you call the dog to play the snack with the medicine, be very excited, play games, because, according to experts, the best way to give the dog a pill is when they are distracted.
If the dog realizes that you are going towards him, seriously and with a pill in your hand, he will immediately run away, hide and become resistant to taking the medicine.
To avoid this, the best strategy is to use good humor, jokes and tricks with his favorite food to get his attention and make him swallow the pill. Banana is a great option to camouflage the remedy.
5- Use the “Go get it” game
Everyone knows that dogs love to play, for the more hyperactive ones this tip can work very well.
For this, the tutor should make a lot of fuss with his pet, call him excited to play, take him to a place with space to do the famous prank “Go get it”. Throw a treat, then a pill into the disguised treat, then a treat again.
There are already manufacturers of snacks that are making a kind of “medicine holder” precisely for these games. The pill is coupled inside the snack, making the dog not realize what he is ingesting.
But, the secret lies in the strategy of offering the medicine another snack, in this way, it makes those in a hurry swallow the medicine quickly.
