How To Give Pills To Your Dog

Most dogs are very reluctant to take pills, especially if the pills are large, smelly, or should be chewed. In this sense, it is very common for some animals to resist and refuse to take all types of medication. 

For this reason, so they don’t get nervous, below we’ll share some tricks so you can give your dog pills.

Tips for giving pills to your dog

If you have to give your dog pills, whenever possible, choose those drugs that are chewable. Some are flavorful and not too unpleasant for them. In fact, animals in such cases tend to interpret that they are receiving treats.

Another option is to put the medications in his food. He probably doesn’t notice the medicine is there.

If you feed your pet dry food, add a small amount of canned food and place the pill inside. To make things easier, crush the medicine a little with the mixture.

If the above tricks don’t work, you can try a delicious prank. Dogs undoubtedly love to capture their treats… what if you take advantage of it to give him a pill?

To trick him, grab a handful of treats, or dog biscuits, and throw them to your dog, one after another. In between them, place the tablet. Maybe he thinks the pill contains some delight and won’t be able to resist swallowing it without major problems.

Remember that to prevent dog stress, it is best to use one of these tricks. However, if they fail, you will have to open their mouth and insert the pill directly.

But remember, before starting, make a tasty treat for your little friend and keep it within reach, because after such an invasive moment, nothing better than a gift.

Have you ever tried to cover medication? Some medications can be very bitter. At pet stores you can get gel capsules that are used to cover the pills. That way, your pet won’t taste so inedible.

Enjoy when your dog is distracted. Some behavioral veterinarians suggest that the best time to give your dog the pill is when he’s not paying attention.

If your pet is distracted; take your pill, open his mouth and put it on his tongue. The idea is that all these actions are done in a few seconds, so he won’t have much time to react. Will you dare to do this?

On the other hand, if your dog requires daily medication, he will certainly resist. Possibly when he sees you approaching with the medicine, he’ll run off and hide. To avoid such problems, the most effective thing to do is to teach your pet to swallow the pill. And for this, nothing better than using a little food.

Cut small pieces of meat or chicken, or use ground beef. In order for the  animal to take your pill without any major problems, you should create this habit in him.

You can make little balls of meat and give it to him like a pill. Repeat the exercise 10 to 20 times, and practice it two or three times a day. Over time, your dog will expect you to put something in his mouth and he will be less likely to be stressed.

How do I get him to take the pill?

In order for the dog to take his pill, hold the pill with your fingers. Place your hand on the animal’s lower jaw and the other hand on its upper jaw. Raise his head towards the ceiling.

Open the animal’s mouth, place the pill on its tongue  , then quickly remove your hand while its jaw closes. The movement you should achieve is similar to the movement of feeding a baby pieces of wet bread.

Continue to keep your dog’s jaws closed. With one hand, hold his nose pointed at the ceiling, while with the other, massage his throat to encourage him to swallow. As soon as you think your pet has swallowed the pill, offer him a treat.

Even after you think your dog has taken the pill, watch for a few minutes, as some dogs learn to hold the pill in their mouths and then, when they’re no longer paying attention to them, they often spit out the medicine.