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Taking Tablets


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Ok all you experienced dog people! Duke (weimaraner) is 2 years old and I've never had too much trouble getting him to take his monthly tablets (Comfortis and Sentinel). I usually dip them in yoghurt or something and that's enough to get him to take it. Recently he's been resisting. A lot. I've tried chopping them into tiny pieces, wrapping them in cheese and hiding them in his food. He always sniffs them out and becomes difficult. Note these are meant to be the tasty chewable tablets :confused:

So, what's the quickest, pain-free. slober-free (almost) method people use for difficult dogs. The vets make it look so easy! Thanks guys. :)

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Ok all you experienced dog people! Duke (weimaraner) is 2 years old and I've never had too much trouble getting him to take his monthly tablets (Comfortis and Sentinel). I usually dip them in yoghurt or something and that's enough to get him to take it. Recently he's been resisting. A lot. I've tried chopping them into tiny pieces, wrapping them in cheese and hiding them in his food. He always sniffs them out and becomes difficult. Note these are meant to be the tasty chewable tablets :confused:

So, what's the quickest, pain-free. slober-free (almost) method people use for difficult dogs. The vets make it look so easy! Thanks guys. :)

Get a pill popper!

Tilt the head back, open the mouth and pop the tab in. You can also do it without a pill popper but some people are scared of/dont like shoving their hand into the dogs mouth. Place the pill back as far as possible into the mouth.

Hold the mouth closed and wait for them to swallow, you can encourage this by rubbing their throat or blowing gently into their nose.

If the tablets are big- halve or quarter them.

Give the dog a big treat after you've done this.

I find this the easiest way to do it for a fussy/clever dog that spits the tablets out if you try and hide them.

It really should be done in a no fuss, efficient manner.

eta- I must have the only labrador in the world who won't eat pills easily or with food, so I feel your pain!!!

It is easier on both of us if I just quickly pop a tablet down her mouth.

Edited by aussielover
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I usually just pop it down their throat but an alternative method is to teach your dog to catch a treat and then at pill time, throw a few treats and in the middle of them have the loaded treat with pill inside, have the next reat ready to throw and the loaded one has usually been swallowed to get the next one quicker.

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I general do as above in place as far back as possible, hold mouth shut until swallowed. If we have to do pills each day for some illness and I am getting resistance, I choose something I know she loves and will swallow instantly...I can just use fresh mince for this. I make a small ball with the mince and put the pill in the middle. then entice so she really wants to gulp it so she doesn't find it....and tadah! Down it does.

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I like the handful of yummy treats method - mind you, it helps to have two dogs doing it together. Give/throw a couple of unbaited treats then the baited one, immediately followed by a couple of unbaaited ones - machine gun style. Mind youi, for their Sentinel Spectrum, I just pu it on top of their kibble and make sure it's gone. Again, it helps to have 2 dogs :D

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Have you tried just mixing them in with his meal? Or smear it in a bit of peanut butter and then smear a bit on a finger so he doesn't even chew the tablet but goes to lick the next treat?

+1 :thumbsup: Peanut butter works like a charm! :D

Once I crushed one of Kirah's worming tablets in with a mortar and pestle then mixed it in with the water/juice from a tin of tuna. Gobbled the whole lot up and was none-the-wiser!

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unless the wrong dog gets the loaded treat! :eek:

Yes, you certainly need to pay attention :D. If I'm putting their Spectrum tablet in their food bowls, I watch to make sure they each eat their own - Luckily, they eat promptly, and don't raid each other's bowls.

When I was medicating my first dog with twice daily Oroxine for hypothyroidism, I did accidentally give it to the wrong dog - twice over 12 years, so not too bad. Did mean a panic phone call to the vet for advice the first time - luckily, no problems.

Oh - and I forgot to mention the other problem - when I had my hypothyroid dog, both dogs regarded the rattle of a pill bottle as a predictor of treats to come for dogs - which made for some laughs when they were doing therapy dog visits in nursing homes and a palliative care centre - they would hear the meds trolley coming from several rooms away :rofl: .

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I've made up my own "never fail" recipe for giving pills

I mix some raw mince with a good big dollop of cream cheese and a good big dollop of smooth peanut butter. Moosh it all up together and roll into a ball with the pill inside. None of mine have been able to resist this even my cunning-as-a-rat pill spitter-outerer! Any leftovers I wrap in gladwrap and pop in the freezer for next time.

JR

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Have you tried just mixing them in with his meal? Or smear it in a bit of peanut butter and then smear a bit on a finger so he doesn't even chew the tablet but goes to lick the next treat?

+1 :thumbsup: Peanut butter works like a charm! :D

Once I crushed one of Kirah's worming tablets in with a mortar and pestle then mixed it in with the water/juice from a tin of tuna. Gobbled the whole lot up and was none-the-wiser!

Peanut butter used to work like a charm, but he's too clever for me.

Duke gets a mince meal in the morning and breaking them up into them worked the other day. Must be smelly and tasty enough to hide the tablets.(must be a longhair weim thing GW!) Success! :thumbsup: We'll see how long this methods lasts! Thanks all.

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If they won't take them with food, I use the "open the mouth and down the hatch" method.

Quick, easy and far simpler than mucking about trying to make the pill palatable.

He's a big dog.. just put the pill down his throat with your fingers and give him a treat once he swallows. He doesn't have to like it - just tolerate it.

Edited by poodlefan
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