A helpful little trick when pilling a dog

[Stinky The Clown]

Both our dogs are on a course of antibiotics (don't ask . . . . damned foxes ). I usually just get my hand into their mouths and place the pill in the throat, but that stresses the dogs. My wife came up with a far better idea that actually works. We played with the technique and refined it.

Start with any one of the many pill pocket products. We actually use two flavors to keep some variety going. Warm it in the microwave for 10 or 15 seconds. You want to soften it and also to increase the smell.

Next, don't think for a minute you need to use the whole pill pocket. They are easily twice what they need to be. We use one pocket to feed two pills to the two dogs. The GSD is getting a human sized big caplet. The Shih-tzu is getting half an aspirin sized tablet.

Wrap each pill. Once wrapped, pull off a tiny bit for each dog. When ready you have a wrapped pill and a second, smaller lump as a treat.

Hold one piece in each hand. Show the dog the wrapped pill but don't feed it. Tease with it. Then let them smell the small bit. Again, don't feed it, just a quick tease. Then give them the pill. While they are still busy with it, put the small bit in front of them, right under the nose. The dog will quickly swallow the pill so as to get the second treat.

Bingo! Pill down! Dog happy!

This has worked every time!

[nadine_mn]

1. Marshmallows are the only thing that works for our Lab mix but she is stubborn

She has to take Tramadol, Gabapentin, Meloxacam, and amitriptyline 2x a day. Most are ok but there is something about the Tramadol she hates - must be like uncoated aspirin with that really bitter taste.

We tried everything - cheese, hotdogs, pill pockets, lunchmeat, peanut butter in a small piece of bread... she spit the pills out every single time. We also tried a variation of what you describe - giving her non-pilled treats so she wouldn't be suspicious of our intentions. Nope. She uses our GSD as her official food tester... she will not eat a snack unless he has one and eats it first. Then she watches his reaction. And because we have a cat who eats random stuff off the floor and another dog, we didn't want to risk one of them finding a spit out pill we missed. My husband tried a marshmallow as a last resort one day and for almost a year now its the only thing that works.

In the morning she gets dry food and a marshmallow, in the evening we hide the pills in the mix of her wet and dry. She lets us know periodically that she is "allowing" us to sneak them to her by spitting them out and laying them in a row beside her dish.

She is 14 and more than a little spoiled. She is a mix of Chesapeake Bay retriever and black Lab. I have read that Chessies are very stubborn and she has definitely proven that.

But I really do like your suggestion and if our GSD ever needs to be on medication (which I am sure he will as he gets older), I will definitely try this! Because at the end of the day a happy healthy dog is the best!

[stillwaiting]

2. Peanut butter surrounding the pill has worked for all 3 of my dogs.

Thanks for the advice!

[hobbit709]

3. I take a half slice of cheese, fold it over the pill and hold it up in front of them.

It gets inhaled so fast they don't even chew.

[narnian60]

4. Hey!

A pill shooter is the answer. Can't believe that a lot of pet owners (cat & dog) don't know about these.

[ginnyinWI]

5. At the shelter where I volunteer,

their go-to solution is hot dogs. Cut off a chunk, insert pill, "chomp", and it's gone.

Would that cats should be so easy. I have a pill shooter for mine, and even bought empty gel caps that fit it, for giving little pills that have to be cut in half and go all into crumbs usually.

[irisblue]

6. Princess Peanut loves her spray cheese balls with her rymadil in them

Spray cheese worked much better then peanut butter ever did, she would suck off the PB and spit out the pill. Cream cheese also worked too.