How do you get your dog to take pills?

[sigp220.45]

Randy the rottweiler has a touch of pneumonia and has to take five pills in the morning and two before bedtime. They have to be broken in half, so its really 10 and 4.

At first I could hide them in canned Alpo, since he usually eats kibble and its a big treat for him. Now he’s figured out how to eat around the pills.

Then I tried cheese. He loves cheese, but can roll it around in his big dumb snout and spit out the pill halves.

This morning I tried SPAM and got a couple down his gullet, until he figured out he could keep the SPAM and lose the pills.

I tried bacon. He loves bacon. Same-O Same-O.

The only thing that has consistently worked is braunschweiger, but I think he’s catching on.

I tried the “pill pocket” treats - he won’t even eat those things empty.

He has no love for peanut butter.

Sliced baloney was likewise no bueno. He would work out the pill, spit it out, and swallow the baloney, all the while maintaining eye contact.

These pills aren’t cheap - three weeks worth was 400 bucks.

What else can I try? He weighs 137 pounds and is obviously smarter than I am, so I’m not up for fighting him.

 

[Chuck24]

The only way I can do my coonhounds is to open their mouth, push it to the back, hold mouth closed and massage their throat while my wife brings me a bandage

 

[Bob L]

Have you checked to see if you can grind them up and mix them in with some scrambled eggs? If so, get a bottle get a bottle of eggs beaters, make it up and heat them up at pill time. It surprises me that he doesn't like peanut butter. Good luck.

 

[Rpg]

Usually, I just have mine sit then place the pill at the back of their tongue and then close the muzzel holding their chin in the air for a moment.

 

[JJEH]

We hid it in wet food (little bites like meatballs) and it worked fine. Only other option would be a paste that you apply to the inside of their mouth.

 

[Watchdog]

I see where you say he has no love for peanut butter? That's an unusual dog for sure and an even more unusual Rottweiler.

But I'll say this anyway. Don't waste your money on the Pill Pockets.

I take an ordinary slice of bread (usually wheat). Tear it in pieces big enough to hold the pill, and put a thin coat of peanut butter on it, then the pill, then fold it up. You can even squeeze it into a small ball or something.

Don't just hand it to him or try to make him take it. Make a game of catch out of it. Bring him close enough. If he'll sit, so much the better, but standing's okay. Then toss it to him. My dog grabs it far back in her mouth and doesn't even chew it. It just vanishes.

I hate having to split pills, even scored ones. Make sure you have a really good pill splitter. Drugstores sell them. Some pills will crumble a bit, even with a pill splitter.

Yeah, big dog meds can cost some bucks. Good luck.

 

[WCCPHD]

Cheese cube, works every time.

 

[arjay]

I’ve been able to get a few halves down the little dog by crushing them into powder and mixing them into her food

 

[hittman77]

Our Siberian Husky Nikki would USUALLY eat a pill placed in her food bowl or wrapped in cheese.

The one time she refused, I kind of jokingly told my 16 year old son to give her the pill and ...... she ate it, no problem. LOL

From that day forward every time Nikki needed a pill of any kind, Adam would hand it to her and she'd eat it.

 

[Nevada Ed]

I thought every one knew...................

that is why there is........................

Velveta cheese !!

 

[JohnRippert]

We've been pretty lucky. Both our dogs take daily pills but we just toss them into their dry food and they go down with the food. On rare occasions we have to cheese wrap, but that always works.

 

[kidcom]

Randy the rottweiler has a touch of pneumonia and has to take five pills in the morning and two before bedtime. They have to be broken in half, so its really 10 and 4.

At first I could hide them in canned Alpo, since he usually eats kibble and its a big treat for him. Now he’s figured out how to eat around the pills.

Then I tried cheese. He loves cheese, but can roll it around in his big dumb snout and spit out the pill halves.

This morning I tried SPAM and got a couple down his gullet, until he figured out he could keep the SPAM and lose the pills.

I tried bacon. He loves bacon. Same-O Same-O.

The only thing that has consistently worked is braunschweiger, but I think he’s catching on.

I tried the “pill pocket” treats - he won’t even eat those things empty.

He has no love for peanut butter.

Sliced baloney was likewise no bueno. He would work out the pill, spit it out, and swallow the baloney, all the while maintaining eye contact.

These pills aren’t cheap - three weeks worth was 400 bucks.

What else can I try? He weighs 137 pounds and is obviously smarter than I am, so I’m not up for fighting him.

Hmmm if you've got the nerve to do it, Shove them down his throat. Good liuck.

 

[papu8890]

We have 5 dogs; most times wrapping the pill in the cheapest American cheese slice (not the whole slice, just a piece of it) does the trick.
The Pitt is a big baby, when he balks at a pill or spits it out, I put it back in and hold his muzzle shut and gently rub his throat- down it goes.

Sent from my LG-H820 using Tapatalk

 

[Mule Packer]

It's easy. I cheat and I lie. Our two dogs love "Pup-Peroni" beef treats and they learned real quick what the word "treat" means. So, to get them to swallow their pills without thinking, I make a tiny slice in an inch-long piece of Pup-Peroni for each of them, tuck the pills in, close up the ends, and enthusiastically say, "Who wants a treat?" I immediately have two eager volunteers who willingly swallow the chunks of Pup-Peroni and then start lookin' for more.

So, yeah...I cheat by sneakin' the pill inside the treat, then I unashamedly lie to the dogs by telling them that they're actually getting treats. So far, they haven't caught on.

 

[leswad]

Shove the pill down his throat, close his snout and blow on his nose.

Works every time.

 

[4506517]

Peanut butter.

Our Chihuahuas love it.

Our Rat Terrier either a pill pocket or hot dog/sausage.

 

[Fishinfool]

Well, it could be worse. They could be suppositories........

Larry

 

[Muley Gil]

Peanut butter.

Our Chihuahuas love it.

Our Rat Terrier either a pill pocket or hot dog/sausage.

Our chis love peanut butter. PB on a pill and it is GONE!

 

[moralem]

Inside a dollop of cream cheese..._

 

[BigBoy99]

I would wrap the pill in cheese but would feed three or four pieces of "unpilled" cheese first. The first few pieces of cheese would be "checked for pills" but when none were found, they would just gobble the next few pieces of cheese right down. Worked every time.