The vet sends you home with a new medication for Fido, but how on earth do you get him to take it? Here's some advice to give medications to your dog like a pro!
Medicating a dog can be a painstaking task for both owner and pet, but there are a few tricks that can make the process easier and less traumatic.
“It’s key to pair medication with something pleasurable and positive. Pets can sense emotions, so it’s important to stay calm, keep your tone light and encouraging,” explains Dr. Michael Levine, DVM, professor of veterinary medicine and practicing vet.
Dr. Levine added, “The worst thing you can do is grab the dog, toss a pill in his mouth and then let him run away. This approach will make medicating a bad experience, and your dog is likely to take evasive or even aggressive measures to avoid the medication in the future.”
Instead, consider the following tips before giving your pet his next dose:
- Avoid adding medication to a dog’s everyday dog food, as this increases the likelihood that the animal will develop an aversion and in young dogs, it encourages picky eating. With a keen sense of smell, the dog is likely to sniff out a pill pretty quickly, particularly in a familiar food.
- Unfamiliar “treat” foods can effectively be used as a vehicle to give medication. Strong smelling foods like sardines, peanut butter and sausage work well for this purpose.
- Location is also important to the process. “If a dog receives medication every time he visits a particular room, you’re going to encounter resistance much sooner in the process, before you have an opportunity to calm the animal.” To avoid this, medicate pets in a comfortable, familiar area, like a couch or armchair, can be a good spot, as it’s comfortable and the armrest and backrest will prevent the dog from backing away.
- Sitting with the dog and relaxing beforehand will ensure that he’s in a calm state of mind for the medicating process. Petting, brushing and massaging can all be soothing to Fido.
- Once the pet is calm, allow him to sniff the medication dropper or pill. Sometimes the device that’s utilized in the process can be scary to the pet, and many dogs feel threatened when the unfamiliar tool is used in close proximity to the face.
- Aim matters when it comes to medication. To avoid “cheeking,” where the dog hides the pill in his cheek, only to spit it out the minute he’s out of sight, aim for the back of the throat. With liquids, tip the dog’s head back to promote swallowing. In addition, with liquid medications, it's often easier to keep the dog’s mouth mostly closed when giving the dose, as this helps limit spillage and the improper dosing that results.
- Once the medication is in the mouth, hold the dog’s mouth closed until swallowing occurs.
- “When you're done, return to soothing your pet and immediately offer a treat. Pair the bad experience with a good experience and this will neutralize the process over time,” Dr. Levine recommends.
In addition to using proper technique, there are a few tools of the trade that can make the medicating process easier and more effective. Opting for syringe-style droppers for liquid can help avoid the spillage that’s often associated with traditional bulb-topped medicine droppers.
Pill dispensers or "pill shooters" can also make the process easier, as these devices allow pet owners to deposit the pill at the back of the dog’s throat in a quick, non-evasive manner. This tool's construction is that of a plastic pencil-sized stick with a plunger mechanism that dislodges the pill from the tip once it’s inside the pet’s mouth.
