Dogs

Liquid Meds vs Pills

Before this, the only "medicine" our dog had ever taken was Benadryl. And I used to buy the liquid form -- simply because it seemed easier to mix it in with his food than to try & force a pill down his throat.

But on these past 2 occasions when Tenor was prescribed pills (antibiotics), I decided it was time to get him used to taking pills. ...Or should I say, it was time to get me comfortable with giving my dog pills?!

So here's how it went... Surprisingly, it was a cinch! In fact, I think that giving dogs medicine in the form of pills is quicker, less messy during the process, and there's less clean-up afterward.

How To Give Dogs Pills:

#1 Make the experience of giving your dog a pill an exciting time -- one that he will come to look forward to. If that means picking the doggie treat of his dreams to "reward" him with after he takes the pill... then so be it.

In our case, it's cottage cheese. He never gets it except when he's sick. (I used to mix the liquid Benadryl in with cottage cheese... and he loved it.)

In addition to the "reward", you'll also need a lot of positive cheering and high-pitched talking to your dog to get him excited about what's about to take place. It needs to sound like he's about to experience something really fun -- more fun than anything he's experienced yet today.

#2 Open the cap on the dog pills and place one in your right hand. (I'm a rightie.) Then, open up the lid on the cottage cheese (...this also helps to remind your dog of the "reward" that's about to come).

Then, get down on your dog's level -- maybe some hugs and sweet nothings whispered in your dog's ear would be in order here.

Just before you administer the pill, you want to look your dog square in the eyes and command 100% of his attention.

#3 Cup your entire left hand under your dog's lower jaw. With your thumb, press your dog's bottom lip (on his right side) against his teeth trying to get him to "open up". Trust me, he will -- simply because it's mildly uncomfortable for him.

As he opens up -- even if it's ever so slightly -- reach way in and place the pill that's in your right hand all the way on the back of his throat. It should end up on the farthest spot on his tongue that you can physically reach.

#4 Then, IMMEDIATELY -- without any hesitation -- close your dog's mouth with both of your hands and rub the bottom of his neck & throat. This action encourages him to swallow. (Talk very calmly and sweetly to him at this point -- so he's not freaked out by what you just placed in his mouth.)

The first time you do this, it may seem like your dog is trying to bring the pill up to the front of his mouth, or cough (or gag) it up. And he will -- if you allow that to happen. But the action of keeping his mouth closed, talking softly to him, kissing his nose, and rubbing the bottom of his throat will prevent that 100% of the time.

#5 Now the reward... You should administer the reward (in my case, cottage cheese) as soon as it is physically possible and you're sure that your dog has swallowed the pill. Err on the side of rubbing his throat longer, rather than shorter.

Then, almost without missing a beat, grab your dog's favorite treat and give it to him right away and very cheerfully!

I just dip by hand right into the cottage cheese and scoop out a tiny handful that he eats right out of my hands. I think this helps to put him at ease with the fact that my hands are putting things in his mouth. So, to my dog, the process of getting a pill is a 2-step process: 1) "She shoves something on the back of my tongue"; then 2) "She magically has cottage cheese in those hands right away for me to enjoy."

Of course, we clearly mark that container of cottage cheese as "not for human consumption" -- but that's only when the dog is on a 10-day course of antibiotics twice a day, because he can go through a small container of cottage cheese during that time.