How to give a dog a pill

For some dogs, taking medicine is as simple as eating cheese. However, for others, it can be a more difficult task. There are different ways to give a dog a pill. It's important to take your time finding the method that works best for your dog, making the process easier.

Use foods your dog really loves. You should use irresistible foods to mask the taste of the medicine that your dog dislikes. Make sure to choose healthy options like meat, cheese, peanut butter, or yogurt. Avoid snacks like candy or chips.

• This method works best if the dog swallows the food quickly without chewing.
• This method will be effective if the pill is mixed into the food and can't fall out.
• Pre-made pill pockets from the vet may sometimes work better than food.

Hide the pill inside food. There are various methods to hide a pill, depending on the type of food you use. In general, you should try covering the pill with food or pushing the pill into the food so that it’s safely concealed. You may want to try different hiding techniques to find the most effective one for your dog.

• Ground beef, turkey, or chicken can cover the pill.
• You can push the pill inside a piece of sausage.
• Soft cheese can easily be molded back to wrap around the pill.

Feed the dog the food. You may need to try several times. Sometimes, dogs can separate the pill from the food in their mouth and spit it out. If this happens, try again. If it continues to fail, you might want to try a different approach.

• Wait until the dog is hungry, then feed them 2-3 pill-free treats to get them accustomed to the taste and increase their appetite. Then, feed the pill-filled food and follow it with a treat without the pill to trick their taste buds.
• If you have multiple dogs, try this method when all dogs are present. You can give one dog a treat without the pill first, then try feeding the pill-laden food. The chances of fooling the dog into taking the pill are higher when another dog is around vying for food.

Crush the pill. This method works only with pills that can be crushed. In many cases, you can crush the pill and give it to your dog. However, some medications cannot be crushed due to their bitter taste or slow-release properties, which could affect their efficacy.

• Liquid medications inside capsules can be extracted by cutting the capsule open and squeezing out the liquid.
• Avoid crushing pills with outer coatings.
• Check the medication label and consult your vet to see if crushing the pill is safe.

Mix the pill with food your dog enjoys. Rice mixed with ground beef is a highly digestible meal that works well for mixing in pills. Avoid mixing pills with dry food, as only moist food will help the pill blend in more effectively with the meal.

Feed the dog. Avoid feeding your dog too much as it may miss its medication if the food is not finished. If you have multiple dogs, consider preventing them from fighting over food containing medicine. If necessary, isolate the sick dog during mealtime.

Use a syringe to administer vitamins to a puppy if the dog refuses to eat medicated food. You should crush the pill, mix the powder with water, and then draw the liquid medicine into the syringe. Proceed to pump the medicine into the dog's mouth. While the dog may dislike it, this method ensures most of the medicine enters its body.

• Open the dog's mouth. Simply open it wide enough to insert the syringe.
• Position the syringe near the back of the dog's mouth to make it easier to administer the medicine.
• Press the syringe's plunger to push the medicine out. This technique helps prevent the dog from spitting it out.
• Reward the dog with a tasty treat.

Choose another type of food the dog enjoys. You may not get the dog to finish its food, so pick something that both you and the dog like. Act like you really enjoy this food and intentionally attract the dog's attention. The key is to make the dog truly crave what you're eating.

Drop a bit of food on the ground while eating. The food you drop won't contain medicine, but this method creates an expectation in the dog to receive tasty, unmedicated treats. The dog will eagerly wait for the chance to pick up and finish anything that falls on the floor.

Start by pretending you didn't notice you dropped the food. The next time, quickly retrieve the food from the dog. This will make the dog feel it must act fast to steal the food. This approach encourages the dog to try eating what you drop without thinking too much about it.

Drop the pill. The pill can be dropped separately or hidden within the food. You should try to retrieve the pill from the dog to trick it into eating the medicine. However, once the dog believes it might miss out on the food, there's no need to keep trying.

Chase away other dogs. The process of tricking the dog into taking medicine will go more smoothly without other dogs around. There's a high chance that the other dogs will snatch the medicine, so it's best to isolate the dog if you're giving it medicine. However, if you lock up the other dogs in a crate or outside and let them watch, the sick dog is more likely to be tempted to take the medicine.

Gently make the dog swallow the pill. Only force the dog to take the medicine when other methods are not possible. This is a difficult approach but is necessary in some cases. You needn't worry about the dog choking. With a bit of patience and care, the dog will swallow the pill more easily and safely.

Open the dog's mouth from the back using one hand. Then, use your other hand to lift the dog's soft palate. Gently pull the dog's lips away from its teeth to prevent biting. You should proceed slowly to avoid causing harm to the dog. Never cover the dog's nose.

Open the dog's mouth and insert the pill inside. Try to push the pill as deep as possible into the dog's throat. You should maximize the chances of the dog swallowing the pill. By pushing the pill deep enough, you increase the likelihood that the dog will swallow it. If you don't insert it deep enough, the dog might spit it out.

Gently close the dog's mouth. Keep the dog's mouth closed until it swallows the pill. It might be difficult at first to tell whether the dog has swallowed the pill. You should check afterward to ensure the dog doesn't still have the pill in its mouth. It may seem tricky, but simply holding the dog's mouth for a while will ensure the pill is swallowed.

• Blow gently into the dog's nose to help it swallow the pill.
• Rub the dog's throat after swallowing to help the pill go down smoothly. This stimulates the swallowing reflex and encourages the dog to swallow the pill.
• Offer the dog some water if needed.
• Be patient, calm, but firm.

Give the dog a treat after it swallows the pill. You should offer high-nutritional treats. Give the dog a treat both before and especially after it takes the medicine. The dog will only remember the experience of taking the medicine as pleasant if there's a reward afterward. Make sure to set aside time for treats, particularly if you need to give the dog medicine regularly. If you make the dog feel that taking medicine is an unpleasant experience, future doses will be much harder.

• Avoid forcing medication into a dog's mouth if you have long nails, as this could damage the sensitive tissues inside the dog's mouth and throat.
• If you decide to crush the medication, don't mix the powdered medicine into the entire meal, as your dog may not finish it, potentially missing the proper dosage.
• Before crushing any medication, verify whether it's safe to do so, as some medications should not be broken down or crushed.
• Never heat pills or powdered medicine, as this could alter or destroy the chemical components of the medication, rendering it ineffective or harmful.
• Do not force medication into the mouth of a dog with a flat face, such as a Pug, as it may cause difficulty breathing during the process. Hiding the pill in small pieces of tuna is the best approach.