Need Help with Dog

lots of dogs love peanut butter, and will lick it off things, maybe you could try crushing it and putting it in that? good luck!
L.

I would call the vet especially since she won't eat. The meds might make her sick on an empty stomach! Poor Dog!

Well if the cheese isn't working, I have hidden pills in a piece of hotdog. If that doesn't work you may have to be a little more insistent for her own good. We used to put the pill in between the cheek and the jaw and hold the mouth closed. It sounds like the dog is really miserable so I really hope that it works for you.

I realize that you have received a ton of advice, but for what it's worth, I have a wonderful, rescued Mini Dachshund who is smart as a whip - pills whole were out of the question, and given her heart murmur and weak bladder, she requires 3 daily meds for life, so we are Pill Pros!

We have always had great luck crushing any large pills up and sprinkling that into a healthy Tbsp of cottage cheese. A bit of gravy on top of that will usually guarantee 100% med compliance - ha!

Best wishes to your pup....

My dog has taken Rimadyl for pain-a chewable that tastes good. You might want to ask your vet to switch for that, to make it easier on your poor doggie.

I have used peanut butter, tuna fish, and hot dogs for my 3 dogs, depending on the size of the pill and if your dog is a "chewer" or a "swallower". If she will just swallow treats, shove it in a chunk of hot dog. If she has to chew, a big gob of pnt. bttr will prob do the trick of coating so she has to keep swallowing. When all else fails, the tuna fish is usually so new and exciting to them, she will prob just lap it up out of your hand, pill and all. Good Lick, i mean Luck!

We've always had dogs that were difficult to give a pill to. We finally went to Petsmart (Petco too)and bought pill pockets. It's actually a dog treat with a pocket for the pill.
You can also try peanut butter, cream cheese or liverwurst to hide the pill in.

I just experienced the same problem and someone gave me this tip and it works - encase the entire pill in peanut butter and put the peanut butter on an inch square of bread and hand it to her. They love it and can only swallow the gob of peanut butter - done it twice so far with my dog with pain pill and it is a dream

Hi A., with my dog who also HATES to take pills, vitamins, anything, I wrap the pill in a small piece of american cheese, squish the cheese around the pill tightly. Then I actually pry open my dogs jaw with my hands. I put the pill with cheese as far back down his throat as I can - he usually gags. I close his mouth and hold it shut, and massage/lightly squeeze his neck. He will swallow it. It's a lot I know, and is not a pleasant thing to do. But this is the only way it works with my stubborn guy. Good luck to you!

Try Peanut butter and don't be afraid to hold her lower jaw - pry open her mouth and stick the glob of p.b. at the back of her tongue, or roof of her mouth. - We've done this in the past with our dog and the stickyness of the peanut butter seems to force her to swallow it. I hope it works out for you.
Good luck!

Hi A.,
Dogs are smarter than we give them credit for. LOL Try putting your finger in the corner of his mouth, right where the jaw opens & pry it open that way. Then with the other hand put the pill in his throat, hold his head up & massage his neck until you think its gone down. Even blow on his nose to startle him, he should swallow. Or try mashing it up into can dog food, or canned meat of something he'd like. Good luck, dont stress over it to much.

My dog is tricky with pills in cheese too - she somehow works the cheese off the pill and spits out the pill. Some things that have worked for us are cream cheese (coat the pill with a big glop) or cottage cheese or peanut butter. Sometimes a piece of meat gets her excited enough she doesn't pick out the pill. If the pills are small, you could press them into one of those soft Bil Jac liver treats. Sometimes it takes quite a few treats to get her to swallow the pill.
Good luck!

Hi. sorry to hear your Dog is in pain. I hope she gets better soon. Have you tried soving the pill into a broken off piece of hot dog? or crushing/mixing it w/ peanut butter? My cat needed pills at one time & the vet sold us a pill thing. it sorta looks like a long straw. Also I'm pretty sure you can see...for a fee if a tec from the vets office would come to your home & give her the pill. Good luck & hope she feels better soon.
-maureen

peanut butter, spoon

If you can get her mouth pried open, you can shove it down her throat with one finger, clamp her mouth shut and stroke her throat gently to make her swallow. If you just can't pry her mouth open, let your vet office know right away. They may be able to give it in another form or do something.

I have 5 dogs, none of whom will open their mouths for medicine. I've gotten pretty adept at prying their mouths open! Poor pup...good luck! P.

use your thumb and index finger to open the dogs mouth, the palm of this hand should be against the dog's eyes. With your thumb and inde finger should press the sides of the dogs lips against it's teeth, making the dog open his mouth. when the dog's mouth is opened try to toss the pill (with your other hand) down towards the back of the throat. Once the pill is placed, shut the dog's mouth and hold it shut, massaging the dog's neck to encourage swallowing. If that doesn't work, try hiding the pill in tuna fish or canned cat food, the smellier, the better. And if that doesn't work, see if the vet has a pill syringe. It's a contraption that you place the pill into and you place it into the dog's mouth and "shoot" the pill down the back of the throat.

hope it helps!

We always had the same problem. Both of our dogs will devour it when it is covered in peanut butter...they think its a big treat! Good luck.

I ususally hide any pills for my dog in a glob of peanut butter - one of his favorite foods. I hand it to him in a globby ball so he has to take all of it - rather than have him eat it out of the palm of my hand.

Good Luck!

Have you tried putting the pill in peanut butter?
Good luck!

Have you tried hiding the pill in food she likes---peanut butter or a slice of cheese? Peanut butter always works for my dog!

try a piece of hot dog. This trick always works with my dog. Also you can ask your vet if it can be crushed or taken apart if it is a capsule and mix with can food. These are the methods I use. Good luck!
M.

Hi A..

I am a wimp when it comes to being forceful with our dog, and can admit that whole-heartedly. Not sure if this will work for you, but we always used just a bit of hard ice cream to hide the pills, meds for our dog. She (our yorkie - only 4 years old) is very smart and sometimes the only way to get her to take any meds was in ice cream or yogurt -neither of which you want dogs to have too much of! We tried crushing them up too. Best of luck. Our puppy was our first "baby" before our kids and means the world to us, so I understand your wanting to do anything you can to relieve the pain.

Kim

Hi A.! Try covering it in Peanut Butter and then putting it on the roof of her mouth. She should lick it right down! =) If that doesn't work, ask the vet for a liquid form so you can just put it in the side of her mouth with a dropper. But, the peanut butter should work. Let me know! =)
~ A. ~
Single mother of one awesome 6 year old boy!

I used to work for a vet. On the weekends when we were closed I was in charge of feeding the dogs, taking them out, and giving them medicine. Trust me, I had some difficult dogs! And I was there by myself. What worked for me was covering the pill in peanut butter, opening their mouths, and shoving the pill as far down their throats as I could. They would usually gag,but if you shoved it far enough down then they 99% of the time kept it down. Good luck!

Definitely peanut butter it works like a charm. i've done the cheese and its not as good. Scoop out some pb on a spoon and dip the pill in it, if its a big pill just swish around in the pb, if its small stick it in and let the dog lick it off!
good luck i know it stinks having to do that!!
C. (mom of 2 labs!!)

youd think they would have a liquid formula so you can just squirt in in there with a syringe......i dont have anything to suggest. im sorry. the thought of liquid just hit me. its worth a shot asking them! even if they can get you a human kind. i dont know. maybe its all the same?!?!?

Hi A.,
I have 5 dogs and they take medication every once in a while. Try putting it in a little peanut butter (mine like that) If not talk to the vet over the phone, explain what is happening sometimes they can put medication in a liquid which you draw out with a syringe (without a needle) and you can put it in their mouth in the back corner where their is some space from teeth and squirt it in. Possibly they have a topical pain reliever that you could rub into their skin. Either way your vet should have an easy solution for you. Good luck, L.

Hi A.,
Sorry to hear about the dog..try wrapping it in deli meat...my dog goes crazy when he hears the wrapper...if that dog doesnt eat the deli meat then there really is something wrong :) Might want to talk to the vet if she is going on too long and not eating at all.
Thank you for your service and thank God for your husbands service as well. Keep your head up and know that there are people everywhere that appreciate your sacrifice.
Best of luck with the poochie and your family is in my thoughts and prayers.
C.

Hi A.,
Have you tried to crucsh it and mix it with gravy or butter or peanut butter? NAything creamy the dog likes? That usually works best with mine. Good luck!
P.

My best friend's dog was the same way. We put the pill in the cheese, squeezed it into a little package, put it in the micro for about 5-7 sec so it melted into a nice little cheese square with pill in the middle and he gobbled it right up. Give it a try. He was such a cheese hound that as long as it was cheese he didn't notice the pill.

Good luck!

Try sticking it in a hot dog chunk. Most dogs love those & the hot dogs smell so strong they won't notice the pill in there.

when my dog sprained his foot I was given liquid pain medication. I just squirted it in his mouth. I belive it was called metformin or something like that. My dog also spits out pills and it works great. I will call the vet and ask for liquid.

Ask your vet. Mine showed me how to do it best.... for both our sakes!

Pill pockets work great IF your dog will take the treat. Same with a glob of peanut butter. However, uf she is not interested in eating, put the pill in some peanut butter on your finger, and see if you can scrape the PB off on the back of her front teeth. The PB (and the pill) will stay in her mouth and she will lick-lick-lick constantly. My dog loves peanut butter this way, and it's kind of hilarious to watch the tongue action! Try it once or twice without the pill so she gets the hang of it. Good luck. You have a lot on your plate - a sick doggie, an active little one, and a deployed husband. Hope everything works out!

You could bury the pill in peanut butter on the tip of a spoon and hold the spoon up like a mirror in front of her so she can lick the glob off. (The smell of an open jar usually brings my dog running from far away!) You could also bury it in cream cheese but that isn't quite as appetizing as peanut butter. The last resort is to hold your hand around her muzzle with your fingers holding her "lips" over her side teeth and hold her head back. Use your other hand to pry her mouth open. Approach from the side of her mouth and use one finger to push the pill as far back and to the side of her throat as you can. Keep her head back and mouth open until you can't see the pill anymore. It's rather unpleasant for both of you and sometimes it can take a few tries to actually get it down there. She'll definitely deserve a cookie after that method! Good luck!

try putting the pill in peanutbutter and spreading on a cracker, works w/my dog. Good Luck

Have you tried "pill pockets"? I use them for my cats but I know they have them for dogs as well. Our Vets office sells them...maybe give them a call and ask about them. It's basically a treat for them but has a slit in the top where you would put the pill and then pinch the top together and give it to the animal. We usually give the cats 1 with the pill and 2 others with nothing in them. Good luck

Our lab sprained her front leg too and the doctor gave her a shot which helped almost immediately. I hide the pill (don't let her see you do it) in something she can't take the pill out of, like peanut butter (just a little!) or braunsweiger (spelling?). My dog is a lab and will eat ANYTHING so that helps. If your dog is small and a picky eater it will be a little harder. But with that she was better within a few days. I hope this helps!

Hi A.,

This is a great place to ask any type of question! You never know who has also had the same problem as you, right? Just so happens that I have! And I also work with animals all day long and have faced this problem a few times being a petsitter.

A couple of things you can try. First, have you tried "pill pockets"? They are soft treats with a little "pocket" built in for you to put the pill into. I haven't used them but a couple of my clients have with success. When you tried giving her the cheese, did you make a ball out of it? I'm doing that right now with my dog who had his left hind leg amputated and I have to give him 4 pills at a time. I use provolone (all other cheeses give him loose stools) and place the 4 pills in the center of a full slice. Then I fold it up and hold it in my hand until it softens a bit. Then I play with it until it's a "ball" of cheese and the pills can't fall out. He gobbles it right down.

You could also try peanut butter if she likes it? And the most foolproof way is to just stick the pill as far down her throat as you can get your hand. It's fast and painless.

What type of pain med is she on? I'm surprised they are only letting you give it to her once a day. Poor baby.

Good luck and let us know how you make out.

J.

What Meghan A. said is the only way to guarantee your dog will not spit out the pill. When we adopted our dog she ended up quite sick shortly after...She soon realized how to eat the "treats" and spit out the pills. Our vet showed us how to pry open her mouth, put the pill towards the back of her throat, hold her mouth closed w/nose pointed upwards and rub her throat. The dog had no choice but to swallow the pill.

Sometimes peanutbutter works. Some dogs are too smart and will eat the peanutbutter and spit out the pill. If that is the case, try putting the pill as far back into her throat and holding her mouth closed. She has no choice but to swallow and the pill should go down. Good luck. I hope she feels better soon.

Peanut butter was too sticky for my dog, but plain butter worked. It would be so slippery that he would end up swallowing everything in one gulp. Good luck.

I had a dog that I needed to give meds to and she wouldn't take them either. Even though this may seem harsh, I would have her sit and then stand over her from behind and forcefully open her mouth and put the pill into her mouth at the very back of her tongue, actually as far down as you can get it. My dog was great and would let me do anything to her. Hopefully you can do this with yours without getting bit. If the dog spits it up by working it to the front of its mouth you do it over again. I know that this may not be the best technique but in the end you ARE helping your dog by giving it the meds. I hope this helps. Good luck.

Hi...

Ask your Vet or PetSmart. They have a "pill pocket" it's a treat you can put a pill in... might help. Or try peanut butter. A big glob of that & they can't stop licking!! My dogs love it, and would probably take anything if it was wrapped in peanut butter!!

Good Luck!
K. :)

My dog is in love with peanut butter so yours may not be able to resist if you offer it to her.It would be hard for her to separate the pill from it.If that doesn't work I would call the vet and see if they do liquid form that may be easier. T.

Try putting the pill in a raw hamburger or ground chicken or turkey "meatball." Feed the dog a few without pills in it first, slip the pill one into the lineup, and finish up with one or two more small ones post pill. If you'd rather use the hot dog trick, try that, but I would try starting the process and ending it with some of the meat without the pill. Good luck.

Not sure this would work with a dog but I used to give my cats pills crushed in some juice squeezed from a can of tuna. It was a great way to keep them hydrated and medicated when they wouldn't eat. She may be willing to eat if you get that first dose of pain medication into her system. Good luck!!

I used to crush up pills and mix it with a form of liquid; tuna juice for cats or perhaps chicken broth for dogs and use a medicine dropper to sneak it in the side of the mouth. Hope your dog recovers quickly!

Hi
this isn't the nicest way to give it to her but...
pull open the side of her cheek and put your finger behind her last tooth so she opens her mouth and quickly push the pill into the back of her throat. she will automatically swallow it.
I also suggest calling the Vet to get a liquid form of medication.

Well I have 3 dogs, so hopefully I can help! I started by wrapping the pill in cheese and giving it to the dog. This works for our newfie, but not our smaller dogs anymore (they've learned how to eat the cheese and not the pill, smart little buggers). So now we will crush the pill and mix it with some ground meat or wet cat food and they will eat it right up. It makes it so much easier! Also, if you can train your dog to "take it" that will help too.

Hi A.
Depending on the pill type you can sometimes grind the pill into powder and mix it in with a little bit of can food or raw hamburg, just enough so that you know she will eat it right down. I have a dog that is tough to give medicine to also. Sometimes I stick them into the side of a hot dog so she cant see them. the trick is to make sure she eats the "treat" right down and then praise her up and down.

Try Peanut Butter - it always works for us! good luck :-)