How To Give Your Dog Medicine Without Him Noticing
Giving the dog medicine is one of the main challenges for an owner. Dogs are very intelligent animals that know when we want to “fool them” and that they will not want to ingest something that is not to their liking. In this article, we present some tricks to make this task less difficult.
How to give the dog medicine and pass the test?
Whether it’s a lozenge or a syrup, giving your dog medicine can be a tricky mission. Despite this, you should always give him the medicines prescribed by the vet, even if it will be necessary all day.
Many people wonder what is the best way to ensure drug delivery for the animal to complete the treatment. Here are some tricks:
1. Keep calm
As a first step, we recommend that you stay relaxed when giving your dog medicine. If, on the other hand, you are stressed or agitated, the animal will think that there is imminent danger and it will be very difficult to administer the drug. If, on the other hand, you approach him as if nothing had happened, he will not even notice what is happening.
2. Syringe method for syrups
Some vets recommend syrups in some isolated cases, such as when the dog is toothless, very weak or the owner says there is no way to get him to take a pill.
But this does not mean that giving him a syrup or other liquid is a walk, even in this case it will be essential to find the right way. To do this, you will need a syringe (only the plastic part, without the needle) in which to pour the dose of medicine.
After this first step, you will have to slowly approach the dog, hold his muzzle with one hand and with the other introduce the syringe from one side of the jaw. Quickly push the plunger head to release the liquid and keep pressure on the nose until you are sure it has swallowed all the syrup.
Finally, stand next to the animal and offer it some rewarding strokes for behaving well. He will feel reassured and gratified.
3. Hide-and-seek method of giving medicine to the dog
Now let’s move on to the tricks for giving your dog medicine in tablet format (regardless of size). A good way to fool him is to hide the medicine in a food he likes, such as a yogurt, wet food, rice, or a piece of meat.
Many owners put the tablet inside a piece of cheese or sausage, so that the animal can swallow it without chewing to prevent it from spitting. In some cases, it can also be mixed directly with the feed, especially if the dog eats very quickly, as is the case with the Labrador or pug breeds.
4. Grind the pill
If the above trick does not work, then you will need to pulverize the pill and mix it with a food with a creamy consistency. Keep in mind that some medicines are too bitter when ground up and this flavor will flood the food. In this case, it is likely that the animal does not want to eat anything that is in the bowl.
5. The “food on the floor” method of giving medicine to the dog
This technique of giving your dog medicine is not the most effective, but it can be in some cases. It is about making the animal believe that it will taste a food reserved for people and not a pill.
First of all, it is essential to use this technique during your lunch or dinner. Pretending not to notice, drop a small piece of the food on your plate (for example, some chicken, fish, etc).
After the animal has eaten it, repeat the same action with the pill. The secret is not to stand by and watch it, but to continue eating as if nothing had happened.
6. Put the pill in the mouth
Finally, an option to resort to when the previous methods don’t work and if the dog is very docile. Stand next to the dog and open his mouth with your hand. Put the pill in his mouth, as close to his throat as possible.
Close his mouth carefully and apply gentle pressure until you notice that he has swallowed the medicine. To make sure the animal has swallowed the drug safely, run your hand down his throat.
Calm and patience are key to giving your dog medicine without him noticing. Try one of these methods to succeed!
