How to give your dog medicine easily and safely

Giving a dog a pill can be a difficult task, even for experienced pet owners. Dogs have a keen sense of smell and taste, so they will spit out the pill as soon as they smell it, even if it is hidden in their favorite treat. However, there are ways to make the process of giving a pill easier.

How to give a tablet to a dog?

5 tips for easy and safe administration and swallowing of medication.

1. Hiding the pill in a treat

Although it may seem like this method doesn't work very often, it actually only takes a little change of pace to get it to work. First, give the treat alone, empty, without any pill, to build trust, then with the crushed pill, and then another one without the pill. This way, the dog won't feel cheated and may not even realize they've been given the medication.

2. Hiding the pill in food

The tablet can also be crushed and given with food (consult your veterinarian first, as not all tablets can be crushed). If it is possible to crush it, giving it with your pet's favorite food or canned food may help facilitate this process of taking the medication.

3. Use a special medication syringe

When the dog does not allow you to open its mouth with your hands, or spits out the tablet, then it is recommended to use a plastic syringe, which will make it easier to place the tablet in the dog's mouth, further down the throat, so that it can swallow it.

4. Games with a tablet

If your dog is extremely greedy for food and will never give up another bite of their favorite food or treat, then one way to trick them into giving you a pill is to play a game - by quickly throwing several treats one after the other (one with a pill), the dog will get into the game and eat the pill without even suspecting it. This may not work if the dog is sluggish and unplayful.

5. Rolled up into a blanket

Another way to make it easier to swallow a pill is to wrap it in a blanket. In this case, the pet will not have the opportunity to kick hard, so it will be much easier to manage the pill administration situation.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F9ggYe1up1Q&ab_channel=MedVet

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