How To Do Just About Everything
By eHow Pets Editor
Rate: (4 Ratings)
A spoonful of sugar might be worth a shot in getting your pet to ingest a needed pill, but here's a more successful trick to help the medicine go down.
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Comments
pinkpanther said
on 2/2/2007 Hope this info can help someone. I've had the hardest time getting pills into my cat and tried a variety of strategies. Just had perfect success using a cat piller for her last 3 pills and each time the pill went down on the first try!!! The cat was not upset like she would get when I tried to force the pill in her mouth. She used to spit the pill out about 5 times on each try. The cat piller has been a miracle for us and it only cost $3.
apbtcadillac said
on 1/30/2007 I had to give my pit bull big pills before, like; supplements and antibiotics, now that was a chore. I was also Prescribed a cat hairball remedy at one time, because my dog swallowed a piece of plastic, after I was done with the ordeal I figured out that the tuna tasting hairball remedy paste was a great pill coater in the meals I gave her in the coarse of the day. Many are about to ask, "Is it safe and why not use a pill pocket/treat wrap or crush it into the food?". All i have to say to that is been there tried it and for a pill taht size they will have to chew it to swallow it and forcing it down was not the best option, and to the other question no it will not hurt the dog at all, because the paste is just a sticky lubricant with very little medicinal values. So I'd say its a very inexpensive way to help with pill taking.
Boothy said
on 1/15/2007 If a dog doesn't want it's tablet it won't have it's tablet even to the point of not eating it's meal, if this is where you've put it.
Open your dogs mouth by squeezing it's cheeks ( by doing this their cheeks are between their teeth and if they try to bite they are biting them selves) place the tablet as far back in their throat as you can, close mouth and massage down.
This works, i've used this method on the biggest mongrels of working dogs before.
Anonymous said
on 9/20/2006 I think that all cats are different. One cat may let you put pasty medicine on their paws and they'll lick it off, while another will let it just stay there. However, I've found some ways to handle the scar inducing job of giving your cat medicine.
My cat has had severe allergic reactions to the oily flea and tick medications that you put on their shoulders (which I've now found out that a lot of cats are allergic to), and she also has a heart condition. So, we're talking about major scratch scars. The first time I gave my cat her allergy fluid, half got into her mouth and half went all over her. I was left bloodied and defeated, and my cat was left not medicated correctly. I called my vet! He told me to get a syringe, to fill it with the fluid and how to hold her while doing this. Get the syringe in your prominent hand while placing your other hand on top of your cat's head with your fingers over her ears and facing her nose. Slowly and gently, use your thumb and middle finger to find the corners of the mouth. Lightly squeeze the corners of her mouth, while at the same time lift the cats head upward and her mouth will open. Take the syringe and put it a bit in the cat's mouth and squirt quickly! Try to aim upward as you don't want to choke the poor thing, and have plenty of paper towels handy. Pull away fast or you can be scratch scarred!
I've found that the gentler you are with your cat, the gentler they'll be with you. If you're rough, the cat will be rough. The same applies for the pill in placing your hands the same way and lifting her head, but, you can buy a pill depressor from your vet for that.
I've found that when you give pills that the best way to give it to your cat is to put the pill depressor into your cat's mouth slightly on the side of her mouth, and make sure the depressor is halfway into her mouth or she'll spit it right out! In fact, after giving your cat a pill, watch her for about a minute or two to make sure she swallowed it.
Tools from the vet is best and be patient or you'll wind up probably bloody and scratch scarred.
Anonymous said
on 9/19/2006 My dog thinks bread is a treat, so I take a piece of bread, tear a bit off (like a 1" x 1" square) and wrap it around the pill. Works like a charm.