How Do You Hide Pills?

[Guest Ola]

We were at 9 pills a day till just recently (plus 3 fish oil ones which fortunately don't need to be hidden) for Chaos' allergies. Now Mayhem, our grey, is great about taking pills - he'll just eat them. If they're really bad the old "down the hatch" trick works just fine.

 

But that does NOT work for Chaos. For 2.5 months we did those 9 pills every day in a spoonful of hummus with great success. Even if she spat one out I'd stick it in some more hummus and she'd eat it (the hummus is very sticky so all that licking is what seems to fool her). But one day she decided it was suspicious - stuffing it down the regular way made her refuse to eat hummus any more and not go into the kitchen for 3 days. Anyway we switched to liverwurst, which I form into a little ball around the pill, and that's fine for now. Having an empty first and last piece is key to this method, as is having another dog around who could potentially eat her goodies. Didn't have to do any of that with the hummus so I hope it will work again next fall!

[Sambuca]

I used to just stick it down the hatch, but Bu was on metamucil at one point and needed 6 pills, 3 times a day and I didn't want to traumatize him by doing all those down the hatch, so I took just a bit of wet salmon or tripe based dog food on the tip of a spoon and stick the pill to it. Now, I just say "pill time" and he comes running. If it's just 1 or 2 pills, I really don't mind the down the hatch method though.

[3greytjoys]

I hide pills in a small amount of extra yummy canned dog food. I make sure it's a small "swallow" size so they don't try to chew it up. I, too, give a couple of non-pill bites before and after the pills. (I have a couple of difficult hounds who catch on to other coatings too easily.)

 

Other times, I use a plastic "pill shooter" that I originally purchased for my cats. It's about pencil size with a soft rubber tip where the pill is tucked, then a little hand trigger pops the pill into the back of the throat.

 

This is an example of a pet piller:

http://www.amazon.com/Pet-Piller-Single-Small-Pets/dp/B0002AL6U6

Edited November 10, 2010 by 3greytjoys

[Guest KennelMom]

I ball up american cheese around it. If they scoff, then they get pilled.

[HeidisMum]

Heidi will do almost ANYTHING for peanut butter. I either put a little pb on my finger and stick the pill to it. She will lick it clean. Or if I don't want the messy finger I will make a mini pb sandwich out of any kind of bread we have on hand and stick the pill in it. The hardest part is getting her to stop bugging me for more sandwiches after.

[Guest avadogner]

Ava is notorious for spitting out the pills. She could probably eat sunflower seeds and spit the shells. I take half a slice of cheddar cheese break it in half. Take a dab of PB and put the pill it. The PB makes it harder for her to spit out the pill. We used to buy the Greenies pill pockets but they are $10 a bag and the cheese slices are are $2. I buy PB in giant jars for the houndies to plug a stuffed Kong with so it works out great.

-ava and augie's mum

[Fostr_Mom]

I have tried the peanut butter. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. But I have found that string cheese works best here. Kyle just inhales it, never knows there is a pill there. I break off about 1 inch of cheese stick and stuff the pill in the middle. Then he gets a second piece with no pill. Works like a charm

[Guest koolaidnconner]

I dont hide them... Down the gullet and then a treat. They get used to it. I find it a faster process.

[TwiggysMom]

I also do american cheese balls, and serve them up on a plate of peanut butter. They gulp the pill then get to the peanut butter, which keeps them licking and swallowing so that they never have a chance to realize they ate something they didn't want and spit it out.

 

Cream cheese balls work too.

 

Of course if all else fails, down the hatch it goes!

[pabozem]

My bridge girl, Callie, was a master at finding and spitting out the offending pill, no matter what I put it in. So, she ended up getting pilled. My current crew can be fooled with a blob of yogurt on their food, or a blob of peanut butter.

[brandimom]

Greenies Pill Pockets work for us. My dog could always find the pill no matter how I hid it but with pill pockets she takes the pill.

[Magdalyn58]

A little ball of mashed potatoes. My three love mashed potatoes!

[krissn333]

Some time ago there was a similar thread about giving pills, and someone suggested Fig Newtons. Those worked really well for us!

[Guest Tequila]

Liverwurst!

 

Tequila loves liverwurst -- just put the pill inside a small piece and smush it together so it's hidden. She will even sit for her "treats" every morning and night. (She takes Soloxine and Amitriptyline)

[Guest Lgyure85]

Cheese-whiz. Works every time, but mine will eat just about anything.

[LisaB]

I was really lucky when I had my first dog to also have a veterinarian who taught me how to administer pills. Some meds work better on an empty stomach. Even if they're supposed to be taken "with food," I would guess that they work better if they aren't tightly wrapped or covered in something fatty and/or "bready" that the digestive juices have to work through before they even get to the medicine. So when they can have their meds with food, and they're eating willingly, I've chucked tablets in their food bowls, mixed up with the kibble + canned + water. But capsules and gel caps always get administered "down the hatch," followed by a super-yummy reward treat for being cooperative.

 

Anyway, I just think it's a really good idea for us and our dogs to learn and get comfortable with the "down the hatch" method. Then you can donate all the money you save on cheese, liverwurst and pill pockets to your local adoption group!