How To Give Pills

[JenniferS]

My boy just got home from the vet last night with a ton of pills, and a very strict diet. He's being treated for possible IBD along with a bunch of other things and is not interested in the food he was on and what they recommend (which is Hill's prescription d/d venison & potato).

So, aside from the food issue, I cannot get the pills in him even caving in and using a different canned food for them and plain yogurt. He's as frustrated as I am at this point and he is not eating at all now.

Any ideas on what is tasty but easy on the tummy I can try? Or do I just toss them down his throat? I've never done that before and it scares me that he'll choke or hate me ever coming near him again. We have several weeks of this and this is only day 1

[tbhounds]

Fat free cream cheese worked for my ibd boy.

[PrairieProf]

Why do you need to give food at all? Just open the dog's mouth and stick the pill way as far back down by the throat as you can, then if necessary close their mouth to make sure they swallow. Those greyhound "crocodile jaws" make it super easy to get your fingers in to stick the pill way back. I've never had the slightest problem pilling Beth that way -- much easier than pilling a cat, which I do twice a day as is. I do it right before I feed her (the food already ready to go in the bowl) so she swallows it down and then quickly turns her attention to the food. Then I go wash the houndie saliva off my fingers.

Edited April 7, 2011 by PrairieProf

[Batmom]

If he can have venison and potato food, then he could have plain mashed potatoes. What I would do is tell him, "Time for your pills," stuff them down his throat, then "Good boy!" and big blob of mashed potatoes or his canned food for a treat.

 

Is there maybe somebody nearby who's experienced in stuff-down-the-throat, who can demo for you? It isn't very hard but it helps to see it. I'm right handed. I stand on the dog's right side, both of us facing forward. Dog is on my left. I put left hand over the snout and roll the lips inward, under the upper teeth, until they open nice and wide. Keep lips rolled under the teeth! With right hand, I quickly stuff pills waaaaaaaaaay down the throat. Remove right hand. Remove left hand. "Good dog!" and treat.

[kolarik1]

My boy Pop got too smart for the pills in anything trick (kibble, peanut butter, pill pockets, marshmallows, yogurt, fruit, etc.), so I open his mouth and shove them down his throat...5 times a day currently. He doesn't get that many at a time right now. I've tried using a pill shooter in the past, but the thing jammed with all his pills in there, so I find it easiest just to open his mouth and shove the pills in. He used to fight me, but now he knows that he has to take the pills so he's been pretty good lately about taking them.

[OwnedBySummer]

I like to just tuck a pill into a wee ball of canned food and then hand feed it. I've never had a problem. I have also done the "shove it down the throat" thing, which isn't difficult. I just personally prefer to do it using the canned food. I wasn't sure from your post if canned food is on his diet or not?

 

I looked up the food that you are feeding. You might prefer Nutro Natural Choice Venison & Potato. For sure, it should be less expensive than the food from the vet. Vets like to promote their own food but you can research this and see if it would work similarly for you. People have all kinds of different opinions about kibble brands and ingredients but if a kibble works for your dog and they like it, that's all that really matters. I will offer up that I, personally, am not impressed with the ingredients in the Hill's kibble. Your protein source only shows up for the first time as the 3rd ingredient and it's whole venison, which is mostly water and that's why it is positioned where it is. Once the water is extracted, that ingredient is actually farther down the list. But perhaps that is what is wanted with your pup's condition, I don't know. I don't know anything about IBD.

 

Nutro Ingredients: Venison Meal, Dried Potatoes, Potato Starch, Potato Protein, Pea Protein, Sunflower Oil (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Chicken Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols), Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Natural Flavors, Flaxseed, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Powdered Cellulose, Choline Chloride, Zinc Sulfate, Taurine, Vitamin E Supplement, Ferrous Sulfate, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of Vitamin C), Potassium Iodide, Copper Sulfate, L-Carnitine, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Manganous Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1), Selenium, Vitamin A Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (Vitamin B6), Riboflavin Supplement (Vitamin B2), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Rosemary Extract.

 

Hill's Ingredients: Potato, Potato Starch, Venison, Potato Protein, Pork Fat (preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid), Soybean Oil, Natural Flavor, Lactic Acid, Dicalcium Phosphate, Fish Oil, Powdered Cellulose, Venison Meal, Potassium Chloride, Iodized Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Choline Chloride, vitamins (L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), DL-Methionine, Vitamin E Supplement, Taurine, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), L-Tryptophan, preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.

 

Edit: Forgot to mention. If you're manually pilling, I hold the jaws just closed enough so the pill can't be spit out but loose enough so that the tongue can come out. A dog will always lick after they swallow. Then you can let go.

Edited April 7, 2011 by OwnedBySummer

[Guest zombrie]

Found this on youtube -

 

 

Pilling is very easy to do, I actually prefer to pill my dogs rather than finding food to hide them in if they don't eat it when I put it in their breakfast/dinner.

[KF_in_Georgia]

I can poke them down my guys' throats when necessary, but I usually try to disguise the pills and the dogs are happy to pretend they didn't notice the pills because of the treat.

 

I buy turkey lunch meat that's sliced thin, deli-style. One or two slices (depending on the number of pills), pills in the center, and the whole shebang rolled and folded like a burrito. The dogs cheerfully gulp down the whole thing.

 

My guys get their food before their pills. They finish their dinners, get a drink of water, then come and stand in the kitchen under my feet until I remember to get the pills for them.

[XTRAWLD]

My hubby is a wiz when it comes to giving pills. Open throat, shove the pills back (I think he chucks them as far back as he can really) and lock the jaw shut until they swallow (he rubs the throat to help). I have a tough time administering pills, but with practice I can do it, maybe not as cleanly as hubby, but I can do it....it's just difficult when you've never tried before.

 

Kasey has an easy gag reflex that makes it seem like we are KILLING HIM when a pill touches his tongue. For the times hubby isn't around to give pills, I gave up and bought "Pill Pockets" from Petsmart. It's a really soft, chewable treat with a hole inside. Stick the pills in, mush up the opening and give as a treat. If they are a chewer there is usually enough treat to hide the nasty taste if they break the pills open, but if they are eager it'll easily go down the throat. They come in two varieties, the capsule version or the flat pill version, and in various flavours.

 

When all else fails, wrap it with cheese or peanut butter. I have a cheater version of peanut butter - it's Kong filler - and I can smother anything with it and they will lap it up.

[rallyp]

Why do you need to give food at all? Just open the dog's mouth and stick the pill way as far back down by the throat as you can, then if necessary close their mouth to make sure they swallow. Those greyhound "crocodile jaws" make it super easy to get your fingers in to stick the pill way back. I've never had the slightest problem pilling Beth that way -- much easier than pilling a cat, which I do twice a day as is. I do it right before I feed her (the food already ready to go in the bowl) so she swallows it down and then quickly turns her attention to the food. Then I go wash the houndie saliva off my fingers.

Hey Jen, just pill him, like above. I had to do this with some of my fosters and thought it would be hard, but it actually wasn't. Just hold his mouth closed after you put the pill in the back of his mouth and maybe rub his throat and it'll go down.

 

Good luck! Give Ducky some scritches for me

Edited April 7, 2011 by rallyp

[Busderpuddle]

I use Pill Pockets and they make one for sensitive tummies. Ruby loves them and just gulps them down without even chewing.

[OwnedBySummer]

Not sure if Pill Pockets would work in this instance. The ingredient list may not be good for IBD. I'm curious, too, why the main ingredient for the Beef ones is Chicken? But that aside, I'm more concerned about the many of the other ingredients and the IBD.

 

Beef: Chicken, glycerin, wheat flour, vegetable oil, beef, natural flavors, wheat gluten, dried corn syrup, corn flour, caramel color, lecithin, brewer’s dried yeast, salt, potassium sorbate (to preserve freshness), methylcellulose, ascorbic acid(source of vitamin C), mixed tocopherols, vitamin E supplement

 

Chicken: Chicken, glycerin, wheat flour, vegetable oil, dried corn syrup, wheat gluten, corn flour, natural flavors, lecithin, brewer’s dried yeast, potassium sorbate (to preserve freshness), salt, methylcellulose, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), mixed tocopherols, vitamin E supplement.

[GeorgeofNE]

He won't choke, and he won't hate you!

 

Here's how I do it:

 

(Laugh if you want, it works!)

 

Gently swing your leg over the dog as if you're getting on a horse. Yes, I'm serious! Then every so gently use your knees to hold him there. Put your hand under his chin, and tip his head back a bit. Wiggle your thumb in his mouth near the back, and he should open his mouth for you. With your other hand, hold his upper snout, and place the pill as far back as you can. Let him close his mouth, but don't let go. Keep his head tipped a little, and gently stroke his throat until you feel him swallow.

 

Done.

[Guest BrianRke]

I use a small piece of bread with a smear of peanut butter. I have used pill pockets, but that can get kind of expensive if you have a lot of pills to give.

[DocsDoctor]

Another vote here for 'pilling' the dog. This works much better with Doc than disguising the medication in a treat or in his food, when it usually gets coughed up. Now I give him the treat afterwards instead .

[Guest ctgreylover]

I just open his mouth and pop them back and then I hold his snout until he swallows. He's really good about it if I get it way back. If it doesnt go back enough, he works it out and we start over. I try to give a treat after but in your case, a treat can only be whats on the restricted list. can you give a small piece of real chicken?

[HoundHeavenAZ]

Chip has to take meds morning and night and I found that the cheapest hamburger is the best method for us. I make two ping pong sized meatballs for the pills and he opens his mouth like a baby bird and swallows them right down He's such a good goober. He gets the evening pills while he's in bed and he just lays there and opens up for them!

Over the years I've tried lots of different methods, but this is BY FAR the easiest and most reliable for us. No anxiety, no wrestling and he loves them

 

Best of luck to you and your baby.

[gracegirl]

He won't choke, and he won't hate you!

 

Here's how I do it:

 

(Laugh if you want, it works!)

 

Gently swing your leg over the dog as if you're getting on a horse. Yes, I'm serious! Then every so gently use your knees to hold him there. Put your hand under his chin, and tip his head back a bit. Wiggle your thumb in his mouth near the back, and he should open his mouth for you. With your other hand, hold his upper snout, and place the pill as far back as you can. Let him close his mouth, but don't let go. Keep his head tipped a little, and gently stroke his throat until you feel him swallow.

 

Done.

 

Yep. This.

 

Fenway is easier to pill than Grace. But Fenway also likes to spit the pills out of anything I hide them in, whereas most of the time Grace will take the pills with her food.

 

Rubbing the throat really will help. That's what makes them go down for Fenway. And I follow it with a treat. Good luck!

[RaineysMom]

I'm not sure all what an IBD dog can have or not -- but with Rainey, we would put the pills in either the fat-free yogurt or pumpkin she was already getting with her food and then drizzle some honey on top (as an enticer and also to cover the bitter taste of one of the pills). Now she (and Nube!) were always champs about just eating the pills with their meals but after she got sick she got a little pickier about eating them so the honey really helped. On the occasions when she seized after eating and there was no more food to put the additional dose we had to give her, we'd just put it in our palm or on a small plate and cover with some honey, she would gobble them up.

[JenniferS]

Thank you for all the replies. We are really restricted with what we can give him right now until we figure out the exact cause of his GI issues. No chicken, turkey, beef, etc.

 

This morning went a little better with some of the pills, however it is the big green amoxicillan that is causing the most trouble, and I need to give him 4 pills a day. I tried the down the throat this time and he absolutely would not swallow, no matter how long I held his mouth closed and rubbed his throat. I had to stop since I think he was holding his breath! I finally shoved them down with a messy moutful of canned food but he is clearly not happy and I don't want him to stop liking the food.

Sigh...are there any techs or nurses out there that want to come live with me for a few weeks?

[Guest Swifthounds]

I would just pill him and reward afterward. Tricking and hiding does nothing great for the human/dog relationship. If your dog is none too right it might work for a while, but hiding is a whole lot of fuss over nothing.

[DofSweetPotatos]

He won't choke, and he won't hate you!

 

Here's how I do it:

 

(Laugh if you want, it works!)

 

Gently swing your leg over the dog as if you're getting on a horse. Yes, I'm serious! Then every so gently use your knees to hold him there. Put your hand under his chin, and tip his head back a bit. Wiggle your thumb in his mouth near the back, and he should open his mouth for you. With your other hand, hold his upper snout, and place the pill as far back as you can. Let him close his mouth, but don't let go. Keep his head tipped a little, and gently stroke his throat until you feel him swallow.

 

Done.

 

This might be funny to watch.

Jen are you tall enough to stand over Ducky with out a step ladder?

[greymatters]

Sorry to hear that Ducky's not feeling well, Jen .

 

For pill disguises, another vote here for cream cheese, fat-free or maybe low-fat if he can tolerate it. It's a bit messy but it's the only thing I've found that Merlin won't spit out. I make a little ball around the pill and stick it as far back in his mouth as I can - he smacks his lips and swallows it, and then I let him lick the cheesy mess off of my fingers. He loves it!

 

Good luck - hope Ducky's feeling better soon!

[XTRAWLD]

Thank you for all the replies. We are really restricted with what we can give him right now until we figure out the exact cause of his GI issues. No chicken, turkey, beef, etc.

 

This morning went a little better with some of the pills, however it is the big green amoxicillan that is causing the most trouble, and I need to give him 4 pills a day. I tried the down the throat this time and he absolutely would not swallow, no matter how long I held his mouth closed and rubbed his throat. I had to stop since I think he was holding his breath! I finally shoved them down with a messy moutful of canned food but he is clearly not happy and I don't want him to stop liking the food.

Sigh...are there any techs or nurses out there that want to come live with me for a few weeks?

 

The big pills are really hard to get down the throat for first time pill dosagers, I had a hard time with small ones let alone the huge ones fit for a horse versions. Throw them as far back into the mouth as you can. We find placing it perfectly centred, on the tongue as far back as possible works best. It was REALLY hard for me the first few times, pretty much gagged my dogs, but you'll get better with practice. Close the mouth, rub throat. Good luck! Give treats if you can after you are done so they don't associate giving pills with something bad. I agree, even the allergy versions of the Pill Pockets still contain mostly the wrong ingredients. Like I said - I use them in a pinch, when they HAVE to have a pill and the perfect pill popper in form of my husband isn't around.

[Batmom]

Jennifer, if there is something gooey you can give him that he will eat (maybe the cream cheese?), put some on the back of your hand or your unused fingers when you're stuffing the pill down the throat. Stuff pill, then immediately stick your gooey treat under his nose for him to lick. Dog licks = dog swallows = pill goes down. If you get the pill far enough down, you don't have to worry much about them swallowing; the only way for them to expel it is to gag it up (which a few do, alas).