Forcing Pills

[Remolacha]

Conner has always been very good about taking his pills in Pill Pockets, but over the last few months he has been reluctant to take the Pill Pocket, so I have gone to the 'open mouth shove down throat' method. Unfortunately, I can tell that if he really wants to keep his mouth shut, his jaws are stronger than my fingers. So, is there a trick to forcing their mouth open? A special place to apply pressure (I know where to push for cats )

[Batmom]

Kind of mid-snout, pushing the lips over the pointy parts of the teeth as you go.

 

I had one who could really clamp her mouth shut (when I learned to give pills IN things instead of stuffing them down). We've never had pill pockets but use things like mini peanutbutter sandwiches, 1/2 fig newtons, little balls of canned dog food, banana chunks, hot dog chunks ..... I have heard of folks using marshmallows but haven't tried that.

 

Sometimes you can get them to open their mouth by smearing a little peanutbutter or cream cheese under their lips.

[3greytjoys]

Another option is using a pill popper: http://www.entirelypets.com/pillgun.html

 

I couldn't live without pill poppers. I keep them upstairs and downstairs to use for cats and hounds. Best thing a vet recommended to me 3 decades ago.

[FiveRoooooers]

I can't find the video I'd posted but with Seamie I put the pill in that days' vehicle of his choice (peanut butter, liverwurst, mooshie) and while he was laying down I put the whole blob on his wrist. He lapped it right up. Reliably. Every time.

[Remolacha]

I have tried other vehicles for Pill hiding, but I like that PPs don't stick to my fingers like cheese, liverwurst, etc. I have tried to convince him that it is much easier on both of us if he would just swallow the damn pill pocket! The pills in question are actually capsules, I am not sure the Pill gun would work.

 

I'll try all the suggestions, maybe I can find something that Princess Conner will accept

[tbhounds]

Try raw chicken hearts--the natural pill pocket :-)

[3greytjoys]

Yes, I give capsules daily. One of our hounds was prescribed 23 pills per day for a while. The pill popper device is made with two small slits at rubber end to accommodate flatter tablets or capsules. It's not meant to cover the capsule 100%, just enough to hold capsule in place.

[Time4ANap]

Velveeta slices. They don't stick to your fingers but the cheese (or whatever it's actually made of ) closes and sticks together around the pills. Rocket gets his pills at each meal in them. Cheapest packs of Velveeta slices are at Winco for about half the price of other stores.

 

Trolley must have her cheese slice when she's here too, although she doesn't take any pills.

[mom2four]

My guy gets his pills in a piece of a slice of sandwich ham- he comes running when he hears the package of ham open.

[Scoutsmom]

I'm afraid I follow the "open the mouth and pop the pill in method". It's kind of like putting a bit in a horses mouth--apply pressure as far back as the lips will let you as that makes it difficult for them to clamp their jaws together. After the pill goes down or is about to, I tickle their nose by either blowing on it, or lightly tickling it. EIther way it makes them swallow (a trick my vet taught me).

[Remolacha]

Velveeta slices. They don't stick to your fingers but the cheese (or whatever it's actually made of ) closes and sticks together around the pills. Rocket gets his pills at each meal in them. Cheapest packs of Velveeta slices are at Winco for about half the price of other stores.

 

Trolley must have her cheese slice when she's here too, although she doesn't take any pills.

Don, I tried that, based on giving Rocket's pills, but he knows there is something hiding in there

[RedHead]

Teague is a pill spitter too and the only thing that works here is goats cheese. It has the perfect texture to mould into a ball too which is great. The key with Teague is to give a few freebies first, so that he doesn't suspect anything Once he gobbles a few down, he stops thinking and then he eats the pill one without hesitation.

 

 

[Time4ANap]

Don, I tried that, based on giving Rocket's pills, but he knows there is something hiding in there

 

Stick the pills in a sardine? That boy is just too smart.

[TheFullHouse]

Best thing I've found, if he likes them are Peeps! The pills stick inside really well and the fluffiness hides the pills really well. Marshmallows work well too! Another thing that works well with mine is Potted Meat!

[Remolacha]

He does like Peeps, and marshmallows, but I need something he will gulp down, not try to chew, and he likes to chew marshmallow-type stuff I think I will try the chicken hearts. I'll give him a few that are "clean", for a few days, and see how that goes.

[PatricksMom]

As far back as you can possibly reach, hold his snout closed, rub the throat gently until he swallows.

[greysmom]

Lilly gets about 1 tablespoon ob chinese herbs twice a day, and of course she won't just eat them sprinkled on her food. I use homemade pill pockets and make a small herbal "wonton." Then I just pop it down her throat and give her a treat. Been doing this for about three years now and she comes running when she hears me getting her wonton ready.

 

>Slip the fingers of your off hand into the gap between the canines and molars, pushing the lips over the teeth if you need to, to get the mouth open.

>Move you long fingers to the back of the throat where the palatte turns soft - this will make him open his throat wider

>Stuff the wad down - not too far because his esophagus is probably open too as he gags for air - but definitely over the bend into his throat

>Let go and blow up his nose at the same time

 

I have a video somewhere if youtube will cooperate

 

Here it is

https://youtu.be/lj2biSafDwc

[Jerilyn]

Have you tried a series of treats, so you can slip the loaded one in and he won't notice? So like - plain treat, plain treat, pill treat, plain treat. They are usually so greedy they gobble them up in anticipation of the next one.

[Remolacha]

I have done this, but now he is very suspicious. I may change the time, he knows he gets the pills right after a meal, maybe if I pick a different time I can fool him

[MP_the4pack]

Start giving him chunky peanut butter. NO PILLS. And make sure it's chunky. When he starts to figure out all the other options listed above, then put pills in the PB. He'll have a hard time telling the difference between the nuts in the PB and the pill.

 

Maybe rotate all the options (cheese, velvetta, PB, chicken hearts, both cooked and raw, etc) so that he doesn't get suspicious.

 

When I had to pill Pearl with 21 pills a day I raw cooked chicken liver. It was crunchy on the outside (cooked in bacon fat) but very mushy inside. That's the one thing she never tired of. I bought chicken liver by the half gallon. (stunk to high heaven too, so I made sure to make a batch for a week)

[Remolacha]

Well, the Safeway didn't have chicken hearts, so tomorrow I will go to the Mexican market, I know they will have chicken hearts, and probably some other interesting parts. He loves parts I should have enough options to do some bait and switch on him.

[DofSweetPotatos]

When we got to the resistance to all things pill phase, I tried this and it worked. Made myself a pb sandwich put the pills in one section of the sandwich, a d cut the sandwich into bits around the pills. (Think pill pocket size). Put all of the bits of sandwich on a plate and made like I was eating my meal. Called pup over for a bit and fed a non pill piece to him and I ate a non pill piece rinse and repeat spacing out non pill pieces with pill pieces.

Be sure to place the pill pieces in one spot and don't mix! You don't want to take your pups pills.

[Remolacha]

When we got to the resistance to all things pill phase, I tried this and it worked. Made myself a pb sandwich put the pills in one section of the sandwich, a d cut the sandwich into bits around the pills. (Think pill pocket size). Put all of the bits of sandwich on a plate and made like I was eating my meal. Called pup over for a bit and fed a non pill piece to him and I ate a non pill piece rinse and repeat spacing out non pill pieces with pill pieces.

Be sure to place the pill pieces in one spot and don't mix! You don't want to take your pups pills.

That might work, I usually give him a corner of my PB sandwich and he inhales it, no chewing! I am still going to try and find chicken hearts. Need to make the rounds of Ranch Market, Food City, and El Super. I need tamales anyway

[3greytjoys]

Small balls of canned ground meat dog food (some with hidden pills) can be a helpful also.

[Batmom]

Can also help to put a blob of peanutbutter or cream cheese or liverwurst on your fingers and, as soon as the dog takes the treat-with-pill, offer your fingers to be licked. No time to think about what might be in that treat, there's even better stuff right there! If your dog isn't a licker, sometimes just offering a second good treat will do.

 

 

I used to stuff pills down Batman's throat. He always got a "good boy!" and a treat after. Pretty soon he would start showing up at pill time , wait patiently to have his pill stuffed and get his treat.

Edited December 11, 2016 by Batmom