How to give a dog a pill and make it swallow it?

Dubovitsky Yuri Igorevich

Veterinarian

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There are dogs for whom the need to swallow a tasteless pill is a simple matter; they seem to be omnivores. But still, in most cases, introducing tablets is a real stress for both the animal itself and its owner. It’s not so bad when drugs in solid form need to be given occasionally, but what to do if the dog needs to take tablets constantly?

Methods of taking medications

Place it in the mouth

This is a simple method, but you need to follow certain rules. To place the tablet on the root of the tongue, you need to proceed as follows:

• With your fingers, gently press the gap that is located between the jaws, after which the dog will open its mouth;
• place the medicine as deep into the mouth as possible;
• take the animal on the lower jaw and tilt its head up;
• run your hand over the throat - this action will make your pet swallow.

If the manipulation does not work, try again. After successfully completing the procedure, praise your pet and give him water.

Add to food

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This type of introduction of a tablet into the animal’s body can be used if the medicine is allowed to be given during meals. It is recommended to resort to this method if the dog bites, belongs to another owner, or is afraid to climb into the animal’s mouth.

Add the drug to your pet's food. The easiest way is to hide the product in minced meat. However, some dogs check their food carefully, so this trick may not always work. In this case, it is recommended to place the drug in a piece of cheese. The dog loves this product, so he will swallow it without hesitation.

Dilute in liquid

Another simple way to take the medicine is to mix the drug with water or any other liquid. You can use kefir, and then you will get a suspension with a therapeutic effect.

This option can be used if the tablet dissolves well in liquid and does not change its taste. To do this, simply place the tablet in a warm drink and wait until it dissolves completely. Offer medicine to your four-legged friend. If your pet refuses it, choose another method.

Warm up

The easiest way to give the drug to an animal is to crush it first. To do this, it is recommended to use a spoon or wooden pestle. Add the resulting powder to food, water or fermented milk drink and give it to your dog. This method can only be used if it is allowed to give the medicine during meals.

When choosing this option for introducing the drug into the body of your four-legged friend, you should take into account that some drugs change the taste of food and drink. For this reason, the dog may refuse to eat or drink. If the animal does not consume the resulting product, it is recommended to choose another method.

We enter forcibly

If all the previous options did not produce results and the dog does not take the medicine, you will have to forcefully introduce the tablet into the animal’s body. Proceed as follows:

1. Place your pet. Place a small dog on the table, and if the animal is medium or large in size, place it in a corner so that it does not have the opportunity to escape.
2. Using your fingers, gently press on the gap that is located between the jaws. This will force the dog to open his mouth.
3. Place your middle finger in the middle of your jaw and apply pressure. After this, the pet's head will rise.
4. Place the tablet on the root of your tongue. There are no taste buds in this part, so the animal will not feel discomfort from using the drug. In addition, he will not be able to spit out the product from this part.
5. Take your hand out of the dog's mouth and squeeze the dog's jaw. Keep it this way until the tablet is swallowed.

After this, it is recommended to offer your pet water so that the medicine gets into the body accurately.

Using Introducer

An introducer is a special syringe that is used to inject a tablet deep into the dog’s mouth. It is recommended for use by owners who are afraid to put their hands into the mouth of the beast.

In this case, the algorithm of actions will be as follows:

• fix the drug in the instrument;
• Use your fingers to gently press the gap between the teeth, after which the dog will open its mouth;
• insert the plunger and place the product on the tongue;
• take out the tool and close the dog’s mouth;
• raise your head and swipe it down the throat so that the animal swallows the pill.

Don't forget to praise your pet. So he feels approval from the owner and understands that he did everything right.

You can purchase the Introducer here

Crush

If your dog refuses to swallow the medicine, you can hide it in the food. But how can you give a pill to a dog if it eats the food and leaves the medicine at the bottom of the bowl? Then the medicine can be crushed and mixed. Regular food or kefir will do. The result will be something like a suspension, which is much easier to give to the dog.

Two important points:

1. Not all tablets can be mixed with food. You need to ask the veterinarian who prescribes the medications about this.
2. Not all dogs will eat food that smells like medicine. Both the food and the pill itself will be lost. Take this into account if you have the last pack of food or deworming tablet left at home, but you don’t want to go get new ones.

Katya We taught him to lick the suspension from a spoon himself, as he is afraid of the syringe. we lightly grease a tablespoon with something smelling and tasty, just a little bit. We pour the medicine in and let it lick it off, sometimes as a reward for the team. We can also put a small piece of tasty treats in it, the main thing is to do it in front of him so that he can see what’s there. While trying to get it, he licks everything off. Kirill You can’t stuff a suspension in here. Thor immediately coughs everything up, spits and turns his head so that everything flies out of his mouth)

Some medications are also available in the form of suspensions. Ask your veterinarian if there are any alternatives to your medication.

Rules for taking liquid medicine

Don't assume that liquid medicine is easier to give to your dog. If the mixture, suspension or any other product has an unpleasant taste, it will be very difficult to force the animal to accept it. You can’t just pour the drug into the dog’s mouth. Liquid medicine must be given to your pet in two ways.

The first option is to add the substance to your dog’s favorite drink, unless the instructions for the product prohibit this. Drops can be added to food. This is a fairly simple way to use the drug.

The second option is to use a dispenser. In this case, follow this course of action:

• draw the required amount of medicine into the dispenser;
• go to your pet and sit down next to him;
• throw your hand over the withers to securely fix the dog, and with the same hand grab his lower jaw;
• place the dispenser between the lips of your four-legged friend, without trying to open your mouth or push the instrument deeper;
• slowly begin to administer the medicine in small portions, take your time so that the dog swallows everything.

The first option can be used only if the drug is allowed to be given to the animal along with food, the second - in other situations.

Taking pills and capsules

The dragee and capsule are given to your pet in the same way as tablets. Place the medicine on the root of the tongue and force the dog to swallow the medicine. Use a special tool for this or simply place the tablet with your hand in the desired place. If you can take the medicine with food, add it to your food or drink. To do this, open the capsule and mix the contents with the product. If you need to give your four-legged friend a pellet, grind it to a powder and add it to food or water.

Applying drops to the withers

Most of these medications are applied to the skin rather than the animal's fur. To minimize allergic reactions to the drug, drops are applied no earlier than 3-5 days after washing the animal. To maintain the effect of the drug, it is better to wash it no earlier than 5-7 days after treatment. Discomfort (itching, burning, etc.) may occur at the site of application of the drugs, which causes discomfort to the animal; these symptoms usually disappear after 30-60 minutes.

For cats, medications are applied to the skin, starting from the space between the ears, along the spine to the shoulder blades (this makes it less likely that the animal will lick the medicine). For dogs, drops are dripped onto the skin along the spine, starting from the space between the shoulder blades to the root of the tail. It is not recommended to apply such drugs to damaged skin. Most often, drops are released in a certain dosage for the weight of the animal; dividing the contents and dripping the drug incompletely and/or in a dose for an animal of less weight is not recommended.

Basic mistakes

The main mistake of pet owners is the desire to force the dog to eat medicine by any means. This method will not give the desired result and will harm the pet. He will experience severe stress and will remember all the actions of the owner that caused him discomfort. As a result, he will associate the pills only with unpleasant sensations. For this reason, you should not force your dog to eat drugs.

A pet can use the product on its own only if it has a pleasant taste and is easy to chew. In particular, these are drugs from Bravecto. These are flea and tick medications. Even a puppy can use it. The main thing is to use the medicine if the pet’s weight exceeds 2 kg.

Another mistake owners make is that they add products to food or drink, despite the instructions. Such therapy will not be effective. In addition, unpleasant consequences for the dog’s body may occur. To prevent this from happening, medications can only be taken in accordance with the instructions and recommendations of the veterinarian.

In addition, some owners of four-legged friends, faced with difficulties, refuse therapy. This is the most serious mistake that can lead to unpredictable consequences. Refusal of treatment even leads to the death of the pet. For this reason, the dog must take the medicine without fail, no matter how difficult it may be.

What you need to remember when starting the procedure

1. Prepare everything you need in advance (remove the tablet, divide it into parts if necessary). During a long course of treatment, it is advisable to carry out these manipulations unnoticed by the pet.
2. Keep calm. Animals sense the state of their owner very subtly.
3. After each manipulation, monitor your pet for several minutes. Some animals manage to spit out the medicine.
4. If the procedure at home does not work, you can consult a veterinarian about changing the form of the drug (rectal suppositories, injections, ointments).
5. Encourage and praise your pet after each manipulation.

FAQ

How to give bitter-tasting products?

If you need to give your four-legged friend a bitter pill, it is recommended to put it on the root of the tongue. There are no taste buds here. For this reason, the animal will not be able to determine that the medicine has a bitter taste and taking it will not cause him any discomfort.

What should you do if your dog spits out the product?

If your dog spits out the medicine, you can feed it with food. Wrap the tablet in a piece of minced meat or place it in cheese. After this, give the food to your pet. This method can only be used if taking the drug can be combined with eating food. In other cases, you will have to use a forced method of introducing the drug into the body of your four-legged friend.

How to give the tablet before meals?

To administer the tablet on an empty stomach, follow this algorithm:

• open the dog’s mouth, pressing on the gap between the teeth - act confidently, but carefully;
• place the drug as deep as possible into the root of the tongue;
• take your four-legged friend on your lower jaw and tilt your head up;
• close your pet's mouth and run your hand over the throat - this will help him swallow the product;
• Praise the beast and give it water.

Such manipulations will not cause harm to the animal, and the procedure for taking medications will not be associated with unpleasant sensations.

What's better, give a pill or give an injection?

If you have a choice, it is best to give preference to injections. In this case, the pet will not have to swallow pills, and the owner will not have to suffer in order to give them to the pet correctly. In addition, introducing the medicine into the blood will give quick results. Despite the fact that the animal will experience more discomfort than when taking medications, experts advise giving preference to this method. They recommend that owners learn how to give injections on their own. The procedure is simple and does not require special skills. If it is not possible to administer injections yourself, you can turn to professionals.

How to properly give a tablet to a dog's tongue using an introducer?

If the dog is aggressive and you need to give it a pill, but you are afraid that you will be left without fingers, then you can buy a special syringe called an introducer . This tool has a rubber tip where a tablet or half or quarter is placed, and the whole thing is inserted into the dog's mouth. By pressing the plunger of the syringe, the tablet is moved to the base of the dog's tongue. And the dog will have no choice but to swallow the pill.

Attention. The introducer is also good because it works “2 in one”: you can fill it with water, put a tablet on the tip, and first give the dog the tablet and then the water.

This is what the introducer looks like with a tablet clamped in the tip

Briefly about the main thing

1. For treatment to have a positive result, the dog must take the medications correctly. Every owner should know how to administer therapeutic agents into the animal's body.
2. Tablets can be added to food if permitted by the instructions.
3. Forced administration of the drug is allowed if it is not possible to give the medicine otherwise; the main thing is to act confidently, but carefully.
4. For manipulation, you can use an Introducer; thanks to this device, you can easily place the product on the tip of your four-legged friend’s tongue.
5. If you need to give the drug in liquid form, it is recommended to use a dispenser.

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Summarizing

Giving a pill to a dog is easy, even for an owner who is doing it for the first time. The main thing is not to scare the animal in advance, do not shout at it or act with force. If the tablet needs to be given once, and the anxiety before the procedure is too strong, you can seek help from a veterinarian to see from the outside how a specialist copes with the task, and then carry out the manipulation yourself. You can also watch several videos that will help you figure out how best to act. Good luck!