My pet needs to take medication: What now?

Often, just looking at the prescription with the indication of some medication makes many guardians discouraged. Besides the commitment to respecting the administration schedule, the main reason for this is that many pets reject medication. But how do you give a pill to a dog, after all?

Handling the pet’s mouth from an early age makes the process easier

Perhaps you have noticed that while some dogs allow their guardians to open their mouths, others react worse to this attempt.

In general, this happens because, voluntarily or involuntarily, some guardians end up getting the pet used to having the area handled. This facilitates important situations, such as giving a pill to the dog without major concerns.

This is what happens when the guardian brushes the dog’s teeth since it is a puppy. Or when they open the pet’s mouth frequently to see if there are any changes.

As long as these actions are done gently and with a lot of affection, they help the pet understand that it’s okay to let the guardian touch its mouth. Furthermore, it makes it much easier to administer medications, such as the pill for dogs.

Therefore, if your dog is still a puppy, start getting him used to this handling from now on. This way, you will be well-prepared if he happens to get sick.

Step by step: how to give a pill to a dog

If your friend has no problem letting you open its mouth, just place the pill at the back of the tongue. Then, close the dog’s mouth for a few seconds and massage the neck to ensure ingestion.

It is also recommended to offer water or some treat to facilitate the pill’s descent through the digestive tract.

However, if it hesitates to open its mouth at these times, try following the tips below on how to give a pill to a dog:

• With one hand, press the dog’s cheek in the area just behind the canines. This will make the pet slightly open its mouth;
• Use the thumb of the free hand to press the lower jaw, pulling it down and forcing a larger opening;
• Ask someone from the family or a friend to help by placing the medication at the back of the dog’s mouth. Do not put too much in the front or corners, as the pet will spit out the pill;
• Once the pill is well “placed,” close your friend’s mouth and keep it closed for a few seconds, massaging its neck while doing so;
• Offer water or a treat to facilitate ingestion.

It is important to note that this method is recommended only for pets that do not usually exhibit aggressive behaviors or small dogs.

When it comes to large and unruly dogs, it is ideal to seek palatable tablets or other administration methods.

How to trick the dog into swallowing the pill

Currently, there are palatable tablets designed to be ingested by the pet as if they were treats. They often contain attractive flavorings for the dog, with indications for different types of diseases.

However, they do not always work. In these cases and also when it comes to traditional tablets, it is possible to camouflage the medicine.

One option on how to give a disguised pill to the dog is to appeal to its taste. Try mixing it with wet food or mushy food, or even wrapping it in some food that the pet enjoys.

Note, however, that these methods rarely work when it is necessary to give the medicine for many consecutive days. This is because the dog starts to suspect and even reject the food. If this happens, try giving a different food.

Can I crush or open the pill to mix it in the dog’s food?

Many guardians have this doubt when they don’t know how to give pills to dogs. However, it’s better not to do that unless there is a recommendation from the manufacturer or the veterinarian.

Especially in the case of coated tablets, they are produced this way to ensure the absorption of the substances in a more or less determined period.

By opening or crushing a tablet, the guardian alters this characteristic of the medicine. As a result, it may end up losing its effectiveness or not working as expected.

This also applies when the pet spits out the tablet several times, and it starts to dissolve due to contact with saliva. When this happens, it is ideal to discard the dissolved tablet and offer a new one.

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