How to give oral medications to your dog
Many medications for dogs should be administered orally. Oral medications can be in the form of a tablet, capsule or liquid. If necessary, tablets can be crushed and capsules can be dissolved in water and given with a syringe.
Your dog’s veterinarian will tell you if your dog’s medication should be given with food or on an empty stomach. If the medicine can be given with food, you can make a meatball of canned food or cheese with the tablet or capsule on the inside. It is a good idea to make a “test meatball” first and, if your dog swallows this meatball without chewing it, he/she will probably swallow the next meatball containing the medication.
If your dog chews the meatball and tastes the pill, it will be harder to medicate on a second attempt, therefore, the meatball method should only be used on dogs with a good appetite and you should use a food that your dog likes a lot.
Also, once the pill is wet by the dog’s saliva it will start to disintegrate and it will become difficult to handle. You should decide the best method for administering an oral medication based on your dog’s character, appetite and the indications of your dog’s veterinarian.
I often cut up a hotdog in smaller pieces and give a piece to each dog, saving the one with the pill for last. The dog that needs the pill, sees the other dogs wolfing down their hotdog and will automatically do the same.
You can try pill pockets too. Two of my dogs love them and never notice the meds. The other one eats around the pill.
In cases were the dog will not swallow the meatball with the medication on it or when your dog’s veterinarian indicates that the medication should be taken on an empty stomach, you should use other methods of to medicate your dog. Below is a step-by-step description of how you should administered pills (tablets or capsules) and liquid medicines to your dog.
How to give a pill to your dog
- Grasp our dog’s muzzle using your fingers to press the skin against the teeth.
- Slip your left hand’s thumb into the mouth and press up on your dog’s palate, keeping the lips against the teeth. It is important to keep the lips folded over the upper teeth to protect your hand from being bitten.
- Place the pill on the base of the tongue at the back of the throat. If you are not able to get the pill far enough over the base of the tongue, the dog will spit it out. You may need to use your fingers to push the pill over the back of the tongue.
- Keep the head slightly elevated, close the mouth and hold it closed while you rub the throat or blow into your dog’s nose until he/she swallows.
- Examine your dog’s mouth to make sure he/she swallowed the medication.
How to give a liquid medicine to your dog
- Load a syringe with the amount of liquid medication (or dissolved pill) indicated by the veterinarian.
- Slightly elevate your dog’s head.
- Pull one of the sides of lips up to form a pocket so that the liquid can enter between the teeth to the throat.
- Administer the liquid slowly making sure that your dog is swallowing it.
I found a great video on how to do both here:
So do you have problems giving your dog their medicine? How have you solved it?
Kathy
Saturday 2nd of April 2022
we have an Apple head Chihuahua and the vet wants her to take a med to help her liver enzymes go back to normal. it is a large pill, have to divide it into quarters, 1 quarter in morning, other in evening 12 hours apart, we have tried peanut butter, pill pockets, crushing it to go into capsule blanks, hot dog, making her take it, it is getting to the point that nothing works. Now what do we do. she needs it. Her name is Jazzy
Cathy
Saturday 2nd of April 2022
I have had pets that I pet sit for like that and I have had to learn to do it manually. It sometimes helps if you dip the pill in yogurt first. Watch these 2 videos for tips on this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJNybWtfOjU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3yHgItqGmo (keep watching, the first part is how to do it with a treat or pill pocket which won't help, but the last part is helpful, specially with the pill gun)
June
Friday 11th of May 2018
One of my chis has to have heart medication 2x a day (1 pill cut in half). I take each half and cut it in half, then put each pill portion inside a small piece of meat. Unless she is off her food (she occasionally doesn't want to eat anything in the morning), she will eat the meat without any problem. If she doesn't eat it at breakfast, she gets the same meat for lunch. Her heartworm medication is a little more difficult; it's a larger pill and I have to cut it into several pieces in order to hide it. I do that for both of my girls. I also give both my girls (they are 10 years old) cosequin. I usually crush that pill and sprinkle it on a squirt of Reddi Wip. Most of the time, they both lap that right down. I haven't had to give my cat any pills since I adopted her. Her heartworm medication is topical; she acts totally offended whenever I put it on the back of her neck. Both my chis were that way also, so I switched to a pill for them.
Cathy
Friday 11th of May 2018
That's good they are easy to give medicine too June. I have one that will eat all around the pill or bits of the pill and leave the pill. I can't fool her.
becky
Monday 26th of June 2017
When i our dogs there pills i crush and put them in peanut butter they take them no problem
kilosmom
Monday 26th of June 2017
Good idea of crushing up the pill first Becky.
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Jenna "HuskyCrazed" Drady
Tuesday 9th of February 2016
Great tips! Thanks!
kilosmom
Thursday 11th of February 2016
Thanks Jenna!