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How To Give A Dog A Pill

November 23, 2016 by Mary Telesz

dog owner showing her dog the pill he needs to takeNobody likes it when their dog is sick — especially if it means that you have to give them a daily pill! Medication is often necessary to help your pup get or stay healthy, but giving your dog a pill can be a difficult experience for both you and your fur baby. So what is the best way to give your dog a pill?

Mix It In With Their Food

The easiest and least stressful way to give your dog a pill is by simply mixing it in with their food. Just slip the pill into their regular food, adding in something soft like canned dog food or cooked meat to help disguise the pill and encourage your pet to eat it. If your dog will take a pill this way, then you’re in luck, since it requires nothing more than a little bit of planning to get your dog his medicine. Just be sure that if you have more than one dog, only the dog who needs the pill gets it in his food. Give your dogs their food separately to ensure that the medicine goes to the right dog.

However, not all dogs will take pills in this way. Some medicines just don’t taste good, even when mixed with food. Some dogs are picky eaters, and won’t eat their food if they detect a foreign substance in it. If your dog won’t take a pill in his food, read on to learn how to give a dog a pill when mixing it in with food isn’t an option.

Trick ‘Em With Treats

a dog pill in the middle of dog foodIf your dog won’t take a pill in his regular food, she may be more amenable to a pill hidden inside of his favorite treat. The technique is straightforward: pick out your dog’s favorite treat, such as a piece of meat, cheese or a spoonful of peanut butter. Slip the pill into the treat, but don’t give it to her right away. Give your dog a treat with no pill. Then give her a second treat, again with no pill. Finally, give your dog the treat with the pill hidden inside, perhaps with a bit of playfulness to encourage her to eat it. Follow up with one last treat so that your dog doesn’t associate the treat with the pill. This technique should work for most pills — and most dogs!

If your dog is still reluctant to take the treat, a bit of friendly competition may help. Give a pill-free treat to another dog in your home (provided that the dogs are not competitive over food), or eat the treat yourself. Seeing another animal or even you taking the treat may spur your dog on to take the treat herself. Just make sure that the treat is one that you can stomach as well!

Encapsulate the Pill

If your dog isn’t a picky eater but his medication tastes particularly bad, consider purchasing empty gel caps to help your dog take the medicine in his food or in a treat. These are available for purchase in most drug stores and through online retailers. Just make sure that the gel cap is large enough to fit the pill inside. Put the medicine in, and use one of the above methods to disguise the pill. It’s an easy way to cover up a foul-tasting medicine so that you can use the least stressful technique for giving your dog a pill.

Physically Give Your Dog A Pill

women physically giving her dog a pill This last option is one that most people would like to avoid, since the idea of putting your fingers into a dog’s mouth and coaxing him to swallow isn’t often appealing. But with a little practice ahead of time, learning how to give your dog a pill directly in his mouth is pretty simple — and it will work for almost any dog. However, if you believe that your dog will bite you, avoid using this method. Call your veterinarian’s office to ask for options. They may be able to administer the pill for you, or help you give your dog the pill. Alternatively, they could give you a liquid version of some medicines to make it easier for your dog to take.

How To Give A Dog A Pill

Start by comforting your dog, stroking his face and head to soothe him. Then stand or kneel right beside your dog on whichever side you are holding the pill (right side if you’re holding the pill in your right hand and vice-versa). Using your free hand, reach over your dog’s head and place your hands into his mouth. Squeeze your thumb and middle finger between his upper and lower teeth, getting as close to the molars as possible. The sides of his upper lip should curl up when you do this. Next, lift your dog’s head upwards to encourage him to open his mouth. When he does, place the pill near the base of his tongue, and take your hands away to let him swallow. Rub his throat lightly and provide water to encourage him to swallow.

To help get your dog used to this technique, try it with treats first. That can condition your dog to expect a treat when you start the process, and will make it easier to get him to cooperate.

Keeping Your Dog Healthy

Learning how to give a dog a pill doesn’t have to be hard, especially if your dog will take her medicine with food! If you have trouble, contact your veterinarian to learn more about different methods for giving your dog medicine, to make sure that she lives a long, happy and healthy life! Contact Paw Pals today to learn more!

Filed Under: Pet Care

Contact Paw Pals for More Information

Paw Pals specializes in professional dog walking, dog sitting, and pet sitting services. One of our reliable, adult staff members will keep your pet safe, while providing your pet the love and care they need when you are away. Contact us to learn more!

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting, LLC
14001-C Saint Germain Drive #213
Centreville, VA 20121
(703) 345-1695

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Paw Pals Pet Sitting
Paw Pals Pet Sitting
4.9
Taylor Smith
Taylor Smith
21:22 03 Oct 21
I never worry when Mary and team take care of my dog!
Michæl Silva
Michæl Silva
21:38 01 Jul 22
Mary at Paw Pals Pet Sitting is the greatest! She has helped me train my pooch Chico how play nice with other dogs and for that I am extremely grateful! A+A+A+A+A+A
Kwi Kim
Kwi Kim
22:37 17 Jun 22
I hired Paw Pals based on my sister’s referral. Meet & greet was very thorough and detailed. I was surprised that my finicky cat came to check the sitter out. Subsequently, a sitter watched my cat over several separate visits, and it was clear through the visit reports that my cat loved the sitter. All the visits were completed having followed my directions & with professionalism.I would highly recommend Paw Pals to anyone who’s looking for a dependable, personable, & professional sitter.
Joseph Walter
Joseph Walter
19:55 13 Jun 22
Paw Pals provided a large number of photos of our pets along with a personalized message on how our pets were doing with every single visit. I would highly recommend using Paw Pals, we'll be continuing to use them whenever we go on vacation.
Ashley Manning
Ashley Manning
09:50 11 Jun 22
Highly recommend as pet sitters!Initially, a sitter from the company will visit the house to meet the pets and learn where everything is. Tatiana took careful notes and we got her some spare keys.While we are away, Paw Pals sends sitters to come and look after our boys. They feed them, scoop litter, bring in mail and packages, and they will even manage trash, recycling, blinds and lights so that everything is comfortable for our kitties. Each time they check in, we receive an email message with updates and pictures, which is so comforting when we are on the road.Also, if you don’t let Paw Pals know when you are home, they assume something has happened and will continue to care for your babies. If something were to happen, I know they would be okay.Five stars for Paw Pals!
Brian Wood
Brian Wood
04:08 22 May 22
We have used Paw Pals for a number of years now and would highly recommend to anyone looking for help with their pets. Great communication from owner Mary and flexibility to make adjustments in schedule as life changes over time. Have had a consistent set of walkers who have gotten to know our pup and the various walking routes around our neighborhood quite well.
Lesley Bush
Lesley Bush
13:58 18 Mar 22
We can't rave enough about Paw Pals. They took care of our 18 year old Cat and 20 year old Chinchilla while we were away and when our flight got cancelled, they were so accommodating and available last minute for an extra day. We worked with Jen to coordinate visits from Miko and Danny. I loved the pictures and updates on how our Lil geriatric guys were doing. Thanks a million, Paw Pals!! Our special pets were so well cared for.
Sebastian Barnes
Sebastian Barnes
01:06 17 Jan 22
I have used Paw Pals for several trips over the last few months, and they have been phenomenal every time! Mary is extremely kind and responsive, and she makes sure that my cat and dog have the care that they need every time I am out of town. All of the pet sitters that I've had have been incredibly sweet to my pets, and they treat them like their own! Will gladly continue using Paw Pals every time I need a sitter.
Julie Shildt
Julie Shildt
17:45 14 Nov 21
It has been a pleasure doing business with paw pals. We have used this company for several trips we have taken over the past 6 months. They have been wonderful caretakers for our 2 cats. Anytime there is ever a question they don't hesitate to give us a call and they leave the best notes and pictures in the emailed report of each visit. We are so glad have found such a great company.
Andrea Hall
Andrea Hall
22:45 03 Oct 20
I wasn't sure about hiring a new doggie walker service... after all they are our kiddos... my babies were in great hands and I felt relaxed having them in their care. Thank you for everything!
Katie McCune
Katie McCune
19:19 15 Jul 21
I honestly cannot recommend Mary and her whole crew enough! We started using Mary originally about 7 years ago to stop by occasionally when our Aussie Lana was younger. Over the next couple years Lana stayed with Mary and her family for a couple weekends when we went on vacation. When we moved to our new house in Manassas, Lana stayed with Sam, who lives in Manassas, overnight for moving day, and did great. Right before the pandemic, we adopted our second Aussie, Goose, and Mary recommended a fantastic trainer for him.We now have weekly walks for the dogs, and they love all of their walkers! Trevor, Paul, Hazel, Sofie, and probably a couple others have helped Goose get used to more people, and have helped my husband and me when our schedules are crazy.Paw Pals is our go-to for any help with our dogs, so I highly recommend them!
Alexandra Hill
Alexandra Hill
22:43 23 May 21
I was a nervous mommy to leave my cats with a sitter service for the first time. Paw Pals went above and beyond to care for my cats and ease a nervous mommy. I already made a reservation to use them again!
Cindy Welgoss
Cindy Welgoss
13:12 27 Nov 20
We have been using Paw Pals for several years, and through a variety of pets that we have loved. Mary and her team have always been *exceptional* in every way. They are professional, courteous, and truly love our fur family! Mary herself is an organized and stellar administrator of her pet care business, keeping detailed records of our pet’s needs, scheduled pet visits, payments, and balance due easy to keep track of as the pet owner. The pet caretaking team is reliable and trustworthy. When our dogs see any of their Paw Pal friends, they get SO excited to see them! Follow up comments are left via text to keep the pet owner informed of the visit and how the pets are faring. Paw Pals has allowed our family the peace of mind to leave our pets at home, for work, weekend getaways and longer times away when necessary, where they are the most comfortable and familiar. We are grateful to Mary and her team for giving us the ability to enjoy pet ownership without feeling tied down. The responsibility of having pets comes with the need to keep them safe and comfortable at all times, and Mary and her team affords us this when our family has to be away.
Dr Tammy Cashion
Dr Tammy Cashion
21:11 12 Mar 19
We have used Paw pals pet sitting on multiple occasions for our bunnies while we are away. Many pet sitters are not interested in small pets however; Mary and her team, are amazing and we trust her implicitly! We are very happy with the outstanding service we have received from her team including texts and photos of our pets when we are out of town. They always go the extra mile and we highly recommend them!
Kristin Conrad
Kristin Conrad
16:00 16 Nov 19
We are so grateful we found Mary and her team at Paw Pals. They are exceptionally responsive, amazingly organized and detail-oriented.We have such peace of mind when we travel knowing our home and pets are so well cared for. Paw Pals is the best pet sitting service we’ve used, and we’re so happy we found them.
Katie Russell
Katie Russell
15:01 17 May 20
Paw Pals is fantastic! I have had a great experience with Mary! Compassionate, professional, responsive, and prompt! Thank you!
Phillip Evans
Phillip Evans
14:38 11 Jul 20
When we adopted our new dog in January, Paw Pals agreed to walk her and give her some outside time so she wasn't in the crate all day. She loved her dog walker and you could see her excitement every time the walker showed up. We moved out of the area but would recommend Paw Pals to anyone needing someone to care for their pets.
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