Administering Meds

[Esmo]

Velveeta Cheese and kosher hot dogs seemed to have been working until this morning when Maggie flat refused to eat either of these (even without pills in them). Thankfully I had some leftover chicken breast in the fridge and was able to coax her to take her meds with that. Does anyone else have any tricks/tidbits for getting all those damn pills into our babies? Maggie seems to get bored with the same thing so I have tried to change it up, not always cheese, not always hot dogs, sometimes chicken and alternate. In the very beginning she would take pill pockets but now she refuses those. I have tried putting them in her food, but she doesn't always eat it all right away so that doesn't work. (If I could put them in bacon I don't think I'd have any trouble!) Maybe she was just having an off morning, she didn't want her breakfast either but that isn't too uncommon. I hate to force feed the pills to her, since she has to take them every day, twice a day I want it to be a positive experience. The other paranoid thought that jumped into my brain was "is this a precursor to a seizure episode" - but that is most likely just me being jumpy...

[MK's mom]

I open the mouth, put the pills as far back as I can and he swallows them. I have done this with any dog that takes pills, then I give them a dog biscuit or something they will always eat and once they swallow the food, the pills go down with it.

[cesullivan]

Sorry, I have a lab so all I have to do is put them on top of her breakfast and dinner and they are gone in 15 seconds.

For my other dog Bandit I would make pill meatballs. open a can of wet dog food (nutro is a good consistency) grab a spoon, insert pill and hand to dog. It the drug was smelly antibiotics, I had to hand her a few "empty" meatballs first then hand her the drugged ones.

[Esmo]

Meatballs - that's a good idea.

Maggie is very stubborn (and indulged). I'm afraid it would be a huge battle to put the pill in her mouth. Must be sneaky....

The things we do...

[SpencerBhumi]

I cut a thin slice of bread, spread a generous layer of peanut paste, put the tablets on this and cover it with another thin slice of bread - a tablet in peanut paste sandwich ala 'high tea'. Spencer gets two - pheno & milk thistle and KBrom, Bhumi gets one - thyroxine.

These are served by hand (when they are most starving) followed by breakfast or tea. This seldom fails as despite being fed well morning and evening Spencer & Bhumi behave like they have not eaten in days. I calculated that 12 hrs in dogs years is about 3.5days - and they play it up like it is so.

Good luck with Maggie.


Trevor & Spencer

Grateful for the good days, week (months)

[ShilohsMom]

I NEVER have to worry about Shiloh not wanting to eat, but I will sometimes mix it up in what I use to put his meds in.

I use Vienna Sausages, canned dog food, sardines in his food with the pills on top, Spam, chicken, peanut butter on bread (otherwise he licks the peanut butter and leaves the pill. If Maggie likes fruits or veggies, you could put it in a strawberry, melon ball, green bean, on celery with peanut butter. When I'm at the grocery store I try to look at food with "will that make a good pill pocket?"

Good luck!!!