Any suggestions as to how to get my dog to take his pills?

Question

He used to take them fairly easy. All I had to do was wrap it in a piece of bacon. Now he doesn't

Does it hurt if I break the capsule and put the powder in food or bacon? It's Amoxicillion.

Answer 1

My dog HATES pills so I have been through this plenty of times.  I will crush up a pill and mix it up with peanut butter.  Even if you can't crush it all the way down to powder form and its a bunch of little chunks its okay, they will have to eat it if they want that peanut butter.  Make sure you have plenty of water available after you administer the pill.  Also, don't give your dog ridiculous things like marshmallows and hot dogs.  Stick with foods that are OKAY for them.  A little bit of chicken broth/chicken soup would also work.

Answer 2

Filmer 41 had it right.. open, insert, hold mouth closed and stroke the throat.  then GOOD BOY or GOOD GIRL and play with favorite toy.   try this even when you dont' have meds so that they stay in practice.  give them tiny piece of cheese or something back of the throat swallow.

Don't give me BA I don't need it jsut wanted to add that you can request the vet to RX a hard tablet rather than the pill with powder and that way you can cut it smaller if need be..  

Do not split pill as you will compromise the amount that actually gets in there.  

Answer 3

We have successfully administered Amoxicillin in peanut butter, cream cheese, plain pumpkin and cottage cheese as well as sliced cheese.  Our dogs vacuum their food into their mouths so I am able to give the younger ones their pills right in their food bowl with no additional enticement.  They don't even realize it's there.

Answer 4

Put it as far back in his mouth, close to the throat, and tell him to swallow.  Then follow up with a treat so he eats something that helps the pill move all the way to the stomach.

Dogs are smart and can easily determine if a pill has been hidden in a treat.  They'll devour the treat and spit out the pill only for you to find at a later time.

Answer 5

I have had good luck with bread, peanut butter, cheese, any time of meat and onetime I had none of those and tried jelly and was successful with that.

If that does not work, what you can do is get the dog to open their mouth and place the pill as far back in the throat as you can.  Close their mouth so they can't spit it out and gently rub their throat. Rubbing the throat should help in the production of saliva which will make the dog swallow.  Once they swallow the pill I follow it with a treat of some sort.  The treat should help keep the pill down.

I hope this helps.

Answer 6

I'm a "no frills" gal:

Sit the dog, with one hand wrapped over the top of the muzzle, fingers in mouth to both open and simultaneously raise the head.  Swiftly, with the other hand put the pill down the throat, close mouth, stroke throat and praise the dog.

Pill done, down and no big deal.  Reward with a small treat.

Answer 7

i first tried to split a marshmellow in half and put the whole pill in it but she got the pill out and ate the marshmellow so the i got another full big size one and put the pill in it and she ate it and was fine

Answer 8

To get my dog to take his pill I usually smear Peanut butter on a dog treat and stick the pill in the peanut butter, or I take a piece of raw meat, break the pill open and mix the powder in with the meat. I usually have to switch methods about once every 2 weeks because he catches on and won't eat it.

Good luck!

Answer 9

You could.  I just use peanut butter.  It sticks to the pill, so they generally have to eat it to get all the "good stuff".

Answer 10

This is what I do.

- wrap it into a piece of food that you are about to give him. hand him that piece, than give him the rest of the food.

- peanut butter also works.

Answer 11

Try wrapping it in cheese. That's what I do.

Answer 12

Try putting the pills in a piece of hot dog. I am lucky because one of my dog takes pills as if they are treats.  The other is a bit wiser and takes pills best if they fit in a piece of a hot dog. I've had luck with putting them in a piece of bread as well.  Good luck.

Answer 13

Try wrapping it in a piece of cheese. That's what I do with my dog and she loves it.  

Answer 14

Well, if your dog won't eat the pills when they're wrapped in bacon, I wouldn't break the capsules and put the powder in his food. He might sense the smell of the powder in it. Try rolling the pills in a slice of cheese and giving it to him. That's what I do with my dogs.

Answer 15

try sticking it in the middle of a hot dog weiner so it doesnt fall out when he gets it in his mouth

Answer 16

As long as he eats all his food in the bowl there is not reason you can't break apart the pill and mix it with his food.  My female GSD hated to take pills also and that's how I use to give her the Amoxicillion.

Answer 17

Ask your vet before breaking medicines.. some meds are suppossed to be dissolved a certain way in the digestive system.

Most drugs in a capsule form tho can be broken open and the powder mixed with something else.  I have found that when you break up a powder on food tho, many times the animal refuses to eat the food.

My best method. is to use a lil bit of butter on the pill, or even a coating of olive or vegetable oil on it.  Open the dog's mouth, put the pill back as far as you can, close the mouth and rub the throat to encourage swallowing.  The butter or oil makes it harder to tongue the pill back out and it goes down much easier!

Treat and praise your dog afterwards to make it rewarding for him.  He will be more accepting of the next pill if he has something to look forward to afterwards.

Answer 18

try wrapping it in a different food all the time. We used to use cheese and now our dogs won't eat cheese until they l**k it and sniff it to make sure. Mix the powder in a spoonful of canned food and then he will gobble it down.

Answer 19

refrigerate peanut butter and put it in a ball of peanut butter