It seems easy enough to give a dog a pill. They usually will eat anything off the floor regardless if you want them to. (That is where your "leave its" come into play.) Have you ever seen a dog video where they refuse the lettuce or spit it out? That's 100%, Athena. She sniffs a lot of food before eating it off the ground. When I first had to administer her medication, I thought it would be no big deal. Unfortanelty, it wasn't as easy as I anticipated. If you put it in her food, she'd sniff it out and eat the rest but not her medicine. If I gave her a handful of treats, she would eat the treats but somehow manage to spit out the pill. How did she do this?! It led me to the store with much frustration to buy pill pockets to hide her treat inside. Some of these packages aren't cheap! However, she'd gobble it down so quickly, she didn't even notice the pill she ate. Woohoo! But how to administer other medications? Like humans, dogs can have medicine in multiple forms such as pills, suppositories, eye drops, eye ointment, or ear medication. Not everything can come in a good smelly treat. You can always refer to the vet for tricks, but here are some that I learned as well.
If you don't want to pay for pill pockets, you could always try to hide the food in a food item. A trick we have learned with Athena is to eat the food in front of her. She would never eat broccoli, but if I am eating it and give her a piece, she'll gobble it down before I have the chance to say, good girl. Cheese is much like the pill pockets in which you can mold it around the pill without making too much of a mess. If the dog is vomiting, the vet may prescribe suppositories. For rectal administration of medication, it is important to lubricate the suppository. Using one hand, you raise the tail. With the other hand, gently insert the suppository until it is entirely inside of the rectum.
Administering medications to your pup can be stressful. You are worried that they are sick and need the drug, but they don't understand the importance like you do. Try resting with or petting your puppy before giving them the medication. The best position to administer medications (other than treats) is for them to be between your legs with their back to you. To administer eye drops, tilt their head back and lower the eyelid. Be careful not to harm your dog's eyes. Once you have injured your dog giving medications, they are less likely going to trust the process. You are a team! It is best for liquid medications to hold their mouth shut gently, tilt their head up, and place the drug with a dropper between their cheek and teeth slowly. The goal is not to have them choke or cough. Remember that just as humans, they are sick and don't feel the best. Don't forget to be patient. Always give the medication according to the vet. Be careful to pay attention to instructions such as provide with food or on an empty stomach as well as the route of the medication.
Thanks fur the read,
The Pawsitive Writer
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