Getting Dog to take tablets

[DogualCat]

AIBU to ask how you get your dog to take tablets? Old dog has been prescribed pain relief three times a day for arthritis. He’s normally ok but these must taste vile. I’ve tried in his food, sausages, ham, chicken, hot dogs, cheese and treats but he just drops them on the floor. I’ve wasted more tablets than I’ve got him to take and the bloody prescription for the check up and 10 days of meds was £185!

Any tips or tricks I haven’t thought of? He doesn’t like peanut butter, they can’t be crushed or dissolved and I can’t open his mouth and make him take them as he’s a rescue who was badly treated and hates his muzzle being touched. Rang the vet but they couldn’t think of anything else to try.

Dog safe peanut butter! Works every time 😂

Have you talked about this problem with the vet? There may be a liquid or powder alternative medication as your poor dog can't tolerate his muzzle being held.

Poor thing 😢

Rosewood Daily Eats Dog Pill Treats, I get them from pets at home. I put the pill inside then in the food bowl with the food.

I poke mines capsule into a snapped up bockwurst, the kind you get in jars. He swallows it down in one so doesn’t realise it’s there - that might work?

My dog caught on very quickly and we'd often struggled with tried and tested methods. We found laughing cow was a good way or in fish oil. The thing is their nose is too good and they can smell the medication.

Sticky cheese spread is a good one. I usually give a bit on my finger first, then a bit with the tablet, then a bit again, just to keep them guessing! Also randomly through the day too, so they don't get wise to something being added at first. It's hard to trick a sly one though, you have my sympathies!

I always put meds in this:

6 x 75g Arden Grange Liver Paste Dog Treat : Amazon.co.uk: Pet Supplies

You all sneer at the canned spray cheese in the US. But this is an excellent application for it!

A pill jammed in a hotdog covered in spray cheese… never had an issue pilling a dog!

Well, it appears I have a much more strong willed dog than all your well behaved good ones! Camembert has been spat out, butter licked until the tablet was left, pate was the same. Treat, treat, treat with tablet is met with utter distain and I’ve just tried ice cream as he loves it but he walked away. This must truly be the most disgusting painkiller ever. I’m being eyed up very suspiciously every time I approach him so vet has agreed to liquid meds, just off to pick them up.

The old scruffy lump of a dog with the brain of the scarecrow from the wizard of oz had outwitted me again!

Get two bits of cheese (or whatever the dog likes) roll tablet into first bit, hold the second bit above his nose so his nose is pointing up and he’s distracted from the first bit, then feed him the second bit.
I hope I explained it ok!
Works for my dog.

Yes, it's really important to have his focus on the next good treat when he's getting the poisoned one.

Although I can't believe he spat out camembert! Maybe he's prefer Brie?

My old boy got a bit wise to me and my tricks with his pills but he would take them from DH who he clearly trusted not to be so mean.

Another trick that worked for a friend was taking the meds out and giving them disguised in paste etc when other dogs were present- it brought out the food protection instinct in him.

Librella and liquid metacam were far easier.

Why can't they be crushed? I've never heard of that!

One of mine has tablets that are crushed in a pestle and mortar and hidden in wet food.

Mine was a bit the same, she was very aware of the tablets in anything we put them in and seemed to know we were trying to trick her, so we tried bribery instead. It took a little time, but we’d wrap the tablets in cheese, just to make them a bit more palpable, and then hold a chocolate button, and trained her to take the tablets and then get the chocolate reward. We’re now at the stage where I can put the tablets down in front of her along with a button, and without us even having to supervise, she’ll always eat the tablets first, and then eat the button. It was a long process though and the injection is a much better option, it hugely helps ours.

Melt cheese in microwave, put tablet in melted cheese and cover. Wait for cheese to cool and harden.

Many medicines (human ones too) shouldn't be split or crushed as they're designed to release at a particular rate, and splitting/crushing can make them release much faster.

My dog will spit out his tablets. Sometimes tablets wrapped in cream cheese and ham would work. In the end we just had to open his mouth. Will he not taste the liquid painkiller?