Best way to get tablets down dog?

[GiveMummyTheWhizzer]

DM and DF gone on hols and we have the dog for a week.

She is very poorly and on 3 different tablets (6 pills total a day) and will not take them.

We've tried putting them in her normal food, hot food, cold food, bacon, cheese, sausages, chicken, crushed in milk.....short on putting them in her mouth and holding it shut so she swallows, nothing works!! She knows they are there.

DM and DF have this problem too, so its not just us.

Can anyone offer any advice?

PS she did have liquid forms but was allergic and they ended up everywhere!

what we did was ready cut about 16 pieces of cheese into cubes -4 of them had tablets in. Have them ready in a line with about 5 undoctored ones first and the rest interspaced. Feed the dog the 5 plain ones so fast they dont toch the sides then by the time its got to the pill ones they dont notice. Good luck with that - they are clever when they want to be

But that's the problem you see - she is sniffing literally everything you offer her to see if its 'drugged' before she will even consider eating it so none of the normal wolfing things down at all, soon as she smells its its game over.

That's why the vet suggested hot food as it masks the smell more - but nope.....

Corned beef? A bit without pill. Pill. Then no pill. It's gross but you can put the pill completely inside the corned beef.

Oh and don't only give a treat when you give a pill. Or they know!
Don't always give pills in the same room. Can you vary time too?

Mine takes hers if you wrap it in a slice of ham and fold it up that way she eats it without realising. Good luck.

With our dog, it seems to work to break the pill up into small pieces (I use a knife) and then put the pieces into something sticky/gooey (we use peanut butter or cream cheese). Works every time.

Was about to suggest processed cheese slices but see you've already tried.

Varying the place and time where it happens might work. Do you use treats as rewards during walks? Sneak them in then?

I have always given my dogs their meds using the "straight in the mouth & down the hatch" approach. One of my GSDs is on daily meds, but I also use this method with their worming tablets as well.
It's basically what it says - I have the tablets lined up on the side, call the dog, ask it to sit then open their mouth by gently putting my hand on the top of their muzzle & pulling open, while I'm opening their mouth, I pull their head slightly back so the dog is looking up at me, I then pop the tablet in as far back in their mouth as I can, then gently hold their mouth closed.
If the tablets are large (i.e. worming ones) I blow gently on their nose while I'm holding their mouth - this tends to make them swallow & hopefully the tablet will have gone down. If not, simply repeat the entire thing again.
Oh, & I always make sure that I do something the dog likes immediately afterwards, such as a game of ball, walk, etc. Hope that helps.
Also works with grumpy cats, but make sure that they are on a slippy surface (top of washing machine/tumble dryer) before you do it. Their feet can't get a hold on a slippy surface, so you're much less likely to get scratched!

Have you tried something like garlic sausage , really smelly, cut into cubes and stuff the pills inside.
I make my dog do tricks and reward her with pills, she is so excited to get the treat she doesn't realise. She assumes if she has to work for it its good

I just push them into a dollop of peanut butter. There has to be a food out there she'll take them in but it is just finding it.

Peanut butter always works for us, it really masks the smell of the pill.

We use salami a it smells so strong

My Big girl is on about 9 tablets a day. I give them to her in a spoonful of butter. If you dont find she will take it off the spoon, wrap the butter in salami. give her a few treats like this with no tablets and then start slipping them in.

Cheese is also pretty popular

As Awks said, but instead of cheese warm Walls sausages.

Thanks all.

Got the first 3 down her this evening in some warm sausages and ham. But the last two had to be put in her mouth and held her mouth shut (gently of course) as she had well sussed me out by that point!

Have saved some chicken and beef from the BBQ this evening, maybe tomorrow will be easier!

We use dairylea, and I throw it so he catches it and has wolfed it before he realises.

Get a syringe of water ready before giving her them. If you squirt water into her mouth between her back teeth after putting the tablets on the back of her tongue, she'll swallow and it will be more comfortable for her to take them.

We used to use peanut butter, but then he sussed us out. Last time he had tablets he was suspicious but was starving, so gave in and went for it.