Getting pills into a dog

[SpartanRunningGirl]

Hi all, elderly golden retriever who needs multiple pills a day at the moment. Usually he will eat anything but will not tolerate the pills in his food so much that he just leaves his food if there is a pill there. I’ve tried squishing them into chicken, cheese etc - all the favourite and he will not even eat this food if a pill is hidden in it.

Tried prising his jaw open to put pill in mouth just spits it out even if I keep his jaw shut. Any tips for getting these pill in?! Thank you 🙏

Butter? Mine will manage to get it out of cheese etc but if it's in a lump of butter it goes straight down.

Sausage slices? Give him a couple without the pill, then one with, then a couple more, especially if you can toss them to him. My old Lab was difficult too. Sometimes I ended up hauling his jaws apart, dropping the pill down,, holding his jaws shut and tilted back while stroking his throat to make him swallow

Put it on your dinner plate and toss it to him like a treat. Mine would just eat pills if I told her they were treats. They always want what you're having.

Quick fire feeding of treats. soft easy to swallow treats . treat treat treat pill treat treat treat etc.

I pop it right down the back of the throat with some butter - slippery but no fuss whatsoever. I’ve done this with all cats and dogs, cats being the tricker customers

Dairylea or equivalent was our vet nurse recommendation as it sticks to the roof of the mouthand most dogs love cheese...worked for mine over multiple surgeries and stuff...
Mine prefered the one with the cow on ..but would put up with Dairylea too ..

I wrap it in a bit of ham then have another piece ready and he swallows the first piece quickly.

I've had success with crushing up and putting into yogurt but I think the treat suggestion above is genius and should work

I second wrapping in something delicious (I used peanut butter), popping it into their mouths, holding muzzle shut and stroking their throats.
This makes them swallow

It sounds awful but it really works
Good luck

Just had this problem and the only thing that would work is that extra string mature cheddar spread. She spit out literally everything else I tried. My last dog I had to resort to squirty cream!

Liver pate sandwich was our dog's highest value treat.

Could hide anything in there.

What I do with my collie is buy those dog sausages, cut the tablet into quarters then stuff them into bits of sausage- throw them for him and he’ll just catch and swallow (usually)

Salami! As already suggested, give as a special treat, rolled up no pills... then with pill ... without...
Depending on the medication, they can literally sniff it out!

Pate, pate and pill, pate always works for my boy

wrap in burger cheese and make him 'work' for it, to reinforce the idea it's a treat/reward (tricks / paw / lie down etc)

worked for the many pills our old Lab needed

good luck

Try putting tablets in empty gelatin capsules then wrapping them in something lovely. He won’t be able to smell them or get any taste from them.
it worked for my boy. I had tried everything and then some.
good luck it’s horrible isn’t it.

This is nothing short of genius, I don't know why I've never seen it suggested before. Also liking the make them work for it idea.

I usually use Lidl pate, cheap, cheerful and mouldable but you have to present the finished article in a way that means they have to gulp it rather than lick it.

Hiding them in clotted cream worked for my terrier

Oh wow thank you everyone for all these tips! Lots of things to try out 🙏

Pate or cream cheese. I thought the cream cheese would be too thin and not sticky enough, but it works better for my 4 dogs than cheese triangles. They just lap it up and swallow despite the pill not being too well hidden.

Cheese triangles or preferably the cheap tubes of liver pate as it has a strong smell.

I agree with having a second treat waiting.. mine used to scoff the first (with the tablet) while anticipating the second

Toast split open with cheese inserted and cheap pate was our go to. Or warm sausage slices. Currently minding a dog who likes pill assist.
I wonder if smell and taste get stronger as their other senses age...special subject ferreting out medication.

Thanks for all the suggestions yesterday. I made a very fine looking Swiss roll out of ham and primula cheese this morning, stuffed the pills in the primula at intervals, wrapped in ham then sliced up into individual ‘ham ravioli’. Dropped them into his kibble while he was eating. He scoffed the lot! Hooray!