Success! Giving a dog regular medication...

[MEL_Traveller]

So we have a dog requiring meds (tablets) twice daily. Tried a number of methods... in cheese, butter, crushed and sprinkled on food, in minced meat (beef or chicken). Each method worked three or four times before the dog realised the tablets were hidden inside and then refused to eat.

Watching People's Court there was a dog case and it came up that the breeder was giving tablets in peanut butter. 'Let's try that!' I proposed.

Since switching to peanut butter our dog can't wait to have her tablets... sticks her nose into the jar before we can stick the tablets in her little portion.

So if anyone else is having similar issues, try peanut butter!~#*~~^^^@

DISCLAIMERS:
~IANAV
#YMMV
*Do not give peanut butter if your dog has a nut allergy
~~If your dog is on a diet this might not be weight-loss friendly
^^^Peanut butter may not be suitable for salt restricted diets
@Peanut butter may be made from local or imported ingredients, you may wish to choose Aussie made

 

[Princess Fiona]

Good to know. I usually trap my Lab in a corner and practically choke the poor thing trying to get him to take any tablets.
Not to mention the torture that is ear drops !!!

 

[Pushka]

Good to know. I usually trap my Lab in a corner and practically choke the poor thing trying to get him to take any tablets.
Not to mention the torture that is ear drops !!!

Oh dear. Poor dog now having peanut butter shoved down its ears.

 

[docjames]

I have had to recently give my 10yo arthritic Labrador some Celebrex - liquid formulation.

About half the time, more goes down the dog's throat than ends up on me.

100% of the time the dog coughs and splutters through clenched teeth.......

 

[blackcat20]

I often hide it in a chunk of dog food, though my older dog will carefull eat around it and spit the tablet out.

 

[medhead]

Wow, people really have difficulty with this?

The process for our german shepard was:
1. serve the food into the bowl.
2. make dog sit
3. place bowl on ground in front of dog
Dog remain sitting - command word required to eat.
4. hold dog's head up - nose to sky. mouth open. Tablets dropped into back of throat. hold mouth closed - gently. stroke their throat/neck, with nose still point up.
No problems, works 98% of the time.
5. Release dog, give command word.

While doing the command word training this is a 2 person job, obviously.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Wow, people really have difficulty with this?

The process for our german shepard was:
1. serve the food into the bowl.
2. make dog sit
3. place bowl on ground in front of dog
Dog remain sitting - command word required to eat.
4. hold dog's head up - nose to sky. mouth open. Tablets dropped into back of throat. hold mouth closed - gently. stroke their throat/neck, with nose still point up.
No problems, works 98% of the time.
5. Release dog, give command word.

While doing the command word training this is a 2 person job, obviously.

This thread is about dogs who refuse to eat their tablets by ordinary means! The above works for some dogs, others it doesn't. It's also hard when tablets have to be given at 12 hour intervals but that doesn't coincide with dog feeding times!

 

[chelzmalee]

Wow, people really have difficulty with this?

The process for our german shepard was:
1. serve the food into the bowl.
2. make dog sit
3. place bowl on ground in front of dog
Dog remain sitting - command word required to eat.
4. hold dog's head up - nose to sky. mouth open. Tablets dropped into back of throat. hold mouth closed - gently. stroke their throat/neck, with nose still point up.
No problems, works 98% of the time.
5. Release dog, give command word.

While doing the command word training this is a 2 person job, obviously.

You've clearly never had a Maltese.

 

[medhead]

This thread is about dogs who refuse to eat their tablets by ordinary means! The above works for some dogs, others it doesn't. It's also hard when tablets have to be given at 12 hour intervals but that doesn't coincide with dog feeding times!

Yes that's right and I've give a solution addresses the issue raised. The food helps with the training, but tablets can be given at non feeding times using the same method.

You've clearly never had a Maltese.

With good reason. But if I did have a brain explosion and get a maltese, I would use the same method for tablets.

 

[LadyC]

Peanut butter for the win in our house. Admittedly, my labradors will eat almost anything though. They have a particular love of toast (I will never eat toast alone again).