# Different ways to give a pill



## BabyHusky (Jul 21, 2008)

My pup just started Clavamox but its been a pain to get her to eat it. Its not that she purposely doesnt, she just cant.

I tried wrapping it up with a treat, but as she chewing, the pill always pops out so she won't go eat it.

She absolutely hates peanut butter so that doesnt work. 

I tried breaking it apart, but the pill is pretty difficult to break (unless someone has a better way besides pounding on it). 

I'd appreciate any creative ways you guys have tried in the past. Thanks!


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Hates peanut butter? What kind of freak dog do you own?! Just kidding!

When I had to give my dog pills when she was on Nutro and had horrendous bloating issues (ugh), I could just cover her whole pill in peanut butter and wipe it on her tongue and she'd have no choice but to eat it all, but she loves peanut butter. But I realize this is useless information to you since your dog dislikes peanut butter, sorry.

How big is the pill? Is it something you could hide in a cube of cheese? Have you tried pill pockets yet? I know they don't have the best ingredients but I think they work fairly well. 

You could try chopping the pill in half with a large knife to make it more bite-sized. Or you could crush it to powder and sprinkle it on her regular food or wet food if she gets that. 

What's she taking the Clavamox for?


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## BabyHusky (Jul 21, 2008)

Loooong story. To sum it up (ill try to keep it short).

At 3 months old, i took her to the e-vet and they said she had a uti. So they gave me antibiotics. 5 months, she got it again. Then at 7 months...again. So I took her to a diff vet (a family friend I didn't know was a vet) and he ran all the tests and xrays. Turns out she has e-coli. He said its not too bad...but it looked like shes had it a while (stupid other vets). And since shes been infected so long, I guess not only does she have e-coli but it caused severe vaginitis. So my poor 8 month old has been suffering because of these dumb vets. So now she's on Clavamox and i gotta use this liquid thing to swoosh her in her little private area that she hates me going near haha. Not fun.

But yea...she eats EVERYTHING but peanut butter. i dont get it. She wont eat peanut butter snacks or anything! I tried the pill pockets, she just eats the pocket haha. I tried crushing it to put on her food...but it takes forever...and it does crush too well....so i was hoping there was a better way. =)


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Poor puppy! Well my mom's way of administering pills was always to put the pill as far down the dog's mouth as possible, hold their mouth shut, and stroke downwards on their throat to force them to swallow it. Not the most pleasant way, but it seems to get the job done.


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## whiteleo (Sep 7, 2008)

The way I give my dogs pills is to get string cheese, cut into 1/4's and stuff the pill in the end of the chesse, works great for antibiotics like Cephalexin,(pretty big pill) Leo was just on it 
about a month ago for his nail that he ripped off. Hope this is helpful info.


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## TippysMom (Oct 3, 2008)

We used liverwurst after our dog started eating the treat & spitting out the pill. It is mushy but thick and you can form it around the pill. He loved it so much he didn't chew, just swallowed it whole. 

We've also done the cheese trick, piece of hot dog (gross, but he'd eat it & I guess small bits weren't too bad for him), and just resorted to sticking our finger back as far as we could - holding his mouth shut - and stroking his throat until he swallowed it. 

Good luck - she's lucky to have an attentive owner since her first vet didn't seem to be interested enough!


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## rannmiller (Jun 27, 2008)

Yeah! You should get her a hot dog/sausage/bratwurst/something like that, cut it up into pieces that can all fit the pill in them and only put the pill in one. Feed her two without the pill so she just thinks she's died and gone to heaven, and then one with the pill in it and hopefully she'll be so eager to eat it she won't notice the pill.


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## StellaLucyDesi (Oct 29, 2008)

HI! You may have already tried them, but Greenies pill pockets work wonders with my 3. They come in chicken or beef flavor and small and large sizes. I have also used cream cheese. Works great unless your dog has an allergy to milk products. Good Luck!:smile:


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## BoxerMommie (Jun 26, 2008)

I always just take pills open their mouths and push them partially down their throats, take a little syrine of water (VERY SMALL) and squirt a little water in their mouths forces them to swallow adn you're good to go. Since my girl takes multiple meds multiple times a day it isn't feasible to be putting them in stuff and with my boy's allergies that's not really a wise decision either so this way's always worked with fosters, plus 3 dogs of my own. Takes about 30 seconds and there's no getting wise to you, pill getting all nasty because they spit it out, etc (also I do not hold their mouths shut, once it's pushed to the back of the mouth and partially down the throat they rarely spit it up anyway, and then by giving them a squirt of water they swallow and no biggie).

Good luck.


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## BabyHusky (Jul 21, 2008)

wow thanks for the ideas!

Last night she actually ate it no problem when i split the pill into 2 and wrapped them in some wet dog food. Hopefully this is how its always going to be. Darn little booger =)


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## beachgirl (Dec 3, 2008)

Congratulations...............My dog hates for you to put a pill down her throat. But I can take the same pill, put it in her bowl, pour a tiny amount of olive oil over it and she eats it up. I guess she wants to do it on her own:wink:

Glad you had some success!


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## ChattyCathy (Nov 22, 2008)

It was such a harrowing event trying different foods to get my dogs to take pills. They were so smart. When I gave them the pill(s) stuffed into food they loved (peanut butter is the best) and rarely got, they ate the food and left the pill(s) behind. Actually, it was kind of funny but frustrating. This is probably strange but I now crush the pill(s) and give them a dog food that they rarely get (maybe a new canned food) and they gobble it up along with the pill(s). (I do the same thing w/my cats.) Pill pockets worked some of the time until they realized what I was doing - but the crushed pill(s) work the best. I now have a "stress free" (for me & them) way of giving them their pill(s). (You can find a pill crusher/splitter at Walgreens and it isn't expensive! I even use it for human medicine as well.)

Now if I can only figure out how to give the liquid medicine so they will take it. Putting it in their food doesn't work as well as the pill crusher.


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## ILuvLabs (Oct 27, 2008)

I know this is a lot of trouble but it's worked perfectly for me (you have to remember that I have a Lab & they'll eat anything......except a pill!)

I buy chicken or turkey hot dogs, cut it the length of the pill. Then I take a very sharp knife & hollow out the hot dog.......slide the pill in there & push what I just carved out back inside being sure the pill stays inside. I then give her a tiny piece of plain hot dog, the pill, then another tiny piece of hot dog. Works every time.

She used to be able to eat the cheese off that I squished around the pill & spit out the pill......if I put it in her food, she'd eat around it & leave just the pill in her bowl. It was very frustrating. Since I tried the hot dog trick, no matter how big the pill, works great!:wink:


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## domari (Jun 17, 2008)

I use liverwurst, they love it. Take a little and roll it in a ball around the pill. Then I tell the dog to sit, and toss it up in the air like a treat. Two of my dogs will even catch a pill in the air and swallow it before they figure out what it is!


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