February 29, 2012
Posted in How to

Even the best pet drugs will be useless if you are not able to get your dog or cat to actually take them.  While it can seem difficult to try to get the pet drugs into your dog or cat, some practice will help you develop confidence and skill.  There are also some simple steps you can take to make giving pet drugs to your dog or cat easier.

Hide Pet Drugs in a Treat

The simplest way to get your dog or cat to take medicine is to hide the pet drugs in a treat your pet will swallow whole.  For dogs, try hiding the medication in a tasty treat such as a piece of cheese or meat, or coat it with peanut butter.  Many cats will take pet drugs hidden in a Pill Pocket.  If you administer medication to your pet this way, just watch carefully to make sure your pet does not eat the treat and spit out the drug.

Give Pet Drugs Directly

If your pet cannot be tricked into eating the pet drugs in a treat, or if the medication must be taken on an empty stomach, you will need to “pill” your pet directly. Grasp your pet and gently open the mouth, then place the pill directly down the back of the mouth, as far back as possible.  Close the mouth and hold your pet’s mouth shut until the pet drugs have been swallowed. You can gently massage the throat, and sometimes lightly blowing on your pet’s nose will stimulate the reflex to swallow.  Again, watch closely to ensure your pet does not spit out the medicine. Giving a treat immediately after your pet swallows the pill can help ensure the pet drugs have actually been swallowed, and will help your pet develop a positive association with taking his medicine.

If you can’t get the medicine into the back of your dog or cat’s throat, or are fearful of placing your hands in your pet’s mouth, a Pet Piller will help.  This is simply a device with a long plastic barrel which you insert into your pet’s mouth and then depress the plunger to eject the pet drugs.

With a little practice and lots of patience, you soon develop the skill necessary to confidently administer drugs to your dog or cat.

Related posts:

1. How to give your dog or cat pet drugs
2. A spoonful of sugar does not necessarily make the medicine go down
3. What do when your flea pet drugs are not working
4. How to Use Cat Tapeworm Medicine
5. Don’t throw those pet drugs away!

Tags: drugs for pets, giving pet drugs, pet drugs, pet medications