How can i give a dog a pill when it has no teeth and wont eat anything hard.?

Question

My elderly next door neighbour has an old king charles spaniel and at the moment it is on antibiotics but it wont take the pill in its food and it is nearly immposible to give straight in to its mouth. Please help............

Answer 1

Peanut butter

Answer 2

I agree, you put the pill into the dog's mouth, as far as you can, but DO NOT massage the throat as this may cause injury. This is how my vet showed me how to "pill" my cat:

1) Approach the animal from behind, and lift up his head. Cradle his head gently in your arm.
2) Put your fingers on either side of his mouth, where the jaw hinges are and gently open his mouth.
3) Pop the pill into his mouth at the back of his throat.
4) Clamp his mouth shut and hold onto his muzzle
5) Briskly BLOW into his nose!

This makes the animal swallow, and down goes the pill. Sounds odd, but it works like a charm. After the first time the dog will see that taking a pill is no big deal and you can accomplish the whole procedure in less than 30 seconds. Make sure you praise the pooch for being so brave and good and maybe give him a little treat for being "SUCH a GOOD puppy..."

Tessie (my cat) and I were both surprised, but on the rare occasion when I've had to give her a pill, this worked beautifully and wasn't at all traumatic.

You are so sweet for helping your neighbor! What a nice person you are. Good for you and God bless you all. Hug the dog for me, too, please.

Answer 3

I used to have a dog that did that! We mixed the pill up with his food, and when he's finished the bowl would be clean except for the pill. We tried wrapping it in ham - he ate the ham and spat out the pill.

Eventually we pushed the pill into a small piece of luncheon meat, and he ate it that way. Luncheon meat has a fairly high salt content though, and dogs aren't as good as us humans at processing salt - so I wouldn't give much of this.

I've also heard the method of putting the pill as far back in the throat as possible, then stroking the dog's throat recommended, although I have no experience of doing this.

I wouldn't advise crushing the pill and mixing it in the food unless you are certain that the dog will eat it all - otherwise you'll not know how much of the antibiotic it has taken.

Good luck, and well done on helping out your neighbour.

Answer 4

I always like to give pills the way you're talking about, in food, because I think it's nicer, but the way most vets would give a dog a pill is by opening their mouths and then putting/dropping/throwing the pill down the dog's throat. Then you can hold the dog's mouth shut and massage it's throat until you think it's swallowed. Since this dog can't chew, the "real" way might be the only way you can do it. It sounds barbaric, I know, but once you get good at it it only takes a second to do. If you need to, kneel behind the dog and put your knees around it so it can't back away from you, and do this all from behind.

Answer 5

Hi All dogs have a favourite food I am sure the elderly neighbour will know what it is, something it will pardon the punn (woof down) in one swallow ,put the pill inside that and you wont have a problem but as others have already said it may be possible to get the same pill in a liquid form ,but that can sometimes be more of a headache to get them to take
Ask the neighbour and give it a go
Goodluck

Answer 6

You don't want to grind it up or liquify it because sometimes changing the form can make the animal get to much medication at once. It might be a slow acting so on. I give my dog pills every day. All you have to do it put your hand around his snout and squeeze at the corners of his mouth until he opens his mouth. Take the pill and stuff it at the back of his throat. Then close his mouth and hold it closed. Massage his throat until you see him swallow. This will get the job done. My dog is so use to his pills he opens wide and takes it easy. Good Luck.

Answer 7

You didn't state the size of the pill, but if it's fairly small it should just be able to swallow the pill w/out being crushed.. but I am assuming you are referring to a fairly large pill.

What you need to do is crush the pill into powder and put it in something like jelly or jam, a soft piece of cheese, canned dog food or ? Whatever you dog likes to eat. Hope that helps.

Answer 8

The only way I have ever had success with a reluctant dog is to have the dog sit facing away from you, between your legs while you sit in a chair or kneel on the floor. Tip the dogs head back, open his mouth and place the pill at the very back of his tongue into his throat. This should prevent him from spitting it out.

Answer 9

Some pills are safe to crush. Some are not. You need to check first. The peanut butter idea works pretty well. My dog is large and will swallow bite-sized chunks of hot dog whole, so I always hide his pills in those. I toss him one or two without the pill first ('cause he's always looking for it and expecting it) and then when he thinks I'm not giving him a pill, I slip it into the third or fourth chunk.

Answer 10

Try putting one of the following on the pill. Depending on what the dog likes, it will take it. Peanut butter; cream cheese; well mixed up tuna fish. Also, depending on the pill, you may be able to grind it up between two spoons and mix it in with a chicken or beef soup and the dog will lick it from you fingers or hand.

Answer 11

The best way I know how is to put the pill in a bit of food, open the dogs mouth, but you have to be holding him down with your body and do it gently. Put your finger almost down it's throat and let it go. As soon as you let go, close his mouth with your hand, not hard, and massage his neck causing a swallowing reflex and the dog will swallow it. It's the best way, and humane way I know.