How do I get my stubborn Dachshund to take her big Baytril pill?

Question

I put it in a wet dog food meatball and she eats the meatball and spits out the pill. If I grind it, she will not eat the meatball. She is recovering from pancreatitis and so cannot eat the kind of yummy things that might entice her to take the medicine.

She will not even take a 1/4 pill - it is bitter.

Answer 1

Put it in her mouth, hold her mouth closed and blow on her nose. This will cause her to lick her nose and she will automatically swallow. It works. A vet told us to do this with a dog we used to have when she wouldn't swallow her pills.

Answer 2

Hi Marjorie. Good to see that your baby has you so well trained. :-)

Apparently people aren't reading what you wrote, or they would know that your dog simply CANNOT have even a little bit of what many of them are suggesting, because she is recovering from pancreatitis. *sigh*
Good on you for recognizing the importance of that.

Can I assume that she just refuses to let you open her mouth and poke it down? That's always the best way. If she clamps her mouth shut or tries to bite, however....

I have 2 suggestions, but both will have to wait until tomorrow:

1. Ask your DVM for the chewable version of the Baytril. It will be a brownish wafer instead of the purple pill. Dachshunds are very smart, however (as you know, LOL!), and that might not work either. This version is not bitter, so if she won't voluntarily eat it as a treat (most dogs will, once they learn that it tastes GOOD), you can crush it up and mix it with her food.

2. Try a product called Pill Pockets. I was a skeptic....I thought that there was no way in you-know-where that dogs would eat pills hidden in them, if they licked/ate everything else that had been tried and left the pill behind. But they do!!! It's rare that one won't. Your DVM should carry them (if not, SUGGEST IT)....and some pet stores have them, too.

As you no doubt have found out, crushing it (the purple pill version) and trying to make it into a solution won't work well.

If you just can't get her to take them, your DVM might have to change her antibiotic to something else.

P.S. Sometimes chicken baby food works. It's nothing but pureed chicken, so it's safe for her pancreas. Just make sure no onion powder has been added for flavor....or you'll have a new problem on your hands.

Good luck! :-)

Answer 3

I was going to say mash it and roll inside a ball of soft cheeze, but sounds like that won't work.
I use to have a dachshund too, strangely she got a pancreatitis attack also. I'm pretty sure I would just open her mouth and push the pill back as far as possible with my finger- hold mouth close- they ususally swallow after a few minutes or less. I do that with my cats too. Good luck

Answer 4

I have had very stubborn pill taking dogs. Nothing works better than about a teaspoon of peanut butter. Don't use too much or she may not be able to swallow it. If this doesn't work you may need to resort to opening her mouth and placing the pill at the back of her throat. Immediately after this give her a piece of her favorite treat so she won't spit it out. Good luck!

Answer 5

First you will have a harder time potty training a 4 month old dog. They are much better when they are around 8 months. Smaller dogs are a lot harder to train than bigger dogs. Its simple as that. The best way to train a dog is using the crate method. Buy a crate and place it in a room in your home. preferable a small room or maybe your bedroom. Place newspaper in the bootm of the crate and make sure they know it is their special place. When the dog soils the crate he will start to realize that this isnt a great idea when he gets it on him. then he will associate the crate with the room and then eventually the house. Try not to move the crate around alot because that is waht causes confusion. Every time that you come home or you take him out of the crate immediately go outside and have treats in your pocket. When they go outside give them a treat and praise them. If you catch them going inside the house scold them. Petsmart also offers many dog training classes

Answer 6

I have a dachshund and he will not take anything ,like a pill, either. I put it in his favorite treats. If you try covering it with gravy it might work cause I have to do that too.

Answer 7

Run back to the vet and get them to teach you to give her the pill without trying to hide it in food. Sometimes they are just too smart for their own good! If you want to try it on your own just hold the pill between your thumb and finger, put your hand over the top of her muzzle and open her mouth and quickly push the pll to the back of her throat and let her close her mouth and see if she swallows. It sometimes takes some practice. If you cant get it by the second try, get your vet to teach you.

Answer 8

You have to put it down her throat. Here how; Open her mouth and place your thumb toward back top of the roof of her mouth and she can not close her mouth, hold your other fingers around top of nose. With your other hand poke the pill down her throat. Then quickly remove your thumb and hold her mouth closed while stroking her throat until you see her swallow the pills. You got to stick down as best you can. This how Vets do it, or, the ones I have watched. It may help to rub a little Bacon Grease on it to help it taste better and go down easy.

Answer 9

Tilt her head up, put the pill as far back into her throat as you can. Close and hold her mouth closed while head is still tilted up. Massage her throat. By the way some dogs do not like this way either. It works though....I do not like taking nasty pills either lol!

Answer 10

I would try and give her a small meatball (whatever you are using now), plain, no pill in it, when she eats that make up another small meatball with the pill in it and see if she takes the second one. If not, phone your vet and see what else he can recommend. Good Luck.