she wont swallow?

Question

my dog has been given tablets by the vet but however i disguise them ,in sweets,in meat, she knows its there and out it comes...arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh help

Answer 1

Hmm try wrapping it in cheese. Most dogs can't resist cheese! They usually can't resist meat either though....that's weird. Try the cheese. If NOTHING works, you'll probably have to orally give it to her. There's these little pill guns you can get. Just open her mouth, stick it to the back of her throat and RELEASE! That's all I know of.

Answer 2

As a care-worker let me first say, don't crush the tablets up without checking with your vet that it's ok to do so. Some tablets need to be swallowed whole to work properly. Crushing can put the drug into the dog's system too quickly! You also should ask if the tablets can be given with food, some need to be given on an empty stomach, some after food so it's always better to check.

If you've tried hiding them in all her favourite treats and she still spits them out then you will have to open the mouth and drop them as far down as you can and then quickly but gently hold her mouth closed.
You can also buy a pill pusher from your vets. They are very inexpensive, you put the pill in one end push it gently into the side of the dogs mouth right at the back, and then press the end to release the pill. Again holding the mouth closed. Stroking the throat, or for some reason (I have no idea why) blowing gently on the dogs nose often makes them swallow. Always praise the dog afterwards and give a little treat.
Having struggled with many a dog and even worse cats I now teach them as soon as I get them to let me open their mouths and drop something into it. A little bit of food or a yeast tablet and then if they need treatment it isn't a major issue.
Good luck I'm sure you'll find the way!

Answer 3

How do I give a pill to my dog?

A. If your dog is not on dietary restrictions, and your veterinarian said the medication can be given with food, the easiest way to give a pill is to hide it in a piece of food. A small amount of butter, peanut butter, liverwurst, cream cheese, or canned pet food, is often used. Canned cheese with nozzle dispensing often works too, and does not have to be refrigerated. If you are going to put the pill in the dog's food, it is best to give a small amount of the food without the pill first. This lowers your dog's suspicion index. It is best not to mix the medication in an entire meal, since if the dog does not eat the whole meal, he will not get the appropriate dose of medication.

If your dog will not take the pill in food or cannot have food with the medication, then it is down the hatch.

Get the pill out of the bottle and place it where it will be handy.

Call your dog to you in a happy voice. If you do not sound worried or concerned, your dog will be less likely to feel that way as well.

Take your dog to a convenient spot, and place your dog's hind end against something so he cannot back away from you. Some people have found they have better control if they place the dog on a surface up above the floor. If you do so, make sure you have assistance, so the dog will not jump or fall off the table and hurt himself. The person assisting you should hold the dog around the shoulders and chest.

Hold the pill between your thumb and index finger. (If you are right-handed, use your right hand.)

Using your other hand, gently grasp your dog's muzzle from above with your thumb on one side and your fingers on the other.

Squeeze behind the upper canine teeth and tilt your pet's head back over his shoulders so he is looking at the ceiling. His lower jaw will automatically drop a bit.

Use one of the other fingers of your right hand to lower the bottom jaw further by placing the finger between the lower canine teeth (the long front teeth) and pushing down.

Quickly place the pill as far back in your dog's mouth as possible, getting it over the 'hump' of the tongue. Do not place your hand too far in, however, or your dog may gag.

Close your dog’s mouth, hold it closed, and lower his head to a normal position, which will make swallowing easier. Gently rubbing or blowing on your dog's nose may help stimulate him to swallow.


If you have to break a scored tablet, here is a simple procedure that should work for any tablet that has a somewhat rounded surface:

Place the tablet on a flat hard surface.
Place one thumb on each side of the score.
Press down with both thumbs.


Give your dog plenty of praise, and possibly a treat. This will make next time easier. And remember, the quicker you can give the medication, the easier it is on both of you.

Although pictures are worth a thousand words, seeing a live demonstration is even better. If your veterinarian prescribes pills for your dog, have one of the veterinary staff show you how to give them.

Answer 4

The only way my dog will take a tablet is if I squish it up in a small parcel of processed cheese - like cheese food squares, or the cheese you put on burgers. Tesco Value ones work best for some reason! Plus they're cheap so you haven't wasted much money if it doesn't work.

But honestly, my dog knows tablets are in anything except that plasticky cheese; he just swallows the little parcel without even chewing and down goes the tablet. Good luck!

Answer 5

I use this method with my Shepherd ***** & it works great. Sit the dog between your feet facing away from you. Put your hand under her chin, lift her head, & open her mouth. Put the pill in her mouth near the back. Use your finger & shove it GENTLY down her throat. This is not as cruel as it sounds. My ***** doesn't even bat an eye at this treatment anymore. ( She gets heartworm meds every month this way. ) Once the pill is well back in her throat, close her mouth & hold it closed while you rub her throat chin to chest. It won't take very many times to perfect the technique. I can show my ***** her pill & she will come straight to me & sit for the pill. She does gag a little but I KNOW she is getting the doseage she needs. It might sound like I'm torturing my girl but, I never have grief with meds & it's preferable to the alternative. Don't take my word for it, ask your vet. Good luck!

Answer 6

Oh my Lord. Open her mouth, put the tablet in the back of her mouth, way back, close her mouth, hold her muzzle and either blow in her nose to make her swallow or rub her throat to make her swallow. Disguising pills is a waste of time with a dog that will always spit them out.

Gems the problem with your answer is that there are some medications that you are not supposed to grind up or crush! Not a good idea to tell people to grind up a pill without knowing what the medication is.

Answer 7

The best technique that I have learned with my three dogs is to tilt the head back, open the mouth, and put the pill in the side of the mouth and then massage the neck until they swallow.
All of my dogs will take a pill usually in a piece of food, but when they don't the above technique never fails.

Good Luck

Answer 8

1) Stand with her head between your knees (small dogs like chihuahua should be held by someone or pinned between thighs while sitting)
2) Tilt head up and open mouth.
3) Drop in pill aiming for back of mouth.
4) Hold mouth closed keep head tilted slightly and rub her throat.
5) Open mouth and check.
6) Give lots of praise and a treat for not going berserk.
Do NOT jam it down her throat, too much force can injure your dog. Start training her to accept tablets by giving her brewer's yeast tabs. Eventually she'll get the idea that eating the tab=lots of treats.

Answer 9

It sounds kind of mean, but if it's medicine to keep your dog healthy...
Sit your dog down and stand behind her with your legs against her back so she can't stand up and escape. Open her mouth and put the tablet (I'm assuming it's a smallish pill) in the back of her mouth, not on the tongue (because then she can just push it out again). Close your dog's mouth and hold it closed, then firmly stroke her throat until she swallows. Let your dog up and praise her.
Best of luck, and I hope your dog recovers from whatever it has to take medicine for.

Answer 10

the same thing happened to me with my dog when he was 10 weeks old. he had to take these vitamins/tablets that was suggested by a veterinarian. i forgot what they were called but it helped him keep his weight normal. the vet said that the best way to make the dog eat a tablet is to pick them up by the two paws, open its mouth, throw the tablet in its mouth, and rub its chin softly and quietly. i tried this multiple of times and it DIDNT work at all. we found another way to help him swallow his tablet which was SOOOOO much better & easier. take your dog's most favorite treat or food like meat or cheese and get a huge chunk. put the tablet inside the treat and then get another type of treat he likes...let's take cheese for an example. cut a chunk of cheese and wrap it around the 1st layer of food. dont put TOO much because it might not be too good for him. trust me it'll work because he might suspect that the tablet will be in there or he might not, i dont know, but it'll be VERY difficult for him to get the tablet out of his mouth so he'll have no choice but to chew on it and swallow. i promise it'll work. it happened to me and i've been there. this technique works if you do it correctly.

Answer 11

It's either the piece of cheese trick as most dogs cannot resist cheese, but if your dog has too much it would make her ill, or, the cruel to be kind trick which is literally shoving it down her throat and then holding her mouth shut tightly while you stroke her throat until she swallows. Not pleasant but it usually does work. Failing that you need t have a word with your vet.