# Help Giving Medicine???



## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

I have to give my new 'no name' puppy medicine for coccidia. My husband literally has to hold down his 4 lb body & i have to try & get a dropper full of meds in his mouth. He freaks out so bad that he wont get near us for about 2 hours. He will run from us. THey also found a lot of yeast in his ears so i have to clean them & put a med in there 2 times a day. He is going to HATE me getting near him. Any advice on how to make this easier. THe medicine for his Coccidia tastes so bad that i cant disguise it in anything else.
Since he is a rescue, who know if us holding him down reminds him of anything bad that might have happened.

Help!


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Wow that is really tough. Here you are trying to help him, but he thinks you are hurting him. I think you just have to be diligent and at some point he will get used to it. I always tried to put the droppers as far down the throat as I could, then rub and scratch the throat in a loving gesture. They think they are getting a rub, when in fact you are inducing them to swallow. 
Laurie


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## Julie (Feb 8, 2007)

Shannon,
I don't have an experience with this,but I'll tell you what I would try.I would sit on the floor and try to win his trust first by petting,belly rubs etc.Then I would touch alittle around his mouth with my finger etc.Saying very little or just calmly and softly talking.Then gradually I would try the meds...Then I would very gleefully praise and give him a treat with more petting.
I hope you get better advice,but that is what I would try.........


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

I agree with the rubbing and love first. Then, you're just going to have to do it, and do it as quickly as possible.

Since you said "dropper", I'm assuming it is a liquid. I had one dog spray a liquid med out at me, so you do want to get it down as far as possible without scratching his throat. Rub the neck as suggested above. Then follow immediately with a treat and lots of more loving.


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

Pina Colada mix??? I love it!!!ound:


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## radar_jones (May 6, 2007)

Try doing it when he's really sleepy.

Derek


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## Doggie Nut (Oct 20, 2006)

I'm assuming they don't have the med in pill form? I always put the pill in some of the squirt cheese & they just swallow it down. I'm like you I hate giving the liquid and I hate putting drops in the ears. It's like trying to hit a moving target!


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

So far he really doesnt like rubs etc...(are we sure he's a Hav?). As soon as he sees the dropper or when my hubby starts to hold him tight is when is FREAKS OUT! I just dont know how i can do this for 2 weeks! 
I even brought him to work today & he prefers to lay on my co-workers lap than mine. It really breaks my heart to think he associates anything bad with me.


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

Sometimes it is easier to use a syringe than a dropper .. When Cosmo was sick they gave us a small syringe . it took two of us to get it into him but we managed . He was leary as well but we tried the comforting and treats . He was not up to regular reats so I used cream cheese . One thing I found that worked well if you had to give tablets is to give it in salmon flavored cream cheese . You could administer the liquids med and then quickly offer him a small amount of the salmon cream cheese to distract him and to put a better taste in his mouth .
It is worth a try - something yucky first but then I have something really good .. Tell him that is well what a good boy and NOW we have something really good . It worked with Cosmo .. 
Salmon Cream cheese Philadelphia brand works the best - they are not as keen on the plain ..


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Unfortunately they just don't understand and we can't communicate it to them. I would not show it to him, get it all ready, just grab him and do it and then love and treat afterwards! If he has a favorite toy or something, just something good afterwards. Poor little guy, hopefully he gets better quickly!

Amanda


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## radar_jones (May 6, 2007)

A syringe is much better...you can shoot the medicine down their throats much quicker and then massage the throat to begin the sawllow impulse.

Derek


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

Yes we do have a syringe. I am just afraid we will hurt him, thats how bad he freaks. He will not come near me now. I try to play with him & go toward him but he runs away. It is just really upsetting. Thanks everyone!


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## Brady's mom (Dec 1, 2006)

I am so sad for you that you are going through this. Did you try to talk to the vet and see if the medicine comes in a pill form? Then you could sneak it in instead.


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

I think that Karen has the best idea! Call your vet, maybe they can give it to you in another form. My friends dog has a powder medication that he has to take but hates it, and they cant get it down The specialist had it sent out to be "capsulized" which works properly. I would give it a tryl.


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## radar_jones (May 6, 2007)

How about placing in in the middle of a peice of the food while the little Hav is eating??

derke


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

Yes, i called them but they only carry it in the liquid form. THe stuf is nasty smelling too!


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Can you mix it with a wet food, or baby food - something that smells strong


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

Baby food, that sounds like a good idea. I will try that.


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## Cosmosmom (Jan 12, 2007)

Yes baby food is a great idea. one vet would give a dog baby food when it was administering its shots and it had no clue that he was injecting anything .
So sorry this little bunny has been so traumatized it does not trust anyone . 
It makes me sad to think he was mistreated .


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Shannon, I would let the pup eat the food first without the meds, to be sure that he will go to it and eat it. Just give a little bit, then add the meds to it and only give him a small amount so he doesnt leave any. I am guessing that volume of food is not as important as all his meds. 
Laurie


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## Cheryl (Mar 17, 2007)

Twenty plus years ago I had a human son who suffered some pretty severe burns to his right upper arm. (I won't go into that story.) Anyway he required painful daily dressing changes. A friend of mine came over to do those so that he would not associate the pain with me. (I did lots of favors for her in return.) I also had to give him ycccy tasting pain medicine by way of dropper and it was quite the struggle. I bought 3-4 extra droppers and had chocolate milk, apple juice, and koolade in them. I always started and ended with a treat dropper, but somewhere in there he received his medicine. It worked for us--maybe it would work for fur babies.


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

Oh Cheryl, i am soooo sorry that happened to your son. Those sound like really good ideas. Thank you for sharing your painful experience. I hope all is well.


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## Cheryl (Mar 17, 2007)

I guess I should have mentioned that the burn left but a small scar on my son and he is a successful financial geek (as he calls himself) in NYC. My point was to give some options to Shannon.


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## radar_jones (May 6, 2007)

Hey Cheryl that sounds like a great plan...Devious one you are.....:biggrin1: 

Derek


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## ama0722 (Nov 28, 2006)

Cheryl,
That is an excellent idea. That way if they ever need it in the future, they don't know if it is going to be medicine or a treat!

Amanda


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## Judy A (Jan 13, 2007)

Wow, Cheryl, I think those are great ideas for all of us if we ever need them. Aren't friends wonderful!


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## Suuske747 (May 9, 2007)

We usually hide medicine in peanut butter, cheese, salami...it's so smelly it covers the smelly of the medication and she's so wild for it, she won't even chew! hahaha!!!


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Shannon, how is Jax doing with his meds? Have you been able to use any of the ideas that have been suggested?
Laurie


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

Yes Laurie, tonight i put the Albon med in some Wellness Turkey(which he loves) and it worked great. Thanks everyone for your suggestions. It really helped & he doesnt hate me today & not running away from me!!!


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Yea, two victories in one!


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## Leslie (Feb 28, 2007)

Isn't this place great? And aren't these folks so helpful??? Sure make life easier at my place


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Good job Jax!!!eace: Glad you were able to find something that works! I am sure it was very frustrating for him to be so stressed about getting his meds. Now that Jax is on his way, we can work on Shadow!!


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## irnfit (Nov 21, 2006)

My vet showed me that when using a syringe, just place it in the side of the mouth. You can also try it with a dropper. Sticking it down their throats can be rough, but sometimes you can't help it.


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## Karen (Aug 4, 2006)

My dogs will eat any pill that has been wrapped in Braunsweiger. Farmer Johns makes one brand and it is sold in the deli / sausage section of the grocery store. My dogs smell it as soon as I take it out of the fridge and they come running! I learned this tip on Myra Savant Harris' Canine Repro list. It has sure made giving medicine easy at my house.:bounce:


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## marjrc (Jan 13, 2007)

Shannon, I could feel your pain at being shunned by little Jax. Poor little guy may have had a hard time before the rescue came along. We'll never know! Thankfully, you've found a way back into his heart AND able to get those meds down in him. Good for you!! 

BTW... is he doing much better now?


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Karen said:


> My dogs will eat any pill that has been wrapped in Braunsweiger. Farmer Johns makes one brand and it is sold in the deli / sausage section of the grocery store. My dogs smell it as soon as I take it out of the fridge and they come running! I learned this tip on Myra Savant Harris' Canine Repro list. It has sure made giving medicine easy at my house.:bounce:


Oh, thanks for sharing that tip, Karen! I haven't been keeping up with Myra's list for several months now and I missed that one. I can see why the dogs would love it though. Brilliant.


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

Jax is doing great! Thanks for asking. We are settling in nicely to our routine. He is a pretty smart pup! Tripp & Jax play together all the time. Its so cute to watch. Jax gets a little rough on poor Tripp at times but i hope he will gorw out of that. Dreamer will sniff him but thats all (yet!). Thanks everyone for asking.
I give my pups their pills in the liver treats i make for them. They go nuts over them.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Homemade liver treats? Oh, I bet they love that!

I'm glad to see that everyone is getting into a routine. Unfortunately, it will probably take a while before he settles down in his method of play with Tripp. Piaget is four months old now, and still very rough with the older girls. I'm just starting to correct him a bit because he is pulling hair too often.


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

Yes, he likes to grab hold of his cheek or mustache & will NOT let go! I have to pry him off at times. I try not to get involved too often because i know how boys can be teased about girls fighting their battles!!
They love liver treats but they really stink. Smells up the whole house for awhile. So i make a large batch & them freeze them.


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## Havtahava (Aug 20, 2006)

Did you get the liver treat recipe from another Hav person? That sounds like a recipe I saw about a year ago, but the talk of the smell scared me away from it.


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## JASHavanese (Apr 24, 2007)

LuvMyHavanese said:


> So far he really doesnt like rubs etc...(are we sure he's a Hav?). As soon as he sees the dropper or when my hubby starts to hold him tight is when is FREAKS OUT! I just dont know how i can do this for 2 weeks!
> I even brought him to work today & he prefers to lay on my co-workers lap than mine. It really breaks my heart to think he associates anything bad with me.


Do they have this in pill form? If so you could hide it in some cheese or whipped cream. 
I really feel for you. This is a time when your dog needs to learn to trust you and this is making it rough. Is there any way a friend or neighbor could give the meds if it only comes in liquid form?


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

Havtahava said:


> Did you get the liver treat recipe from another Hav person? That sounds like a recipe I saw about a year ago, but the talk of the smell scared me away from it.


I actually got the recipe from my breeder but i did alter it somewhat. It called for mixing the chicken livers in corn meal but i wanted to stay away from corn so i tried potato flakes & it worked great. I posted the recipe here on the site some time ago. Maybe thats where you saw it. 
Its smelly but they go just crazy for it. More than anything else i have tried.


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

JASHavanese said:


> Do they have this in pill form? If so you could hide it in some cheese or whipped cream.
> I really feel for you. This is a time when your dog needs to learn to trust you and this is making it rough. Is there any way a friend or neighbor could give the meds if it only comes in liquid form?


It does come in pill form but my Vet does not carry it. But we are over the bad hurdle. I found that i can mix the liquid in some canned dog food & he just gobbled it up. He doesnt like having drops put in his ears, but we manage.

We are definately bonding well. He loves my hubby too. THe one thing i dont get is that he will run up to see me, wag his tail like crazy, cry if i leave, he will sniff my face all over but he WONT give me kisses! He sees my hubby & licks him to death!! I just dont get it. But its ok, i know he likes me. I guess my hubby just tastes better.

Oh, i dont have neighbors. I live on a lot of acreage in the stix. My hubby's family lives all around here but they are not dog people, if you know what i mean. Thanks for asking!


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## JASHavanese (Apr 24, 2007)

LuvMyHavanese said:


> Yes Laurie, tonight i put the Albon med in some Wellness Turkey(which he loves) and it worked great. Thanks everyone for your suggestions. It really helped & he doesnt hate me today & not running away from me!!!


That's wonderful news!! :whoo:


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## JASHavanese (Apr 24, 2007)

LuvMyHavanese said:


> THe one thing i dont get is that he will run up to see me, wag his tail like crazy, cry if i leave, he will sniff my face all over but he WONT give me kisses! He sees my hubby & licks him to death!! I just dont get it. But its ok, i know he likes me. I guess my hubby just tastes better.


Bandit lays at the top of my husband's pillow and licks his head. I tell him it's because she's trying to make hair grow there :bounce:


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

Shannon, maybe he doesnt like the cream or makeup that you use. You should try to get him to kiss you after you shower and see how he does.
Laurie
Glad to hear he is bonding well and eating his meds!!!!


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

:redface: Well i have to admit that i dont really wear anything on my face at all, unless i am going out(which is rare) or going to church. Maybe he just doesnt like me all natural!!


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

That is strange. They do say a trick is to put a little butter on our face, and then say - give kisses - and they will lick it off your face. Praise them when they do kiss the butter off. Do that consistantly for a while, and then intermittently dont use anything and ask for a kiss, when he give it, praise praise praise. Eventually you will get them!!!1
Laurie


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## LuvMyHavanese (Apr 13, 2007)

Actually i tried that with peanut butter(whiched worked) but I only want them to give kisses if they want to:kiss: . I dont want to force them:boxing: . They will see me coming & scream "OH NO, here shes comes trying to kiss us again!!" :fear: 
He does sniff me, i guess i will live with that for awhile!!


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## Laurief (Nov 7, 2006)

They wont feel like you are pressuring me. Lexi & Logan can be on the other side the room and I will say, come give mommy kisses - and they will try to beat each other to me to do so. But Lily is very stingy with her kisses and will only kiss you when "she" wants to. I think if you just teach it to him, he will kiss you when he wants!
Laurie


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