# Ideas for getting pills down their throats!



## Cassandra (Dec 29, 2015)

In another thread today, there was a reference to the challenge of getting pills into these guys, once they are on to us with the hiding the pill in cream cheese. Cassie periodically needs Benadryl when we have heavy pollen periods (we seem to have the same reaction, when I start seasonal sneezing, she starts itching!). We are both clear right now as the spring pollen blitz has ended, but I dread our next round. I have tried crushing the pills and blending in, but I find the telltale pink remains in her food dish as she seems to be able to carefully work around the Benadryl. 

Cream cheese used to work, but not any more. I have even tried tiny jars of baby food..she can still detect it. She won't touch pill packs. On times she has needed other meds, the usual tricks and cream cheese still work, but Benadryl must have some kind of detectible odor. Any one have other ideas or success stories?


----------



## Jojofergy (Jun 27, 2016)

My trainer has us practicing now in case our dogs ever need pills so far sprocket hasn't needed any 
First we practice touching the top of their nose and treat then work our way up to opening his mouth from the top and treat then a finger in mouth and treat slowly working our way up to being able to place a treat way back in their mouth (sprocket isn't there yet but I haven't been practicing this as much) that way if he ever needs a pill I can just place it in the back of his mouth and he should swallow it also Great for when the vet wants to look at teeth 



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


----------



## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

I had great success with covering the pills with liverwurst when I had to give pills to my corgi. However, she was a foodaholic. Pill pockets worked too but the liverwurst seemed to work best. Some people use peanut butter as it's harder to spit out!


----------



## abi38 (Mar 23, 2017)

I used laughing cow speading cheese, soft enough to mold around the pill.
Tho normally I just put it down their throats, as far back as possible then give a little push with finger.


----------



## CaroleG (Aug 13, 2016)

I crush the pill between 2 spoons. Then make a liverwurst ball or mix in yogurt (that does not contain artificial sweeteners because that is dangerous)


----------



## Kirby (Mar 7, 2011)

I also crushed Kirby's pills and mixed them in with his food with the okay of his vet. Sometimes I think it depends on the type of medication you are using whether it is safe to crush the pill. For me, it was the only way, especially when he was much older, to medicate him easily. Hope this helps.


----------



## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

I give my two a Proviable DC capsule daily and coat the outside with Boursin soft cheese. It's gone in one gulp.


----------



## abi38 (Mar 23, 2017)

Funny you mention Proviable DC. Zelda would just eat the capsule as is. She learned to eat fish oil capsule by herself, and willing to accept the Proviable DC just as readily. Makes my life easy for sure, I just put the capsules on her regular food and she'd gobble everything up.


----------



## Jackie from Concrete WA (Mar 23, 2015)

I just stick Willow's Proviable capsule in her food. Her food is soft (Honest Kitchen) so I can just plop the whole capsule in there and it disappears!


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Heather Glen said:


> I give my two a Proviable DC capsule daily and coat the outside with Boursin soft cheese. It's gone in one gulp.


With Proviable, I just open the capsule and sprinkle it on the food. It doesn't seem to have any flavor... at least Panda has never turned her nose up at it!


----------



## Marni (Apr 1, 2017)

With the tiny antibiotic pill portions Kosmo has needed, I just gently open his mouth (in mornings when he is still woosey) put the pill on back of tongue, close mouth and massage throat. He swallows, and looks at me like he knows I got one over on him.


----------



## Tux's Mom (May 24, 2016)

I had to look up what "Proviable" was after reading this thread. I started making my own kefir from a kit I ordered online. The culture stater was shipped live along with the jar, strainer and instructions. It's a whiz to make. Pour 1 cup organic whole milk over live culture. Sit on shelf in jar about 24 hours (room temp). Strain liquid off culture. Have a wonderful drink to share with your pooch. Put culture back in jar and repeat. TUX goes CRAZY over it. I used to have lots of digestive issues but no more. This stuff is miraculous. If you think about it, trying to get live healthy good bacteria into your gut from refrigerated, processed probiotic products is not NEARLY as beneficial as the real thing. When your culture starts to grow, you can eat that also (very sweet bland taste). I feel guilty if Tux doesn't get some. He drinks about a tablespoon a day. I get the rest of the cup.


----------



## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

goldanimals said:


> I had to look up what "Proviable" was after reading this thread. I started making my own kefir from a kit I ordered online. The culture stater was shipped live along with the jar, strainer and instructions. It's a whiz to make. Pour 1 cup organic whole milk over live culture. Sit on shelf in jar about 24 hours (room temp). Strain liquid off culture. Have a wonderful drink to share with your pooch. Put culture back in jar and repeat. TUX goes CRAZY over it. I used to have lots of digestive issues but no more. This stuff is miraculous. If you think about it, trying to get live healthy good bacteria into your gut from refrigerated, processed probiotic products is not NEARLY as beneficial as the real thing. When your culture starts to grow, you can eat that also (very sweet bland taste). I feel guilty if Tux doesn't get some. He drinks about a tablespoon a day. I get the rest of the cup.


I don't know what the "special sauce" in Proviable is, but my dogs have ALWAYS been on probiotics, including Panda, from the day she came to me. It was only the Proviable DC that made a difference in her staining. Now, as Ricky's Popi said, it seems to be pretty variable WHY individual dogs stain, and what will solve the staining. But for us. it was definitely the Proviable, not the other probiotic that they still (also) get daily.


----------



## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

I use peanut butter to hide the pills and they go right down


----------



## Teddy Bear (Apr 11, 2015)

Marcia Tallent said:


> With the tiny antibiotic pill portions Kosmo has needed, I just gently open his mouth (in mornings when he is still woosey) put the pill on back of tongue, close mouth and massage throat. He swallows, and looks at me like he knows I got one over on him.


Teddy always manages to eat around tablets or crushed tablets and nothing I have found, works in masking the smell of his vitamin E and deworming tablets.

The vet showed me how to make him swallow tablets when he was ill as a puppy. Something similar to what Marcia does but i was told to close his mouth and blow slightly on his nose! works everytime!

Now for Vitamin E tablets, I just have to give it to him and tell him eat this. He sulks then eats as long as he see's someone watching him as he spits it out before actually swallowing.

Dewormers still need to be put into this mouth. He hates the taste but gets a small treat after.


----------



## Havnot (Jan 28, 2017)

Ringo is a very picky eater - won't eat peanut butter, not a huge fan of cream cheese - the only thing we've found that he absolutely loves is chicken. For his smaller pills we would take a chunk of chicken and wrap it around the pill (and if it's a really bad tasting pill, putting soft cheese on the pill then chicken), trying to get the food scent on it, then open the palm and let him take it but push the palm to his muzzle to make it harder for him to spit it out. Works most of the time but definitely can be tricky.


----------



## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

*peanut butter*



Teddy Bear said:


> Teddy always manages to eat around tablets or crushed tablets and nothing I have found, works in masking the smell of his vitamin E and deworming tablets.


With the peanut butter I not only 'wrap' the pill in it, but I keep some separate (on my finger or spoon) so that after he takes the pill/peanut butter portion there's more for him to lick - so he spends more time licking my finger trying to get the last of it off my finger and less time picking through what I gave him first


----------



## ShamaMama (Jul 27, 2015)

Melissa Brill said:


> With the peanut butter I not only 'wrap' the pill in it, but I keep some separate (on my finger or spoon) so that after he takes the pill/peanut butter portion there's more for him to lick - so he spends more time licking my finger trying to get the last of it off my finger and less time picking through what I gave him first


Clever. We haven't had to give Shama a pill yet, but I will be able to look up this thread when need be!


----------

