How do I get my dog to swallow a pill?

When your dog has an ailment, it can be very frustrating when they won't swallow the medicine that they need to get healthy. But fortunately, there are some techniques you can try to get your pup to swallow down that pill. When your dog is being stubborn about taking a pill, it's worth trying the following methods.

Put it Inside Meat or Cheese

Dogs tend to have a weakness for cheese. While cheese shouldn't be overserved to dogs, it can be used as a special treat. When trying to get your pup to take a pill, you can press the pill into a slice of cheese, fold the cheese over, and then let your dog eat it from your hand. You might also have luck with pressing the pill into a spoonful of cream cheese. If your dog isn't a cheese lover, you might try pressing the pill into a slice of deli meat instead of a slice of cheese.

Grind Up the Pill

You may find luck with grinding up the pill into a powder and then mixing it into sour cream or cream cheese. Just make sure your dog eats the whole serving so that they get their full medicinal dose.

The Push Method

To safely get a pill down your dog's throat, you can gently open up their mouth to set the pill on the rear of their tongue. Then, you'll want to gently close their snout as you softly blow on their nose and/or rub their throat.

Specialized Treat

There are numerous treats on the market that are designed with the express purpose of getting dogs to take their pills. You can get such treats that have little pockets in which you hid the pill.

Veterinarian in Miami Springs

For a veterinarian in Miami and the surrounding area, contact Animal General Hospital at (786) 288-5736. At our local vet clinic, we're happy to chat with you about ways to get your pup to take their medicine. Feel free to give us a call today to make an appointment!

Posted: December 2021