Help! Dog won't take tablets

PaddyPaws

Hoping someone can help/offer advice/make useful suggestions
Apologies for the long post, but trying to put this in context (ie it's not just a short term course of tablets)

We have a very elderly collie x (almost 16yrs) who has been taking cosequin tablets daily for 2 1/2 years. He's always taken them fine, just tell him its his sweetie, the fact they're chicken flavoured probably helps.

Due to kidney and blood pressure issues he has been taking two other tablets since the beginning of the year - also with no problem, one is flavoured the other is tiny and he's been fine just taking them off us and swallowing them.

Two weeks ago the vet suggested it was now time to start him on painkillers for his arthritis. He took it as a sweetie and spat it straight out, so we used a little bit of butter and he took it just fine. This went on for about 3 days, and he was still taking the other tablets ok too. Then it was worming time and my husband tried to give him that tablet as a sweetie, unsuprisingly he spat that one out. So we tried butter and he took it. Since then he won't take any of his tablets as a 'sweetie', but we've managed with a bit of salmon skin or a bit of ham. Tonight he's just refused to take anything. We've tried a bit of cheese, wrapping them in ham, a bit of peanut butter - all to no avail. He either won't take it off us or takes it then spits it out.

Holding him and putting it in the back of his mouth is not an option (never practised this when he was younger and he'd quite possibly snap)

Any suggestions?

Many thanks
PP

swimsink

Not sure it'd work considering you've tried wrapping in ham, etc but you can buy meaty dog treats which are hollow with like a little lid, used on my dog because I was too much of a pansy to shove them down his throat! And he was none the wiser

puppy999

OMG I really would not like to be in your shoes........ poor boy think he as had enough of taking tablets will the tablets dissolve so you can syringe
them down ?? if not ask your vet for dissolveable ones tell him your having problems getting them down him ..................good luck xx

PaddyPaws

Thanks for the suggestions

I think dog treats might be the way forwards, just need to find some like you've described.

Not sure using a syringe would go down well (he's a bit of an awkwards so and so at times - but we love him and put it down to old age)

cheers
PP

<off to try and source dog treats with lids>

scheming_gypsy

i used to shove pills in a lump of chicken with mine; or just try and flick them down their throat.

Darlyd

What about a bit of chocolate spread? This is what we used. OR could you mix it with his food? Bare in mind, he is not stupid, and will probably work you out, again..

What ever you do, don't crush them, because they may be slow release tabs and they will act fast when he swallows them, which could make him crash..

HE does need to take them though, I know collies can become snappy, but perhaps if none of the above works, then flick them to the back of his throat and be firm with him.

PaddyPaws

The chicken might work, until he sussed us out, but as he takes 3 tablets in the morning and 4 in the evening.

Putting it in his food wouldn't work as it's a bit hit and miss at the moment whether he eats it or not.

Chocolate spread would possibly work, again till he sussed us out. We've managed to get the blood pressure and kidney tablets and half the cosequin and half the pain killer down him tonight. Missing half a joint supplement and half a painkiller won't kill him. Not looking forwards to the morning and the next battle though

And I can't understand why he now refuses to take something he's taken every day for over 2 years. Unless he thinks we'll try to make it more appetising?

thanks again
PP

gill5blue

Hi
I would like to add a suggestion.
Have 1 tablet(wrapped in ham) and 1 treat(wrapped in ham). Offer the tablet one and let him see the treat one (so it looks like he is having 2 treats).
He should swallow the first one quickly to get the second one.

I have another solution, My dog is on tablets daily, and my dog loves ice cubes.
So while I make ice cubes of fish(also required daily) or gravy or tomato juice and put the tablet in the ice cube, when I feed my dog her dinner she gets her tablet no problem.
Cheers
Gill

Darlyd

I have just had a thought, A client I go too, we have to give her elderly dog his meds, he is a long haired type lab I think, but he is so old and needs his pain killers as well as other meds, We make her a sandwich, and put his tabs in one of the squares, and when she has finished eating hers she gives him some of her sandwich.. get the jist . Mind you he will only now eat human food. We also have to cook him on occasion chicken and rice, of course said client eats it too... Crafty things aren't they...

PaddyPaws

Thanks again

I like the idea of feeding him something from 'my' plate to get him to take his tablet

I tried cream cheese on his painkiller this morning, he sucked the cream cheese off and spat the tablet out - lol! But he took one of his tablets as a sweetie and the other with just an ordinary dog treat.

we'll keep working on it
cheers
PP

Kittendreich

I found in a recent spell of having to give me dog 3-4 tablets a day that he soon wised up to them being hidden in most things and got good at eating/licking off the 'good' bit and spitting out the tablet. One day I tried parma ham (had run out of everything else) and it worked great - it is quite sticky so the tablet can't fall out & the more he chewed it to try & dislodge the tablet the more it stuck. Not the cheapest suggestion, but Lidl have quite cheap Parma Ham (any cured, sticky type ham would do) and you only need a little bit.