Help! Dog won't take tablets

meg72

darlyd wrote: »

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.

Am sure the be firmwith him is the way to go. I used to get in a state
when my dog would not take his medication.Tried everything,treats
hiding in various foods etc. My Son would come,make him sit,open his mouth and flick it in, job done.I think i was just to soft.

MissGolightly

Another advocate of just being firm.

I have a cat with epilepsy, and he has to take meds twice a day. I used to try and disguise it, but got fed up chasing him round the house to make sure he finished everything (most of the time he ate everything but the tablet). Now, he stands on the table to take his tablet, he gets half a pouch of wet food a day, and he knows he has to take the tablet first, then the lovely meaty stuff comes! In fact, my other kitten now knows when she hears me popping the tablet out of the pack what's coming, and miaows like mad at him, as if to say "hurry up and get that down you so I can get my gravy *slurp slurp*"

At first, I would sit on the floor with my legs kind of crossed, and the cat between my legs, I would hold his head with one hand, and prise his jaw open, holding the back of his head close to my chest, he went absolutely nuts the first couple of times, and I still have a scar on the back of my hand from those attempts. Then I realised he was lashing out more at being constrained than being forced to take the meds, so I would set him on the table (waist height) and just use one arm over his body to kind of hold him close, use that hand to prise his jaw open, tilt his head back, drop it in, hold his mouth closed and give him lots of kisses and cuddles and it's all gone!

You'll be surprised how quickly he will come round, especially if instead of having to give him two lots of treats (3 or 4 each time), you make it part of his feeding routine. Sometimes my cat tries to play silly b*ggers and won't come into the kitchen, so I just put the tablet back in the drawer and busy myself in the kitchen, he's always in within 3 or 4 minutes looking for it.

Mayflower10cat

Another possibility?
http://www.vetuk.co.uk/product_reviews/vivitreats-canine-tablet-pockets-p-871

Zoetoes

Have you tried putting the tablet in a bit of cheese?

PaddyPaws

Thank you to everyone for your input

Quick update, Padders refused his tablet this morning (chicken flavoured, been taking it fine for over 6 months until this last few days). Well, he always has a denta stix chew in the morning after his tablets which he goes nuts for, so OH offered the denta stix and flicked the tablets to the back of Padders mouth whilst it was open to take the treat

Just got to work on the painkillers now. And come up with a routine for the evenings (3 tablets but 2 of them are big so need breaking in half, so 5 lots to administer)

We tried being firm, and really its the painkillers that have stopped him taking everything, but thinking about it paracetamol taste disgusting anyway (these are paracetamol and codeine). He's now sniffing anything offered very cautiously and even chewing treats instead of just wolfing them down.

If he was a younger dog I'd probably go more with the 'firm' route (and I wish I'd spent time training him to take 'tablets' and have me poking my fingers in his mouth when he was a puppy), but as he's almost 16 yrs I just want to get the things down him.

thanks again
PP

Katiehound

haven't tried it myself but someone I know always uses tinned cat food to disguise dog tablets! seems a spoonful of the stuff will encourage a dog to eat a tablet. perhaps worth a try?
Saying that my dogs are quite canny and usually work out what is treat and what is tablet!

motherbear

I used to poke my boys tablets into a marshmallow - worked for years

PaddyPaws

Good ideas - thanks. Unfortunately we can't use cat food as he's got kidney problems (otherwise that would be an excellent way), the marshmallow sounds like its worth a try

I conned him with a little bit of cream cheese round the tablets and a bit of very smelly tinned sardines added - still sniffed tentatively but wolfed down. He won't go for cream cheese on its own, but add a bit of something smelly seems to do the trick

PP

suki1964

The fail safe I always use is hard cheese

Cut a slice of cheddar and work it in your hand until pliable - like plasticine then mould it around the tablet and put in fridge till needed.

The stronger the cheese the less chance pooch has of sniffing out the tablet

Works every time for me

getthemax

Tried all sorts of things in the past, and basically I second the use of cheese. We cut it into a thinnish slice about one inch square and mold the tablet in the middle so it's a small round lump. Goes down in one. Mind you, our collies will sell their souls for a bit of cheese.