Your dog won’t take pills? As I pried my dog’s jaws open to give him his medicine, I realized that, as a veterinarian, prescribing the appropriate medication for your dog is only half of the battle! What about YOU—standing ready, holding a pill, looking at your dog while your dog looks back at you, both wondering who’s going to win?
The answer, my friend, is YOU! As an integrative veterinarian and mom of three dogs, here are five of my favorite tips, tricks, and techniques for how to get your dog to take a pill.
1. The Bribe: For the food-motivated dog who won’t take pills
If your dog is food motivated, this technique is the obvious choice—and hopefully a foolproof way to get your dog to take pills. You can simply hide the pill in:
- Marshmallows—My personal favorite “bribe” in which to hide pills is marshmallows (or mini-marshmallows, depending on your dog’s size). I don’t worry about them causing pancreatitis (more on this soon), and it’s an inexpensive, low-calorie treat.
- A dab of peanut butter—Please make sure that xylitol is not on the ingredient list! It has become a common sweetener in peanut butter, but xylitol is highly toxic to dogs. Also, I prefer “chunky” peanut butter because it’s easier to disguise the texture of a pill among the chunks.
- Plain yogurt or plain greek yogurt—But please keep in mind that yogurt can cause GI upset in dogs who don’t handle lactose well. Plus, it is important to know that giving antibiotics with calcium-rich foods is a “no no” as it may make the antibiotics less effective.
- A cube of cooked boneless chicken breast or sliced turkey (NOT deli turkey or deli chicken as they are too high in sodium).
- Liverwurst—A small amount will do as it is very rich.
- Hot dog pieces—Always cut hot dog discs into halves or quarters to reduce the chances of your dog choking.
- Greenies Pill Pockets®(or similar products)—This brilliant invention is a chewy dog treat with a hole inside for the pill or capsule. You insert the medication into the pocket, and then press the malleable treat around the pill to hide the evidence. Dogs generally love them! The downside is that they are not cheap, nor something you would normally have handy in your kitchen. Pill Pockets are sold through veterinarians and pet supply stores.
Above all do no harm.
The reason I left cheese, cream cheese, and ice cream off my “recommended” list is because I don’t want to take the risk of triggering pancreatitis through rich foods. Pancreatitis in dogs is a painful, serious inflammatory condition of the pancreas which can be caused by a dog eating high-fat foods.
If you have a pancreatitis-prone pup, you should also be cautious about using peanut butter or meat (turkey, chicken, hot dogs, or liverwurst) when trying to figure out how to give a dog a pill. These foods can also be higher in fat. They are less of a concern in my mind than cheese, cream cheese, and ice cream, but it is still important to be judicious about which dogs you give them to.
Additionally, when picking a food to put your dog’s pills in, keep your dog’s medical conditions in mind. Higher sodium foods can be problematic for dogs with kidney disease in dogs or heart disease in dogs. And dogs who are on prescription diets (for allergies or other conditions) may be better served to take their pills in a small amount of the canned version of their prescription diet. That way you know that the food you are hiding pills in meets your dog’s specific dietary aims.
If you are trying to figure out if a food or treat is right for your dog, check out my post on the 11 best foods to hide dog pills in. And also talk to your veterinarian! He or she has the ultimate say in which foods are, or are not, safe or appropriate for your dog.
2. How to get your dog to take a pill using “the bait and switch” method
For dogs who are tempted by “The Bribe,” but too smart for their own good, I employ “The Bait and Switch” method of getting dogs to take pills. This technique becomes second nature to most veterinarians who have learned the hard way—after scraping saliva-covered, mostly dissolved pills off the floor after a dog has spit them out—that it’s very important to have success on the first try.
Trust me, round two is ten times harder than round one, because of the state of the pill and the heightened state of the dog’s radar.
So unless I know the dog will basically eat anything, I always administer pills in this fashion:
1. Hide the pill in food or treats
2. Wash hands. (Yes, seriously. It’s amazing how you can ruin the whole process by having the smell of medication on your hands. Remember, a dog’s sense of smell is 10,000 times better than yours.)
3. Get two more of the same treats used to hide the pill in. For example, if I’m using hot dog pieces, when I’m ready to give the pill, I approach the dog with three hot dog pieces—and an innocent look.
4. Give the first treat without a pill in it. THE BAIT!
5. Give the second treat with the pill in it. THE SWITCH!
6. Give the third treat without a pill in it. THE HAPPY ENDING!
3. How to get your dog to take a pill using the “trick and treat” method
Occasionally, we have to up the ante. The “Bait and Switch” may have run its course and your dog has become wise to your antics, or your dog never fell for it in the first place. To have success giving medicine to these dogs, we must employ mind games.
- I do not recommend letting these astute dogs see you preparing the medication prior to administration. You will have to put the pills in the treats while your dog is occupied elsewhere. Do not let your dog see the medication bottle or hear it being handled. Remember the advantage of the element of surprise!
- Wash your hands after working with the pills. This step is critical.
- The Goal: Make your dog feel that the treat is an earned reward or special treat and there is nothing to be suspicious about. There are a few ways to do this:
- Have your dog perform a trick or two, for which he typically earns a treat. We’ve now put him in the mindset to expect/ask for a medication-laced treat. Give the spiked treats (ideally in the “Bait and Switch” sequence) as his reward.
- It’s key for the dog to swallow the treat rapidly, without taking time to chew. If your dog bites into the pill, certain medications like tramadol for dogs and metronidazole are so bitter tasting that your dog might even foam at the mouth. To avoid this, you can toss the treats to the dog and have him catch them. Speak to your dog in a happy, excited voice and build anticipation for the treats you are about to toss, so that he eagerly snaps them up and looks for more.
- Just like us, dogs are tempted by the forbidden. Feeding your dog his disguised medication off of a fork or spoon, or off of your own plate (strategically placed on the floor immediately after a meal) can yield uncanny success.
- Have your dog perform a trick or two, for which he typically earns a treat. We’ve now put him in the mindset to expect/ask for a medication-laced treat. Give the spiked treats (ideally in the “Bait and Switch” sequence) as his reward.
- Let’s face it. Dogs read us like an open book. If you approach getting your dog to take a pill with a guilty look or even feeling guilty, your dog will be suspicious. Project confidence, joy, and fun in the “pilling” process and your dog will be more likely to be cooperative.
4. How to get your dog to take a pill using the “JAWS” method
Disclaimer—Do not attempt this technique if you cannot utter these words with confidence: “Under no circumstances would my dog attempt to bite me.”
The technique I used on my dog was the “Jaws” method. It is a good option when the prescription label says not to give the medication with food or when your dog has become wise to the first three methods. Here’s the technique:
- I grasped the upper jaw just behind the canine teeth (the big fang teeth) with my thumb and first two fingers on either side, while my hand rested on the top of his nose.
- I did the same for the lower jaw just behind the lower canine teeth.
- Once I had my fingers safely in place, I gently (but firmly) pulled the jaws open. (My dog is a Pit Bull mix with exceptionally strong jaws, so this took some coaxing.)
- As soon as the jaws were open two to three inches wide, I took the pill between my pointer finger and thumb in my dominant hand and swiftly pushed it down the tongue until I deposited it at the very base (back) of the tongue. In fact, I pushed it over a decisive edge, down the hatch.
- As I pulled out my hand, I felt my dog swallowing a pill. He then licked his lips. At that point, I knew the mission had been successful.
Bonus Tips
The most common mistake people make in this technique is putting the pill ON the tongue. Unless the pill is very pleasantly flavored, the typical dog is going to spit out the pill. Success depends upon getting the pill as deep as possible in the throat as quickly as possible.
If it is challenging to get the pill in the right spot with your fingers, using a pet piller might help. This device looks like a straw with a plunger and allows you to get the pill further back in your dog’s throat.
Also, because certain pills can cause damage to the esophagus if left to sit in the throat, I always follow the “Jaws” technique with either administration of a few treats or syringing some water into the dog’s mouth.
5. Your dog still won’t take pills? Enlist an accomplice—the pharmacist
If all else fails and your dog will not take pills, while you’re at the vet, ask about getting your dog’s medication compounded and flavored. Specialty pharmacies (not the kind at grocery stores and big box stores) can pulverize your dog’s medication, mix it with a potent flavoring, and provide it to you in liquid form, which you can give orally via syringe or add to your dog’s food.
And you can have a say in that flavoring. Does your dog LOVE the smell of bacon? Mention it to your vet. There are several flavoring options, so you should stack the odds in your favor by expressing your dog’s preference if you know it.
Do not crush tablets or open capsules yourself unless directed by a vet
If you’re considering skipping the compounding pharmacy and crushing your dog’s pills or opening the capsules to add to food yourself, I want to stop you right there. Don’t do it.
The pharmacist who compounds your dog’s medication into a flavored liquid knows how to do so in a way that allows the medication to remain safe and effective. But crushing tablets or opening capsules at home can over or under dose your dog, make the medication less effective, and/or expose you to the medication.
So unless your vet expressly gives you the ok, you need to keep the tablets and capsules intact when giving them to your dog.
You + Your Dog+ Pills = Success
I hope that these five tips have given you the tools you need to confidently and successfully figure out how to give a dog a pill. But if you are still having trouble, please don’t hesitate to reach out to your vet. He or she is there to help! In the end, when your dog gets the medication he or she needs, everyone wins!
Do you have a tip on how to get your dog to take a pill?
Please comment below! May we always learn from each other!
Looking for more practical ways to help your dog live the happiest, healthiest life possible?
With 25+ years of experience helping my veterinary clients tackle everything from giving a dog a pill to keeping an aging dog’s mind fit, I’m passionate about helping you help your dog have the happiest life possible. Please check out these additional resources:
Is My Dog Too Old for Anesthesia?
Dr. Buzby’s Nail Trimming Without Fear: online, step-by-step video course with reference guides for confident at-home nail trims.
Why Non-Slip Grips Instead of Traction Socks or Booties
Are Antlers Good for Dogs To Chew On? Please “CHEWS” No
First published March 7, 2016
©Julie Buzby, DVM. All rights reserved.
We use empty size 00 pill capsules to disguise the smell of meds and have the bonus of helping to avoid upset stomachs caused by meds like antibiotics as they dissolve mostly in the gastrointestinal tract. We slip them in using tweezers after washing our hands once the pills are cut in half to fit so there is no smell of the meds. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07X81G9FC/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_1?smid=A25K1L8B8B64B4&psc=1
Hi Deirdre,
This is such great advice! Thank you for sharing!
Nothing works! Our beagle contracted giardia. She absolutely refuses to take the meds that are vital to her recovery. Camouflaging the pills and power in something she likes doesn’t work. Cramming them into her mouth doesn’t work because she refuses to swallow. As soon as we release her jaws, she immediately spits it out or vomits it out. Agggghhhhh!
Hi Cory,
I am so sorry your Beagle is giving you such a hard time taking her medication. Please reach out to your vet and make them aware of this issue! The medication normally used for giardia has a liquid form and this may work better for your pup. Hoping for quick answers and an easy solution. Best wishes to you and your girl.
Thank you for this blog! Our 14 yr young pit bull mix, Simone, is in the too-smart category and can deconstruct any pill device, expelling pill and its carrier into bits on the floor. The ONLY thing that has worked is combining all your advice: a marshmallow I prepped with the pill in another room, with a dab of peanut butter, served up with several “blanks” that I pretend are all mine. lol
Hi Lisa,
This made me laugh so hard! Great job in finally figuring out how to outsmart your pup. Thanks for sharing your experience with us. Give your sweet girl a hug for me and keep up the good work!
This thread is great and keeps on going for years! I thought I was a genius with my kind of “bait and switch” 🙂 Tonight we got new pills that are huge so I’m not sure it will work tomorrow. My dog takes a daily medication. If he even hears the peanut butter come out, he is sitting next to me and drooling. If he can taste a pill or feel the pill in his ‘treat,’ it will be spit out for sure, and he has the hound nose so he smells everything coming. I rip off a small piece of bread and coat it with peanut butter (no xylitol). I put the pill in the middle and fold the bread (it’s usually a mess at this point). I then put peanut butter on my index finger so once I hand him the bread/pill/PB ‘treat,’ he gulps it right down b/c he wants that blob of PB on my finger. I have my finger right there waiting so he takes no time investigating the bread. I’ve had two pills before, used two small pieces of PB bread, and as long as I have the next piece with PB right there waiting, he will gulp down what he can to get to the next piece/blob on the finger :). It’s all about the timing for this guy.
Hi Maria,
This is amazing! I’m so glad you have found a trick that works for your smart boy. Thank you for sharing and keep up the good work!
My 14-year-old Japanese Chin has recently started rejecting her “pill cookies,” and I’m just at a loss. She takes 4 pills in the morning and 3 in the evening. She used to take them with a marshmallow, and then she moved to a small bite of cheese. She took them for the past year or two with peanut butter on top of a small dog treat. It was the highlight of her day! Now she just wants the treat and spits out the pill. I’ve tried hot dogs, lunch meat, egg, different dog treats… nothing works. Her face is so small and flat, it’s very difficult to pry her jaw open. She took her pills with bean dip yesterday, but I looked more into that and it looks like that’s not really a safe option. I know compounded liquid medication also wouldn’t work for her, because it would require sticking the syringe in her mouth. (I had to do this with my senior Pekingese a few years ago, and as difficult as it was for her to take I know my Chin will fight it more.) Do you have any other ideas on different foods to try?
Hi Chelsi,
I am sorry you are having such a hard time getting your girl to take her medications. I know I have read comments left by other readers where they mentioned ideas on foods to use for this type of situation. I can’t remember them off the top of my head. I think one said something about liver or chicken hearts? My best advice is to read through the comments section and see if you come across something you’d like to try. Also, please make sure your vet is aware of this problem. Even if they can’t offer an alternative, it will help them make better choices in the future should your girl need to start a new medication. Wishing you the best of luck. Take care and keep up the good work.
Some dogs love competition or to feel like the got the better of you. My daughter works with working dogs, and one won’t take her pills unless she san “steal” them out of the treat bag. I have a sweet 13.5 yo lab mix on many heart meds twice a day. When her appetite is good (she’s on Entyce as well since she has kidney issues), she will eat her pills in pill pockets or with some deli meat, but what really works is when she thinks my other dogs may be getting the “treats” instead.
Hi Meg,
This is such great advice! I can just imagine how proud your girl must be when she thinks she’s gotten the best of you and steals her “treat”. Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Give your pup a hug for me and keep up the good work!
these suggestions are fine if your dog will eat but if they are feeling sick they won’t take anything. yes, if your dog is big enough and the pill/capsule is reasonably smallyou can do the jaws method but if your dog is 5 pounds with a tiny jaw, that doesn’t work. I have always found this a challenge when my dog’s stomach is bad and I am trying to get some pumpkin into her. .
also some meds don’t come in liquid form. I always try fir liquid form at the vet first.
Hi Dee,
I am sorry you are having so much trouble getting medications or pumpkin into your pup. You are correct, there is no one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to veterinary medicine. Sometimes there will be struggles and that’s just the way life is. The solutions recommended in the article are good for most cases. And the hope is if we can help even one owner feel more empowered when it comes to their dog’s health then we have succeeded. your girl is lucky to have you taking such good care of her. Wishing you both the best and keep up the good work!
Hi Dr. Buzby, my sweet , almost 13yr old, girl (Oaklea – choc lab mix) has has bladder stones , surgery to remove stones, and now has a post surgical bladder infection.. It’s a nasty bug requiring a big gun antibiotic, chloramphenicol. This drug is very toxic to humans via touch , inhalation of airborn powders/or taken orally. I am totally petrified to handle the drug even with gloves and mask, not to mention, Oaklea is very difficult when it comes to taking meds.
Do you have any advice or other options for such a toxic med that would help me?
Hi JLO,
I understand your concern and am glad you are taking these precautions. As long as you are wearing your protective gear, you should be able to try some of the tips mentioned in the article (bribe, bait and switch, trick and treat, etc.). Are there things you have tried that just don’t seem to be working? It is hard to know how to offer specific guidance. Hoping you can get things figured out quickly and praying for a complete recovery for Oaklea.
My sister Rottweiler will not take her pills. She doesn’t like peanut butter if she knows the food you put it in. She won’t take it again and my sister can’t get her jaws open to get in her mouth. She’s a loss and very frustrated.!
Hi Tracy Lynn,
I commend you for trying to help your sister and searching for advice. I am sorry her pup is giving her trouble and putting up a fight about taking pills. I encourage you to read through the comments left by other readers. There are many great tips and tricks shared and wonderful advice in the comments section. Also, please have your sister talk to her vet about this issue. There may be a liquid form of the medication or an alternative that can be tried. Wishing you all the best and keep up the good work!
Agreed. My dog is 5lbs and doesn’t have teeth so sadly none of these options work. I’m still searching …
I have a 116 lb 7-year-old German Shepherd who refuses to take her capsule pills. She is on a 3-week regimen. I have tried hiding them in chicken cubes, steak cubes, peanut butter, ice cream, whipped cream, soft cheese, cream cheese, liverwurst, pill pockets, etc… We are good for about four pills, and then she realizes what we are doing and stops taking them. I tried the jaw method also; it was very traumatic for both of us and on the last attempt, she bit me, not on purpose. I asked the vet what else I could try, but he reiterated all the methods I had already tried. I don’t want to make my dog afraid of me or become her enemy. I need help!
Hi Patty,
I feel for you! It can be so hard to get some dogs to take their pills, especially when they need to take multiple pills a day for a long time. It sounds like you have already tried many of the foods I normally suggest, but it is possible that you might find a few more ideas by skimming through the comments on this post. Otherwise, I’m wondering if it would be worth talking to your vet about getting the medication compounded into a chewable pill or a liquid. It would probably be a lot of liquid for a German Shepherd, but maybe it is worth a try? Also, you may have already tried it, but some people also have luck with alternating plain treats with the ones that have the pill in them and tossing them to your dog in rapid succession so they eat them quickly without thinking about it. (for example, chicken, chicken, chicken + pill, chicken, chicken). Oh and ensure you wash your hand between stuffing the “pill hider” and offering anything to your dog. Otherwise that smell might transfer to the other treats or tip your dog off that pills are coming.
I hope you find something that works!
pills a bug problem. Pharmacist compounded the pill. Spits out the red fluid med
Hi Karen,
I am sorry you are having issues getting your pup to take their medications. Please make sure your vet is aware of this problem. Also, I encourage you to read through the comments section as there are many great tips and tricks offered by our readers. Hoping you can find a quick fix and wishing you all the best.
So easy!. I cut a two inch –inch and half off a hot dog stuck a knife in the center–stuck the pill in there–she gobbled it up like it was nothing because it was all hidden. Did it again with the other pill–worked like magic!
My Shiloh Shepherd, 11.5 years old, has IBD, and recently was diagnosed with perianal fistulas (PF). She also has neurological loss going on. she was on Atopica and a slew of other meds for the fistulas. This girl has always had a picky appetite. I’ve been lucky in that even with IBD, I could sneak her a few regular dog treats although she does love her Hypo treats best anyway. She also handles a very few pieces of her Cocker Spaniel sister’s kibble to tickle the appetite and get her started eating. Now with PF, and age, her interest in eating her prescription food came to a halt. We had to take her off all meds except Gabapentin to get her back to eating.even minimal meals, with two prescription foods being rotated to get her to eat again.. So far she has remained in remission, thankfully.. For the meds, I went thru the gamut of Pill Pockets, marshmallows, cheese cube, etc. wary of anything upsetting the PA or IBD. I finally discovered that she would take the Gabapentin capsule in half a not quite hard boiled egg.. I bait with a slice of the end if I can. If that is rejected, I sacrifice some yolk from the other half to “prime the pump” then usually she will then take the chunk of yolk and white with the pill inside, followed by another slice of white or a treat.. If I didn’t have to use the other half, I wrap it and refrigerate it for the next use.. Every day I expect failure of this lone working method either by rejection or by the egg causing trouble with the IBD or PF. So far so good.
Hi Linda,
This is such a great idea! I am glad you have found something that works for your Shepherd (at least for now). Thank you for sharing this bit of advice. Best wishes to you and your senior girl.
Hi there! I am looking for ideas on how to give a dog meds without food. She won’t chew them herself. Any thoughts? Thank you!🙏
Hi Luscious,
Some medications can be dissolved in water and administered with an oral syringe. You would need to talk to your vet to find out if your dog’s medications are compatible. Is there a specific reason your pup can’t have food with her pills? Just trying to understand the whole situation so I can figure out how to the best way to help!
hi just like yourself trying to get my dogs to take their tablets is a complete nightmare. tonight I tried a completely different way. I covered my fingers in some malt yeast (marmite) I wouldn’t give it to them normally they loved it, then rubbed it over the tablet then put it between a piece of chicken and threw it up as giving them a treat for good behaviour, it worked what a stressless way to get them to take it. yeah ha
Hi LC,
Thanks for sharing your experience and advice!
Hi Oliviae is a 1 year old G. Shepherd husky mix and I have to use the jaws method on her otherwise she can tell no matter WHAT I do. The problem is that even though I’m VERY VERY GENTLE and I give her high value treats after; she becomes…susupious or fearful of ANYTHING I give her for weeks afterwards. When it’s feeding time she will go and sniff the food and then go and hide in fear! She is a very brave dog and very confident (she doesn’t even act like this when it’s bath time!) so its a bit out of character for her. If my husband feeds her it’s fine and she eats just fine even if she watched me make it! Right now I solve the problem by having a play date with her greedy brother and her need to be the QB usually overrides her hard head but I’m moderately concerned since it appears to be a behavior thing. Thanks
Ps I’ve never put her flea tick chew or meds in her food. I tried putting it in yougurt broken up but she would not go near it.
Hi Conrad,
Both breeds you mentioned that make up your pup are very intelligent and can be hard to outsmart! It is not surprising you have had to go to great lengths to get medications in your girl. If yogurt is the only food you have attempted to hide pills in, I would recommend trying again with something different. Try something that has a strong smell that will help to hide the medication better. Many readers have commented saying they have great luck with liver products. If getting your dog to take her pills continues to be a problem, please make sure to discuss these concerns with your vet. There could be alternatives that would be more appealing to your picky pup! Best wishes and good luck!
Hi! I am looking for a little advice for how not to let the pills get into the dogs cheeks, etc. My 10 year old pup has pneumonia 😢 and is on two antibiotics. He is a 26 lb mixed breed, (probably Lhasa apso/shit zhu/terrier). Since he is sick, his appetite is not good and i don’t want to stress him too much. But i have tried everything treat and food wise, but after the first couple days, he won’t eat anything these pills are in. He has to take Enrofloxacin flavortabs (136 mg) which are huge and Amoxi-Clav (125 mg). Since the Enrofloxacin is big, I break it into 4 normal sized pieces, then the other pill he gets 1.5 tablets, so I end up having to ‘pill him’ six times! After nothing was working (peanut butter, pill pockets, American cheese, mixing them into several different kinds of foods) I am forced to just put them down his throat unfortunately. the problem is that he swallows and seems to have taken it but when I let go of his mouth he flicks his tongue a few times and out pops the soggy pill – again and again! what am I doing wrong?
Hi Jillian,
I understand your frustration with getting these pills into your dog. Trust me when I say you are not doing anything wrong! Have you talked to your vet about this issue? The reason I ask is I am fairly certain that both of those medications are available in a liquid form. The liquid may cost a bit more depending on how much would be needed to reach the same dosage as the pills. But the ease of administration may outweigh the extra cost. Please let your vet know how stressful this has become for you. I am certain they can help make this a smoother process.
Hello, I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your article. We have been having a terrible time getting our girl an 8 month old Belgian Malinois to take meds because she chews lol. We had a beautiful boxer who would just swallow whatever we gave her, our 15 year old pug is the same. Ugh but little Bear is ridiculous! We are going to try your methods including the one thing we didn’t realize we were not doing which was wash your hands well. Thank you so much for your article!
Hi Nilda,
I am glad you found some tips and ideas for new things to try. I hope the hand washing will help as well. Thank you for the positive feedback! Good luck!
Maggie is unlike any kind I have ever seen and I am a dog person so I’ve been around them all my life and I’m 50. I’ve rescued dogs, Fostered dogs and dog sat more times than I can count & I have never seen a dog like her ! SHE’S a rescue dog and adorable with the cutest puppy dog eyes ever!! But… she does not like the same things that most dogs would fall all over themselves to get to and devour! She doesn’t like peanut butter 😱🫣🤔!! and that was almost unbelievable to me because she’s the first one I’ve ever come across that didn’t! She doesnt like the most expensive dog food & dog treats , she doesn’t even like the cheapest or the stuff that comes right in the middle I’ve tried them all! I tried hot dogs, bacon, hamburger meat, chicken and fish you name it I’ve tried it she’s a smooth hair dachshund with the most Keen sense of smell of any animal I’ve ever seen I swear she could rival a bear! So no matter what I do to it whether it be break it up, hide it, pulverize it or disguise it in the most ingenious way she always can smell it and if it’s something that I’ve pulverized it into she can smell it and won’t even touch it and I’ve tried to stand off with her to see how long she could go without her food hoping she would eventually eat the food with the medication in it but to no avail.. She is very hard headed and battle ready and she can hold her own and go toe to toe with me any day and I’m a tough cookie lol so I’m still looking for help here because she has really bad anxiety & separation anxiety to where I can’t go anywhere or do anything even if it’s to walk out the front door without her or take a shower She starts freaking out and the minute the door shuts anything she can reach she will destroy😢 I’ve tried putting her in a cage and putting a cover over it she even gets all the covers into the cage and tears them apart I’ve tried everything trust me I even have to sleep in the same room with her because if I go to my room and go to sleep and leave her in her bed in the living room well she gets mad and makes me pay other than that she’s a very good dog, very loving and protective and loves me more than anything but she wants her way at all costs so any help I would appreciate cuz I have the most stubborn hard headed dog in the whole wide world I’m sure 😵💫
Hi Ginger,
I am sorry Maggie is giving you such a hard time with her medications. I am not sure I have any other great advice other than what was already mentioned in the article and in comments with other readers. If you have not read through the comments section, I highly recommend it! One of my own dogs could be this way from time to time and I ended up having to open his mouth and just pop the pill in. I would close his mouth and hold it gently closed with my hand and then lightly blow on his face. This would cause him to swallow. I have also had to use a dropper and put a drop of water on his nose to make him lick and swallow or place a couple drops of water into his mouth to initiate swallowing as well. I hope you can find the best way to help your girl comply with her much needed medications. Don’t give up, you are doing great!
I’ve tried everything. Yesterday she and I sat eating peanut butter on crackers. This morning I put the pills in peanut butter, a pretty big amount. She keeps sniffing and walking away. I’ve tried to open her mouth, try to see if I could slip them in the side of her mouth. She keeps her teeth so well clamped I can’t open. She’s an 8 year old Amstaff mix, weighs about 70 pounds. She will sniff each piece before taking it. The other day I tried a hot dog slice, nothing in it. She sniffed it and turned her head, I’m just happy I’m not alone.
Hi Janet,
I am sorry your girl is getting the best of you with this tricky medication situation. What pills is she taking? Please make sure your vet is aware of your struggle. There could be other options that would make this much easier for both of you. Don’t give up and you are definitely not alone in this. Wishing you the best of luck!
I feel your pain with the medication. I have a treeing walker he is a rescue he can smell the medication in anything and won’t touch it .he’ll eat the same cover food with out the medication 🤷
So what I do for my pupperuni is I mix her supplements into a ball of crunchy peanut butter that has been coated in crushed milkbone treats. The pb is mixed with the treat crumbs to make a sort of dough, and the pill is shoved into it. Then I add more peanut buteter, maybe a cucumber slice or two if she’s been a goodest girl, and then wrap it all up and form it round the pill. I then do the get her all excited and she snaps it out of the air trick.
I have two shi tzus. The male is 7 years old and about a year ago he suddenly developed food allergies which caused constant itching and diarrhea. I pulled him off the food he was on and started him on boiled chicken and rice. It worked for a couple months and then it all started again. Then I put him on Hills Science Diet sensitive skin and stomach. That worked up until a month ago. I took him to the vet and was told he was allergic to that. I gave him the steroids the vet gave me, the special shampoo and Benadryl but nothing is helping. I don’t know what to feed this poor dog. I’m constantly cleaning carpet, floors and bathing him. I’m not working right now because I’m a caregiver for my mom. I can’t afford to run to the vet constantly. The only way I’ve ever been able get my dogs to take pills is wrap them in cheese.. They’ve never had a problem with it until now. My other dog is 13 and I did this two days ago with her flea pill. Now I’m terrified she’s constipated. She rarely drinks water and is so picky with food that she will literally go without eating until she starts throwing up stomach bile. I’m desperate to get them back on track and I’ve tried everything I’ve been told to do. I can sometimes crush the pills and put on wet food, but I’ve taken them off of it all together and now they’re on dry food only per vet advice. I’m trying everything I know to help them feel better. I also need to get this situation under control because I don’t have the time, energy or the stomach to keep cleaning up all these messes. Any advice will be greatly appreciated!!!! If I can’t get this under control I’m worried that I may have to surrender them…….and that’s the last thing I want to happen.
Hi Teddi,
I understand your concern with trying to manage two dogs with health issues while being the primary caregiver for your mother. I can only imagine the level of stress you are under on a daily basis. Forgive me for being a little vague with my recommendations, but I am afraid I am not exactly clear on all the details of your dogs’ problems. The messes you are cleaning up…are these all from vomiting? Since I haven’t examined your dogs myself, it is hard to make specific conclusions. I would not think that frequent vomiting would be a side effect of picky eating and am worried there is something else causing the inappetence. Also, if your other pup has food allergies then you could ask your vet about trying a prescription allergy food (not just sensitive stomach). Most allergy diets have a canned food option that may be more appealing to your dog and allow you to continue to hide the pills. I know you are limited with your time and constant vet visits are taxing. Hopefully you can get some testing done on your 13-year-old girl and find how to best control her GI issues and get your younger guy on a food that doesn’t aggravate his allergies. Most of the time and money is spent in the early stages of testing and making a diagnosis. Then you should be able to just maintain, and it will get easier. Also, there may be a shih tzu rescue in your area that could help with transportation to vet visits and such. Don’t hesitate to reach out for help. Your quality of life matters too! Here is a link to another article with more information on allergy treatment options: Allergy Medicine for Dogs: 9 Solutions to Calm Your Dog’s Itch
Praying for your strength during this trying time. Bless you. ♥
Dr. Buzby…I have a couple of questions…When we all put the pills into some form of food and it is taken by our pets…Does this have any affects on the strength of the medication itself?
Are the meds still going to help the way they should even though they are disguised in food?
I ask this because my dog is on two different forms of a cough medication. xrays were done and ultra sound as well. There is nothing that shows up on either to say why she has this cough until she gags. We had been told trachea collapse but the vet says her trachea looks fine. The Hydrocodone is given only when really severe coughing times take place…the other cough tablet as well. We alternate, but that is why I wondered if the food covers the medication strength. It almost seems as though it is not strong enough for her. She is also on Vetmedin and takes that no problem. I hand it to her and watch her as she chews it up and swallows it. I see how the Vetmedin works on her, but the other pills hidden in food do not seem to to work as genuinely.
thank you for your time.
Maggie
Hi Maggie,
This is a very good question! In general, hiding pills in food does not decrease their effectiveness. There are some medications that work best on an empty stomach, but your vet will usually give you specific instructions for these situations. Some medications need to be given with a meal because it helps them work better. There are several oral flea products currently on the market that fall into this category. The medication binds to proteins in the food and this helps increase its effectiveness. Also, there can be interactions between drugs that, if given together, can cause one or both medications to not work well. I would suspect your pup is probably just not very responsive to the cough medications and that the food is not playing a role in their lack of effectiveness. But as always, please be sure to discuss these concerns with your vet!
Hello.
My 14 yr old boston developed food allergies as well, tried the Hills Science Biome diet together with Budesimide, which worked for a short while, however, bloody stools and Diahhrea came back, so, Tylosin, which is a compounded med for dogs, is the last resort and worked almost over night. Hope this helps as the situation is draining. We’ve been on this track for over a year and it was interrupting our lives not in a good way. Ask your vet about Tylosin. Seems the only thing that works 100%.
We have a shih tzu who is allergic to chicken. Almost EVERYTHING you buy for pets has chicken in it. I suggest you read the ingredients list very carefully (I’ve seen a packet of “Beef Chews” which has chicken or chicken flavour added, etc). We now feed him pure crocodile, hemp and veges or wild boar (specific low allergy foods available here in Perth, Western Australia and he has no adverse reactions anymore. Sometimes we’ll add a bit of raw beef or sardines (in Brine / water…not oil) as a treat.
Be wary of chicken. Try to find foods without ANY chicken and see if your pooch does better…..
Hi Teddi – Maybe you’ve solved your dog’s issues by now but I wanted to mention that my rescue dog appeared to be allergic to all animal proteins but did very well on Purina HA hydrolyzed diet with chicken flavor. Hills never worked for her even though it was also supposed to be hydrolyzed. My vet humored me by prescribing the Purina since according to him food allergies in dogs were rare. Hah! Her completely liquid stools turned solid on HA and itching/scratching was almost nil. She received no treats whatsoever except extra Purina HA kibble. She wouldn’t eat the canned version.
Hi Michelle,
Thanks so much for sharing your dog’s story! I’m happy to hear that the Purina HA worked well for her and I hope it continues to be a great solution for her itching and diarrhea.
My dog goes to work with me and I decided to not make a big deal of it and lay his chewable pill on the floor without him seeing. It worked!!! I guess he thought he was getting something he wasn’t supposed to have.
Hi Patti,
This is genius! I am sure this will help other readers too. Thank you for sharing!
Mealtime includes liverwurst balls with dog food in the dog bowl, sandwich bag of cooked ground turkey from fridge in my hand. I toss pea sized turkey pieces in and around the dog and food bowl, distracting my 12 year old from the dreaded pill. It may sound like too much protein but we understand moderation.
Hi Trisha,
It sounds like you have one lucky pup. I am glad you have found the trick that works best for you. Thank you for sharing your experience with our readers!
I’ve been reading everyone’s suggestions, unfortunately the reason my two pugs are on antibiotics is because they both have diarrhea and vomiting. They’re on a bland diet so I can’t really give them a McDonald’s burger. I boiled chicken breasts and ground beef, the male ate up but the female turns her head at everything, she’s been a struggle to feed in general. I’ve tried everything, at first I could fool the male but he caught on by chewing his food, he NEVER chews his food until there’s a pill in it. I don’t know what else to do. The meds require they take with food but the female isn’t even taking anything at all (except for treats) which has been an issue with her that she only wants treats. I blame my husband for that. Anyhow, I’m at a loss. Morning and evening it’s a battle. I’m so tired, they’ve kept us up for a week, multiple trips to the vet, the male got sick first, took meds didn’t improve and had to take him back and then the female got sick. I’ve spent over 3,000$$ at this point. On top of having to clean a lot of poop and vomite, throw out a brand new rug and two new dog beds, clean and disinfect my car because of all the diarrhea stuck to their butts, stand at the door with toilet paper to wipe them and all for them to turn their nose up at us and not take their meds.
Hi Saoirse,
I am sorry you are having so much trouble medicating your two Pugs. I can only imagine the stress you are under with all you have endured over the past week. What were your pups diagnosed with? It worries me a bit that they have been treated for a week and are still having vomiting and diarrhea. It might be a good idea to seek some additional testing. Make sure your vet knows about the difficulty you are having giving the medication they prescribed. There may be an injectable antibiotic your vet could administer so you don’t have to give pills at home. You could also ask about a liquid option. Your vet should have access to a veterinary prescription diet that is bland and made specifically for dogs dealing with GI upset. You could try the canned formula and see if they would take their meds in small “meat balls”. Don’t be afraid to discuss any concerns or lingering issues with your vet. And if need be, you can schedule a consult with a veterinary internal medicine specialist. I hope things start to resolve soon and you can get some peace and rest. Bless you.
a Liquid antibiotic is probably available, & could be given by syringe. Be sure someone is holding the head in place so they don’t turn their head while getting their squirt making you miss their mouth.. Good Luck!
Hello Dr. Buzby, I applaud the time you spend and the sensitivity you show to all of your readers here. Our little Pomeranian / Chihuahua mix is 16 years old now has virtually no teeth left (removed a year ago due to decay), but his worst issue is tracheal collapse. He has also developed a murmur with some mild enlargement of the heart. He has been amazingly reluctant to take pills (Hycodan, Vetmedin Theophylline). He finds the little fragments in everything. We purchased these special gel caps where we break up the pills and stick them into the caps. In theory these were supposed to mask their odor and taste. But he FINDS them and leaves them on the plate while the rest of the food is gone.
THIS BRINGS ME TO MY QUESTION: Is there a danger, when using a liquid compounded version of these drugs in a syringe, that our little guy will have some laryngospasm when squirting the aliquot of liquid into the back of his throat ? Once he starts into a coughing cycle it is tough on him and takes an hour to recover. I don’t want to induce suffocation while trying to insert the liquid dose.
Thanks and keep up the helpful work.
Gary
Hi Gary,
I understand your concern for your little guy and think it is great you are reaching out for advice. While I cannot promise your boy won’t have an issue while administering liquid medications, I can say that I think the risk is very low. Most liquids that are compounded specifically for dogs have a flavor that is appealing (or at least not very bitter) so it shouldn’t cause too much stress. And just to be super cautious, I would recommend squirting the medication into his mouth/cheek area to try and avoid the liquid directly hitting the back of his throat. I know you will be worried until you see how your boy handles this new form of medication, but I am hopeful this will be a good solution to your troubles. Wishing you all the best and feel free to leave an update if you have a chance!
I also have a pomeranian with collapsing tracheae. The vet gave Hycodan and it works very well. My guy is very smart and knows, no matter what I try to hide it in, wash my hands, do it with him outside so he doesn’t see or hear what I’m doing. I can’t fool him. He’s also very sketchy about almost anything. There is no way I could try to put a pill in his mouth, he will bite. Any other suggestions? I feel so bad when he gets to coughing, I just want to help him.
Hi Debbie,
I am sorry you are having such a tough time getting your pup to take his medication. When pills prove to be too difficult to administer, I usually suggest talking to your vet about getting the medication compounded into a liquid. But with your boy trying to bite, giving an oral liquid may not be possible either. Unfortunately, when there are behavioral issues or aggression, it doesn’t leave many options. Please make sure your vet is aware of this problem with giving pills. They may have to research injectable medications and have you bring him in for treatment in the clinic.
Hi your advice is the best advice I have ever seen in my experience with my dog sausages are by far the best pill packets and cheaper they work a treat on benji I think you are fantastic !
Hi Karan,
Thank you for the kind words about the article! I am glad you have found something that works for pup. Just be careful with things that have a high fat content (like sausages) as those foods are at a higher risk of causing issues like pancreatitis. Best wishes to you and Benji!
Thanks for the great article, I was having such a hard time getting pills into my dog and when I did he would throw them back up. He had TPLO surgery on his knee and needed the pain medication. I wasn’t told the Tramadol was bitter and was giving it to him first, (3 x 50mg) so of course he wouldn’t take his other pain meds or his antibiotics … from some of the great comments here I changed a few things, first I do not handle the Tramadol (as it leaves a strong scent on your hands) I use Tweezers … I got some liver and boiled it (for 1/2 hr) and cut it into small pieces and mold it around all his pills. I give him a small piece of liver with no pill then I give him the pills coated in liver. Works like a charm!! I also use some wet dog food in my hand to let him have between the liver wrapped pills … hopefully he won’t figure out what I’m doing as I’ve tried every other trick in the book and he’s caught on. I also don’t let him see me prepping the pills and I don’t let him hear me getting the pills out of the bottle (I’ll get all his meds ready on the counter about 2 hrs before I give them to him) Thanks again for the great article and all the comments!
Hi Heather,
Thank you so much for sharing these tips with our readers. This is pure genius! I am glad you figured out how to outsmart your pup. I hope he continues to heal and has a complete recovery. Best wishes and good luck!
Hi Heather,
Sorry for this dumb question, but what kind of liver did you boil? Going to try this technique with my boxer to see if it works.
Thank you,
Ana
I’ve tried everything I don’t care what it is can dog food pill pockets peanut butter etc he will literally hold the food in his mouth work around the treat and drop the medication to the floor,.. he sniff the treat if there’s a hint of medication he not eating mix it in wet dog food no go this dog is to smart..I once put it in birthday dog cup cake he ate the cupcake and left the medicine behind
Hi Darlina,
I am sorry your pup is giving you so much grief over his medications. Make sure you don’t touch the food you are trying to hide the pill in with the same hand you have touched the pill. Sometimes the pill can leave an odor on your fingers that you can’t smell but your dog can. So if you touch the pill and then wrap food around it, the smell of the medication can be left on the outside of the food which will change its flavor. Have you tried the tricks mentioned in the article such as the “bait and switch” or the “trick and treat”? Also, please make sure your vet is aware of these medication difficulties. They may be able to change it to a liquid form, have it flavored differently, or give an injection instead. There are many good ideas mentioned by other readers in the comments section that might be worth a try. I hope you can find a solution that works for you and your sweet boy. Wishing you the best of luck!
Hey folks! I have tried every single tip and trick offered on this post. Our dog recently had to have emergency surgery due to having pyometra and she’s on a two-week course of ABX, specifically Clavamox. She was excellent about taking it for 5 days wrapped up in turkey and ham slices but–suddenly–she wisened up and will NOT stand for it. She takes her Gabapentin and Cerenia with little issue, but not the two Clavamox pills. In the past few days, we’ve tried: peanut butter, cream cheese, chicken stock, pork fat, cheese, oatmeal-peanut butter rolls, “frozen” bites, wet food/pate, even marshmallows. She seems to eat around it and spit the pill out, which has now led to several wasted pills as well. We’ve used the bribe, bait-and-switch, trick-and-treat, and pure shoving it down her throat. She has an uncanny way of hocking it up even when it gets shoved down. Any new insight/wisdom/techniques would be appreciated from you, Dr. Buzby, and this community. Thanks in advance for the great work you do!
Hi SK,
Sorry you are struggling with a smart but stubborn pup! The only other options I can think of would be to call your vet and see if there is an alternative. Clavamox does come in a liquid form. It might be more expensive as you would need to give a rather large dose but that might be the only available option. Also, your vet may be able to give an injection instead of the oral meds (again will probably cost more). I hope you can find a good solution quickly. Best wishes and good luck!
My dog is also like this but liquid form is worse! I’m lost on what to do
Hi Ri,
I would recommend the same thing to you…please let your vet know how difficult it is to medicate your dog. They may be able to give an injection instead.
I totally agree. Worst mistake ever! The liquid Tramadol made her head spin around like in the exorcist. I put the pills in a dab of peanut butter and freeze it for a minute. I mix it in with crunchy cereal and some grape jelly or syrup – it’s the only way!!
I’ve read that grape jelly is poisonous for dogs.
Hi Anna,
Thank you for bringing this up! Grapes are toxic to dogs. The exact property that causes the toxicity is still being investigated. I am not sure how much real grape is in grape jelly. If it is artificially flavored, then it is probably not dangerous. With this in mind I usually avoid grape flavored foods for dogs just to err on the side of caution.
My dog had knee surgery & I couldn’t get the pain or antibiotic in her. I crushed them & mixed it with karo syrup. Just squirted it in her mouth with a syringe.
My dog is a boy genius when it comes to taking pills. I’ve tried everything and the only thing he will take in a mostly regular basis is if I grind the pills with a pestle and mix in pate and hand feed him whilst looking unphased 🤦♀️ I worry about him having pate daily but he needs his medication so it’s a trade off that has to be made xxx
Hi Laura,
I think that is a very clever idea and am so glad it works for your boy. I cracked up thinking about you sitting there trying to look like nothing sneaky is happening! Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
my dog will not take pills if I put it in a hot dog or anything it figures it’s in there and it digs it out it shakes his head and stuff and I try to give it filled and I just don’t know what else to do
Hi Wanda,
I am sorry your Chihuahua is giving you so much trouble with taking his pills. If you have tried all the tips and tricks mentioned in the article and in the advice from the comments section, it may be time to call your vet and seek their guidance. Best wishes to you and your little pup!
Thank you for this great article. When my dog was very sick with cancer and was really getting clever at avoiding pills even in hot-dogs, my vet said go to McDonald’s- no dog can resist a McDonald’s hamburger…she was so right. This was a real saviour for us even though the burgers aren’t healthy, she needed the meds and even a tiny three day old quarter burger would let her gobble down the meds! Phew.
Hi Erin,
I am glad the burgers worked for your girl. You are right that burgers aren’t particularly healthy and have a risk of causing GI upset or pancreatitis, but sometimes you have to weigh the risks verses the rewards! Thank you for sharing your experience with us. I hope your pup is doing well and thriving. Best wishes. ♥
I have a 75lb GSD mix who just had knee surgery. She needs to take 2 antibiotics, 4 tramadol, and a novox pill twice a day. Stuffing the Tramadol into a meatball or hotdog piece works well but the antibiotics and novox get spit out because they are larger. She has incredibly strong jaws so I’m tentative to pry open her mouth since her leg is so tender I don’t want to hurt her. And she’s nippy because she’s in pain. Any suggestions?
Hi Melissa,
I know how frustrating it can be to play the pill game every day. I am glad the Tramadol doesn’t seem to be a problem. I recommend you talk to your vet about the antibiotics and novox. There may be an antibiotic injection they could give instead or a liquid form that could be flavored for easier administration. Also, if you have tried all the suggestions in the article, you may want to read through the comments section for some of the awesome wisdom left by other readers. I hope your girl continues to heal and recover from her knee surgery. Good luck!
I got side tracked and found this page while researching pain medications for dogs. My dog just had pretty extensive surgery, and the vet gave him 4 days worth of pain meds. Just seemed like not enough to me. Anyways, I laughed while reading these, my other dog will NOT take pills. I’ve tried every method I could think of, I did not however think of getting her to do something that she’d normally be rewarded for! I’ll have to give that one a shot next time! Thank you, and wish me luck!
Hi Kori,
I am glad to hear we have given you a new tool in your toolbox for the pill battle! I hope your dog recovers quickly from his surgery. Best wishes and good luck!
Hi- Was just given a prescription for Sucralfate for my 17-year-old Maltese Shih Tzu mix. He hasn’t been feeling well lately. I thought we should try this med in case he has an ulcer. I tried using the pill and creating a paste but he won’t eat it. And he will not let me give it to him. He would bite. Is it OK to put it in a little piece of cheese? They told me to give it to him on an empty stomach but I’m finding this impossible! Do you think it will hurt if he has a tiny bit of food to go with it.? Thank you!
Hi Jenny,
I am sorry your dog is making things difficult. Ideally, you wouldn’t want to wrap the pill in cheese but this may be your only option. Sucralfate is supposed to coat the stomach and make a “barrier” to help prevent ulceration. If food is present, the effectiveness of the medication is decreased. Talk to your vet to see if making the pill into a slurry and administering it via an oral syringe or medicine dropper is an option. Your vet may also have other medications they would like to try instead of the Sucralfate. I hope you can find a solution that works for you and your senior boy. Good luck!
Hi, I enjoy the tips BUT nothing seems to work for very long for my 14 year old Chihuahua. He isn’t food motivated and the Jaws approach is near impossible. He thrashes around before I even put my hand near him mouth. He takes 5 pills morning and 5 pills in the evening. I have tried EVERYTHING. Finally the vet contacted a compound pharmacy and he can have 4 of his medications made into a transdermal gel. I rub it in the inside of his ear. But the fifth pill cannot be made into a transdermal gel. So I’m still on the look for a technique. The transdermal gel is not as effective as taking pills but something is better than nothing in his difficult case. The 5th pill is for his coughing. If he doesn’t take it, he coughs 24 hours a day. Very frustrating and annoying. I’ve tried everything! I’ve been using the gelatin capsules but he smells that pill no matter what I do. He would rather not eat at all then take that pill. Any other suggestions for the dog that is not food motivated? The cramming it down his throat does not work either. If I manage to somehow get it down the back of this throat with his thrashing then he’ll end up throwing it up a few minutes later. He’s so small and I don’t want to hurt him trying to put it down his throat. It usually just makes him cough more. Help!
Hi Joan,
Sorry your Chihuahua is giving you so much trouble with his medications. I am glad you were able to get most of them compounded into transdermal gels! If you have tried all the tips in the article and still aren’t successful, I recommend you read through the comments section and see if any of the hints or recommendations shared by our readers will help. Keep giving it your best and enjoy these senior years with your little guy. Good luck!
Pyoderma. It’s a bumpty skin thing treatable with antibiotics…twice a day for 21 days. Pill-hiding for my son,Rufus, should be a breeze. His weakness, like most pit-bulls (maybe) is…of course…Fettuccini Alfredo! Not the kind with broccoli in it though – Rufus hates broccoli. On the other hand, if there IS brocolli in it, Rufus will eat around it and leave it on his plate for his brother Zorro, the chihuahua, Zorro LOVES broccoli!
Hi Tom,
Thanks for sharing with us these stories of Rufus and Zorro, the pasta and broccoli eating duo! While broccoli is so healthy for dogs to eat in the right amount for there size, Fettuccini Alfredo can sometimes be problematic. Cheese and heavy creams are very high in fats and sodium and could pancreatitis or other issues for some dogs. If you need some other ideas of where to hide pills, the comments on this blog are a wealth of information! I hope the pill-hiding goes well and Rufus’ skin is back to normal soon!
I have a 17 year old Bichon. Super smart about the pill thing. He has been on pills for a few years now. He takes 6 pills each morning and at night. 4 of them arent so bad but 2 of them are very bitter. We started with cheese, then turkey slices etc… We are currently on bacon and chicken but if he gets a hint of the bitter pills, it is game over. SO frustrating!!! My wife and I go round and round with him. In the mornings it is a timing thing too. We dont have all morning to play these little games. We have kids to get ready for school and we have to get to work etc… We are about at our wits end with it. We tried pill pockets but he is aware of that ploy. It is stupid… the pills save his life but he wont take them. I am about ready to give up.
Hi Lee,
Sorry to hear that you are having so much trouble getting your Bichon to take his pills. It is so frustrating when you know that he needs the pills but he refuses to take them. Have you asked your vet about having some of them compounded into a flavored liquid? Sometimes, but not always, that can make it a bit easier to give the medications without a fight. There are also a lot of good hints in the comment section that you might find helpful. Have you tried putting the pills (especially the bitter ones) in a gelatin capsule? Sometimes that will mask the taste and smell well enough to be able to hide it in food. I hope you are able to find a solution that works for him!
I have a Maltese and the same problem she know it is the pill and she spill it . Tried all your tips and other she even bite me twice , there no options for flavor it . I do not know what else to try
Hi Kelly,
Sorry your dog is giving you trouble with her medication. If you have tried all the suggestions in the article and still haven’t been successful, I think you should contact your vet. They may be able to switch her to a different medication that is easier to administer, or discontinue it altogether. I know how frustrating this can be, but you can win this battle! Best wishes to you and your girl.
My Pug will gladly take any food or pill pocket we hide his medication in, but he always chews the food and then spits the pills out. I even tried the shoving the pills to the back of his throat tip, but he pushes it out with his tounge and spits it to the front of his mouth every time. it’s so frustrating.
Hi Herbert,
It’s amazing how good at spitting pills out these guys can be! Make sure you are washing your hands after wrapping the pill in the pill pocket or treat. They can smell the residue of the medications on our hands and treats even if we think our hands are clean. Have you tried the “bait and switch” or the “trick and treat” methods that are mentioned in the article? Also, you could try adding a bit of chunky peanut butter in the pill pocket with the medication to help hide the texture or chunks of the pill. If nothing is working, please reach out to your vet. They may want to try a liquid form of the same medication or discontinue it altogether. Good luck with your Pug’s medicine and best wishes!
I’m having the same issue with my lab mix. She had major stomach surgery less than 48 hours ago and is doing well except she won’t take her pills. The carprofen (sp.) is fine because it’s tiny and can easily be hidden in food. The gabapentin (sp.) I can just dump the powder and easily mix it into food. It’s the acetaminophen! She tastes it as soon as I try to trick her. I’ve tried hiding it in pill pockets, weenies, beef, cheese, peanut butter. Everything! Her surgery wiped my account out so I can’t ask for it to be flavored. I’ve called the vet and asked for tips but unfortunately, she’s too dang smart!
mine is a Chihuahua and he just know if i put it in a hot, piece of chicken or anything that he like
Hey there! I recommend buying empty capsules from Amazon and putting the dogs medication inside the capsule. There are some medications, like my dogs Trazodone that he hates because it’s so bitter tasting. So, I snap the pill in half and the two halves fit inside the capsule. We used to battle like you did, every day. I will say, he’s definitely better at taking his pills than he was, but he loves variety. Once he’s figured out that I’m giving him his pills in a certain thing, he will refuse them until I find another food item that’s more tasty or different. Good luck
Thanks for the great idea, Courtney! I’m glad you have figured out some good solutions to get your pup to take his meds!
I love that this post has lasted so long…as this is such a common issue for so many! My Lucy (11 yrs. young boxer), has just begun her battle against cancer and a heart arrhythmia ~ needless to say, getting pills down (for her heart), is my new daily challenge. It’s been a challenge over the years with random medications she’s needed (grateful nothing major until now)…so 5 pills a day now is more like a war!!
GAME CHANGER ~ freeze dried chicken hearts! They’re gross (so dogs love them)…they are naturally a little soft in the middle/tougher on the outside, and the hollow valve acts as a perfect hiding spot for a pill. I trim off the larger end, use a chopstick to poke/open up the valve a bit more…and stuff the pill in. It’s not foolproof (what is, when disguising a pill), but a solid 7-8 times out of 10 it works for me (and she hasn’t turned completely against them, after the few times she’s discovered the pill and turned away). I buy them from Stella & Chewy’s ~ which is the brand I’ve trusted giving her for her raw diet, treats, etc. for at least 8 years.
When Lucy was little, and I was trying to figure out allergies and food tolerance, she suffered from pancreatitis ~ since then (after allergy testing and adjusting to her low tolerance for rich/fatty foods), she’s been on a strict raw chicken/veggie diet (frozen patties from Stella & Chewy’s) and treats that she can have (no beef, duck, etc.). The chicken heart treats haven’t caused any issues (despite how disgusting/rich they appear).
Sending hugs and patience to every fur-baby parent facing the pill challenge!! xoxo
Hi Kris,
Sorry to hear that your sweet Boxer is facing some new challenges with cancer and a heart arrhythmia. I’m so glad you found a solution that works for her pills and I hope that it continues to grant you victory (most of the time) in the pill-giving war. Thanks so much for sharing this tip with us and sharing a bit of Lucy’s story as well. I hope that she continues to do well in her fight against cancer and with her heart arrhythmia.❤
It sounds like you are well versed in raw diet safety precautions and sourcing but as a word of warning to other readers, I want to mention that anytime you feed your dog a raw diet/raw treats you do need to be aware of the potential for bacterial contamination. Please use a reliable source, wash your hands thoroughly after handling any raw meats (including freeze dried), and speak with your veterinarian about any dietary changes to ensure there are no concerns for your particular dog.
I want to thank you, literally with great enormous gratitude for the chicken heart suggestion. My 14 year old standard Poodle has just recovered from her first bout of pancreatitis (hopefully) I have to give her galliprant for some arthritis, and, she’s a really smart pill detective. I only use freeze dried raw in addition to a homemade diet. A relative slipped her sausage and liverwurst while watching her,….. Thus the pancreatitis.
My 12 yr old Bulldog mix takes carprofen twice a day as well as Zantac, as the prior use of meloxicam caused a bad episode of gastroenteritis. She also gets tramadol on occasion when it appears she is really struggling with her hips. I take plain peanut butter (checked to be sure no xyletol is in it) and I mix it with plain oatmeal (the cheap kind in the round carton) and a few drops of water to make a kind of dough. I can then roll this in little balls to place the pills inside of. She takes them with no issues. We had already run through the american cheese, then turkey slices, and she was flat refusing them. I keep the balls just big enough to cover the pill. It’s inexpensive and I always keep the 2 ingredients on hand .
Hi Catherine,
What a fantastic idea! Thanks for sharing it with us!
OMGoodness! The scent of the pill never occurred to me. I’ve tried everything on my non-food motivated chihuahua. Even her favorite, grilled chicken breast. No dice. She gets tummy sick and the vet has me to give her 1/4 Pepcid, but when her tummy is sick, she doesn’t want to eat anything! Today after shopping for a pill shooter, I came across your blog. Since she so little, I got out a package of Bil Jac Grain Free soft training treats for dogs (she won’t eat the ones you can hide pills in) mashed the pill into it, WASHED MY HANDS, then did the bait and switch! And IT WORKED! Unbelievable! Thank you! It’s so traumatizing for her to try to jam a nasty tasting pill down her poor little throat. So glad I won’t be doing that anymore! Much appreciated!!
Hi Annette,
YAY!!! I am so glad this worked for you! I am happy that medications will no longer be a stress to your or your sweet little pup. Thank you for sharing your success.
Hi.
My Lady girl won’t take her meds at all and we wrestle twice a day to get them down. For a little while I was able to get her to take them with bread and a thin layer of butter. It worked briefly. I just sandwiched the capsules and she ate them. It’s been a long illness so now we just wrestle and the love/cuddle/play after.
Hi Judy,
Sorry to hear that it has been so difficult to get Lady to take her meds. It sounds like you have a system that is working for you, but if you end up wanting to try hiding the meds in anything again, there are a ton of great suggestions in the comments that could be worth a try.
I have a American mastiff. Very large dog and too smart ! I tried all if the sneaky way to give him his meds. Finally I tried freezing peanut butter and coconut oil with his powdered pill. Working so far ! Probably…. not for long !
Hi Kelly,
I’m glad you found a solution that works for your mastiff for now (and hopefully awhile)! It sounds like he is tolerating it well, but just as a word of caution, sometimes rich foods like these can lead to GI upset or pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas) in some dogs. If this ends up not working or you decide not to keep doing it, the comments on this article are full of other creative solutions, so it may be worth reading through them too.
Thank you for all of these very helpful tips. I’ve scrolled through all though, and can’t find anything that addresses my current issue of getting a pill into my pup-pup’s cheek, so it will dissolve. He’s been prescribed Zofran for nausea, but swallows it before I can get it secured in his cheek pocket.
Any tips? Fingers crossed 😉
Hi Lee,
You have the opposite problem as most of the people on the page, but it is no less stressful or frustrating I’m sure. Have you tried putting it directly on the front part of your dog’s tongue then holding his mouth shut for a minute or so to try to keep him from working it back to his throat to swallow? Distraction during this time would be key—which could range from vigorous petting to waving a favorite toy.
I’ve used this same tablet that you describe with my patients over the years and my feeling was always if they swallow it, that is fine. It should work just as well, though maybe not as quickly. The point of oral disintegration is more rapid absorption into the blood stream. If the medication seems to be working well to help him now, you’re probably doing just fine. Alternatively, Zofran comes in an oral tablet that is meant to be swallowed, so that could be another option. I would recommend talking to your vet to see what they would recommend. Hope your poor guy is feeling better soon!
We have been trying to give our dog her heart worm pill. First I encased it in a steak cube-but she managed to eat the steak around the pill. Then we crushed it up and put in cat food but she would take small bites and walk away. Then my husband mixed some grated cheese in and she took a couple more bites and walked away.. We had chicken for dinner and the baking pan was still sitting on the stove with the drippings. A light bulb went off in my head and I scooped some of the golden brown drippings and mixed it into the mixture. She ate almost all of it then followed my husband out of the room. I picked up the plate and scoop the rest of the mixture to the center of the plate, added more drippings and when she came back she licked the plate clean!
Hi Barbara,
I’m glad you found a method that worked well for your dog. Just as a word of caution, I would be careful about meat drippings as a “regular” plan for this because the richness may cause GI upset or a serious condition called pancreatitis. For this reason I don’t typically recommend them. But there are a variety of ways that heartworm preventative can be administered including injectable, so maybe worth a discussion with your vet. ?
I recently discovered another trick – I think Dr. Busby called it the “bail and switch” tactic. My dog, Mikey, is terrible with pills – all pills but I was always able to get them to the back of his throat and keep his mouth closed until he swallowed. He recently went on tramadol and fought me tooth and nail. It was the king of bad pills! I remember reading that some people cannot swallow pills and they put them into gel capsules and then they go down easily. I started putting Mikey’s tramadol inside a gel cap and inserted the capsule into something yummy (I use mashed potatoes) and POOF, bad pill taste all gone. Just remember to wash you hands everytime you touch the bad pill (per Dr. Busby) because your pup will remember the bad taste/smell.
Hi Mary Ann,
I’m so glad you found a good tactic for getting the tramadol into Mikey. I have heard that it tastes terrible and would believe it based on how some dogs react when we try to give it to them. Thanks for sharing this great idea with us! I hope he continues to take his tramadol well this way.
i have a problem my dog cant chew very well his medication is for his liver and its a big pill the pill says give to him on a empty stomach well i tried peanut better and chopped the pill up in it no way would she eat that the only way i know of is feed her her food and put it in there cant i do that i dont know anything else to put it in that isnt food thank you for any help
Hi Teresa,
I’m sorry to hear your dog is having trouble chewing up his liver medication. The larger pills can definitely be challenging. For some medications, giving them with a small amount of food is still ok, but without knowing which medication it is, I can’t tell you for sure how important giving it on an empty stomach would be. I would suggest contacting your veterinarian and asking him or her if this medication would be ok given with a small meal and/or asking if the medication could be formulated into a flavored liquid. Hope you find a good solution that works for you!
the medication is denamarin i have been chopping it up and putting it in a treat that worked for two days today no way i m going to try a marshmellow it says on a empty stomach but this is one hr before food or two hrs after i tried peanut better she will take that but then i read peanut better isnt good for her thank god its only once a day but is taking me all day to get down her why they cant make soft pills for dogs that cant chew hard ones make life so much easier for us
thank you so much for helping
Denamarin comes in a chewable form and a tablet form, so if you are currently trying to use the chewable form, you could talk to your veterinarian about switching to the comparitively smaller tablet. According to the Denemarin website: “For optimal absorption, tablets should be given on an empty stomach, at least one hour before feeding, as the presence of food decreases the absorption of S-Adenosylmethionine. For those owners who have difficulty administering tablets to their pets, Denamarin tablet(s) may be disguised in a small bite of food. If the pet is to receive more than one tablet daily, the total number of tablets may be divided between morning and evening for ease of administration. For example, a daily administration of three tablets could be divided into two tablets in the morning and one tablet in the evening.” Again, I refer you back to your veterinarian as the authority on what would be best for your dog’s specific situation, but I hope this information from the company is helpful as you talk to your vet about your options.
Pretty sure I have the hardest dog in all the world to pill. He has allergies (hence the appoquel pills) and is a picky eater on top of that. We got away with a peanut butter blob the first week and then he got too smart. the jaws method worked for about another week, but now he just sits there letting it dissolve in his throat drooling out liquified pill chunks. If I don’t stick my hand all the way to his esophagus when I put it in he just drools it back out. I’ve tried everything in this list and then some, and it’s a traumatic event for both of us. As soon as I call his name now he goes running in fear, and my entire kitchen floor is covered in crusty drooled out pills all the time, at this point I think letting the allergy symptoms come back would be more feasible than continuing to try and give him this medication.
Hi Rebecca,
It can be so difficult, frustrating, and stressful to try to get a dog to take pills, and I am sorry to hear that your dog is giving you so much trouble. Have you read through the comments on this article as well? If not, I would suggest you do that because they are full of really creative solutions, so it is possible the secret answer might be hidden there. The other thing I would suggest doing is talking to your veterinarian about other ways to manage your dog’s allergies that don’t involve pills. My article on allergy meds Allergy Medicine for Dogs: 9 Solutions to Calm Your Dog’s Itch might give you some helpful non-pill ideas. However, selecting the medications or other management tools that are right for your dog is ultimately best left to your veterinarian because he or she is the one who can examine your dog and knows his history. I hope you are able to find a way to manage his allergies and keep your sanity and good relationship with your dog at the same time! Hang in there! ❤
My dog was the same way! He had surgery to remove a mass cell tumor and had 8 different medications he has to take! When we first brought him home he was so drugged up and had a very little appetite so we couldn’t get him to take any hidden pills with treats, so had to shove them down his throat…I agree, traumatic for everyone involved. As the days went on we’ve tried alllll the tricks and then some on here! About a week after being home, I decided to try cream cheese. I was sure to wash my hands and make them when my doggie was no where around. I just put the cream cheese in the palm of my hand and then put the pill in the center and rolled them up in a ball, making sure no pill touched the outside of the ball. I also made a lot of fake ones with no pills in them. Then I pop them in the fridge for a bit. I started giving him the fake ones as a treat and he loved them! (Keep in mind he wouldn’t even eat marshmallows or hot dogs with no pills..he didn’t trust any treats anymore.) i swear the trick was to pretend like I was getting a regular treat out, like I would open the lid and make the “treat noise” he was used to, then give him a fake, eats it, give him the one with the pill, eats it, give another fake! And it WORKED!! We have 2 dogs so I think giving the other one fakes at the same time too helped!! Keep trying, and hopefully we can all find something that works for our babies!
Cytopoint injections every 3 months solved both the allergies and the daily drama.
Dear Marie,
Thank you for reading our blog, and taking the time to comment. That is great that the Cytopoint injections are solving your dogs symptoms. They are a great option for many dogs, especially those who don’t like to take pills!
i have a dog that truely resist taking clavacillin i have tried everything from a-z he just had surgery could my vet give this in a shot form please advise thank you
Hi Phillis,
I’m sorry to hear that you are having so much trouble getting your dog to take his clavacillin. It can be stressful when your dog just had surgery and now won’t take the medication he needs. I would definitely recommend that you contact your veterinarian so they can advise you about injectable options or other ways to get him to take the clavacillin by mouth. Best of luck to you!
I need help please! My beagle has to take 6 different medications twice a day at least for 30 days. 3 of them are big capsules.
I have tried food, she eats the food and spits the pill out. I have tried mixing it in ice cream, peanut butter, hot dogs, chicken, beef. She always spits the pill out.
I tried pill pockets. She eats the treat and spits the pill out.
I have tried putting it down her throat. She even gags I get it so far down her throat. She won’t swallow no matter what I do. If I give her a treat or water, she spits it out and the pill/capsule.
My vets office was no help.
Is there anything I can do to get the much needed medicine in her?
I had success with wrapping a little raw ground beef around the medicine and she takes it no problem, but I know that isn’t good for her, even though it is a small amount of raw ground beef.
Please help me..
Hi Pam,
It would definitely be stressful and frustrating to have your sweet Beagle refusing to take her needed medications. You have done a good job coming up with a variety of methods and foods to try. You could consider trying the bait and switch method, using marshmallows (mini or regular) since they are sticky and hard to get the pills out of, wearing gloves to put the pill in the treat, and preparing the pill laced treats and decoy treats out of your dog’s sight. I would also recommend reading through the comments on this blog if you haven’t already because they are full of many helpful tidbits, tricks, food items, and creative solutions so it is quite possible that the magic solution might be hiding there. Hopefully one of the things I have suggested or something you find in the comments will help! I know it can be discouraging when so many methods don’t work, but know that you are doing a great job trying to do what is best for your dog. ❤
I just finished reading through y’alls struggles and hoping I can find an answer. I will definitely try freezing the Doxycyline (4 pills twice a day!!). It is a struggle and I have tried most of the tricks here with little success today. I will buy latex gloves today and liverwurst (again) while waiting for the pills to freeze.
At this point – 2 weeks into heartworm treatment – it seems to have turned into a psychological issue. She won’t even take unmedicated treats by hand anymore and just turns her head away when I offer them. She won’t even eat out of her food dish at this point – for several days. No food.
Hi Marilyn,
I’m so sorry to hear of your struggles trying to get your dog to take her doxycycline. As you can tell from the number of comments on this blog, you are definitely not alone in this, but that doesn’t make it any easier. It sounds like you have gleaned some good tips from the comments, so fingers crossed that one will be the magic solution to get your dog to take her pills. I would also recommend you check in with your veterinarian since your dog isn’t eating her food either. It may just be that her stomach is upset from the meds or it is psychological, but it would be good to ensure that there isn’t a more serious reason for her lack of appetite. I wish you all the best and hope she starts taking her pills and eating soon.
Hi Marilyn, I’m just wondering if you’ve had any success? I’m in the same boat with the Doxycycline, but 2 pills twice a day. Did freezing them help at all? We got a couple of the doses turned into a liquid to use in a syringe and squirt in her mouth but the vet had no success doing it themselves, so I’m not very optimistic that we will be able to.. so I’m still determined to try and hide the pills somehow, but haven’t been able to get anything to work twice in a row.
Hi there. This was helpful, I’m going to pick up marshmallows tomorrow. But I have a feeling that my Hudson will be on to me. He’s very smart. Hudson is about 7 years old, UTD on vaccines, and fixed. He is absolutely terrible with taking medications, and of course right now he is on several because of a recent diarrhea/emesis illness. He’s also on Prozac and pepcid daily, and he’s not a great eater, never has been since I rescued him almost 5 years ago.
I’ve tried different flavor pill pockets, turkey, low fat cream cheese, peanut butter, and just trying to “pill him”. He won’t take anything. Very challenging and getting very frustrating.
Any suggestions? I don’t want to torture him and I want to make sure he gets his medications.
Thank you!
Hi Jaime, That sounds very frustrating for both you and Hudson. But kudos to you for being so dedicated to getting it right and persevering in your sweet boy’s health needs. I love your rescue story! ♥️
Besides what I recommend in the blog, I would really try to focus on the psychological aspect of this process. Try keeping his medications in the same cupboards with his favorite foods and treats. Get his pills ready (in the marshmallows or whatever) in advance of him coming into the kitchen (or wherever you keep them) so that he doesn’t see the pills come out of the bottles and prepare for a fight. You’re going to have to “sell” the experience to him as positive and wonderful. He will definitely read you like a book if you are “guilty” or worries. Hopefully this new attitude about the routine will help him be more cooperative. 🙂
We have a siberian husky who will always refuse to take his pill.
We followed all the tricks above and none works.
Any other tricks? Thanks
Hello, Beleenda. I’m sorry to hear this! I’d recommend reading the comments in this blog. There are some good ideas posted! I hope this helps!
My dog is simply becoming fed up of the treat I hide the pill in. First I used cheese until he wanted it no more.. then I switched to sausage until he became fed up of that… and after that I used chicken, but now he wont take the chicken. And it’s not like I can revert to cheese or sausage because he remembers them and he doesn’t want them, He has to take medication daily for the remainder of his life and it’s becoming a pain to have him take the darn things… he is just fed up of them!!
Hello Juan, I’m so sorry that you’re having so much trouble. There are some great comments on this blog post that may be helpful to you. I assume you’ve already tried basic “pill pockets?” Also, speak with your vet about this. Sometimes, depending on the medication, there are other injectable options.
I think I read all the comments and responses, and I did not see my question already addressed. Is it ok to take the medicine out of a capsule and mix it with something I know Frankie will eat? Other pills I can get down his throat, but these stick to his tongue or something, his spits it all out, then there i am trying to scrape as much of the medicine off the tile as I can. It’s so frustrating when you’re trying to get or keep them well, and you end up with hands covered in slobber, teeth marks, and remnants of expensive medicine that they NEED. Thanks so much ?
Hello Shelley, Great question! I will defer to your veterinarian because I don’t know what medications your dog is on, but as a “general rule” the answer to your question is yes. However, because certain medications may be exceptions to that rule, please check with your vet first! Thank you!
i have the same question. my dogs medicine is gabapentin. she just got spayed. thanks!
Hi Brandi,
While many medications, including gabapentin, can be mixed into food without losing their efficacy, I generally don’t recommend doing this if you can find a different way to get your dog to take the medication. Mixing with food runs the risk of having your pet not receive the full prescribed medication amount if they only eat some of the food and can alter the taste of the food which may cause your dog to not eat it well.
My vet says not to do this because you’re losing the density of the ingredients of the pill. I
Have to start giving my italian greyhound medication for cushings disease. Haven’t started yet, but I am up at night with worry that I won’t be able to. IG’s are very timid.
Hi Joan,
I’m sorry to hear that your Italian Greyhound was recently diagnosed with Cushing’s Disease and that concerns with being able to medicate your IG are keeping you up at night. The thought of having to give long term daily medication can be daunting, but I think you can do it once you find the right tactic. The comments on this post are full of many fantastic and creative solutions that readers have used to get medications into their dogs, so I would encourage you to read through them and keep trying things until you find the right method. You may also want to check out this article (Cushing’s Disease in Dogs: The Ultimate Guide to Understanding Symptoms, Diagnosis, & Treatment (For the Best Care for Your Dog)) for some additional information on Cushing’s Disease. Best of luck to you and your dog.❤
Thanks for this valuable information, I followed your advice and had great success.
1st Tramadol: 15 minutes to get the pill swallowed, yogurt & wet food sprayed all over the kitchen, dog and I both traumatized
Once I’d read your article it took 30 seconds:
I eat 1/2 marshmallow
Dog eats 1/2 marshmallow spread w/crunchy peanut butter
Dog eats 2nd p butter-coated 1/2 marshmallow w/concealed peanut butter-dipped Tramadol. I slit the marshmallow with a knife and slide the pill inside.
Dog eats last 1/2 marshmallow coated w/peanut butter
I also followed your advice re hand washing & keep the pills in another room, in a bag, so my dog doesn’t hear me opening the bottle.
thanks again!
CW, great job! Thanks so much for letting us know of your success. Wuhoo! ?
I also have a dog who takes tramadol and has for about 8 years. In the beginning, it was a nightmare! I had the idea of empty gel capsules so even if she spit it out, she wouldn’t taste the bitterness of the pill. If she did taste it (before gel capsules) she wouldn’t eat whatever food I was trying to feed her, again! Once I started putting her halved pill in an empty capsule, I haven’t had a problem since! I took it into a piece of ham and she happily eats it, first try, every time! I just wanted to share my experience with you since our pups take the same med!
This sounds like this might work for my 15 yr old stubborn yellow lab! She has been on medication for years and always took it fine hidden in food. After a couple years she wouldn’t take it that way so we moved on to pill pockets and that has worked for many years now, until about a month ago. She decided she wasn’t having it anymore and we have been doing the fight, 3 times a day, since then. The marshmallow/chunky peanut butter, with you having the first bite, is genius. Heading to the grocery store tonight for Marshmallows and chunky PB! Thank you so much for sharing. Also, thank you Dr. Buzby for your blog, you have helped my girl many times over the years.
So it’s not just me! I really felt that my little dog was on to all the devious ways I could come up with to get him to take his anxiety meds but thought I could be projecting some of my guilt/frustration onto his behavior. Thank you so much for some extra tips I haven’t tried yet. I’m hopeful these will make life easier for both of us now.
Thanks for the encouraging words, Julie! Keep up the great work! 🙂
My 10 year old coton de tulear has a history of back problems and most recently is dealing with what we think is a patella (knee) issue so we’ve had to give her several pills over the years. The worst one is tramadol which must taste terrible. She quickly caught on to us sneaking it into balls of cheese so we had to adapt. Since I have to split the pills, it’s even worse because of the powder. I now use tweezers to handle the pill so I don’t get it on my fingers and put it deep in the middle of the cheese ball. Then, we coat the cheese with some peanut butter. That helps cover the bad taste and makes it sticky so she can’t easily spit out the ball. That’s the best tactic we’ve found and has a good success rate. Hope that helps.
Hi Vince,
It does seem like Tramadol is one that dogs particularly hate the taste of so it can be difficult to disguise. Thanks for sharing your creative solution with us!
I have a Shitzu dog that is a very fussy eater and i am having so much trouble getting him to take his heart tablets twice a day, 12 hours apart. He will not eat at certain times like most dogs, he is very stubborn. I have found the only way i can get them in him is to melt them down in a small amount of water with a hint of Manuka honey to disguise the taste of the tablets. Is the honey flavouring ok for him.?
Forgot to say i put the tablet honey mix into a syringe which so far has been less traumatic for him
Hi Caroline, I think as long as it’s a very small amount, and not giving him a huge “sugar rush”, you should be fine. Obviously this would only be true if he were not diabetic, but I’m assuming that he’s not. Good job being creative!
I’m also here because I have a finicky Shi Tzu who won’t take her heart meds every 12 hours. I’m at wit’s end.
Going to try some of this but my hopes aren’t high.
I came across this post today, after unsuccessfully trying to give my 90-pound dog his anti-itch medication with five different foods. He remains unmedicated at this time tonight. I made him some meatballs and gave him a few and he loved them and then promptly spit the meatball out that was holding the pill! I am going to try the marshmallow method tomorrow. The face he gives me when he realizes his medication is inside a treat is heartbreaking, like a child who has been duped! Very frustrating. My friend suggested tiny pieces of angel-food cake–it’s fat free and he just might go for it. Thank you so much for writing such a helpful article and with such compassion for those of us unable to provide our dogs with their needed medication. I realize this post is several years old but it definitely rings true, no matter what the year or the circumstance. So, a big thank-you to you!!!
Hello!
I hope you had sucess with the marshmallow trick or one of the other ideas in the blog. Most of us have been in your exact situation – holding a slimy pill, frustrated, and a bit concerned about how we are ever going to get our dog to take the pill. Thanks for your kind words about the blog. We love being able to help other pet owners and are so glad you found it helpful. ?
I have a three year old German Shepherd. I rescued him this past December or I intercepted him from going to the pound. Long story but he’d been abused, never taken to the vet, just horrible. I would love to be able to do the same to the person, how someone could hurt something that loves you so much… Well he’s come a long way in the past almost nine months. He has heart worms but he’s being treated. If I have to not eat he will get what he needs. I’m afraid he’s on his 4th ear infection and he’d just gotten over one before I got him. Vet said next time it would be a $350 allergy rest. To my point, he hates medicine! If you say the word medicine he looks pitiful. He will not take food from my hand anymore because he found a pill in something. The pill pockets work well but most of the pills I’ve had to give him are so big it takes 2 pockets. One on each side of the pill. I know in my heart he would never bite me but. I don’t want to force something in his mouth. I have found Land o Lake honey butter covered pills go down no questions asked! I hope this may help someone looking to try something that’s in a similar situation.
Thanks, Jacob! Great tip and great job rescuing the poor dog! My only thought on the butter comment is to watch the fat content for development of pancreatitis. Probably not an issue with bigger dogs who proportionately are not getting much fatty butter, but just be aware that it’s a red flag for me. Thanks!
This sounds workable. I’ve tried everything but my JRT Is a professionalist. When it comes to giving her disguised pills, I can’t win. I tried the jaw method and now she won’t even look at me. I’m going to try honey next. Wish me luck.
Our German Shephard needed to take 2 1/2 nasty tasting pills (each about the size of an aspirin) twice a day for a week. Finally got smart and crushed them up, then served them to her inside a sardine topped with a little cheese. Sardines, which are actually healthy treats for dogs, seemed to mask the bitter taste and problem solved.
Great tip, Linda. Thanks for sharing! My only caveat would be to be careful of sardines packed in oil because the high fat content could trigger GI upset or even pancreatitis.
Great ideas for giving horrible tasting pills like Tralieve which my dog needs sometimes at night for pain. I think I will get the gelatine capsules as she is ok with taking pills but not the
Tralieve due to the bitter taste. She is such a kind natured German Shepherd bitch and I will do all I can do to make her life as good as possible,
I’m so glad you found the post helpful, Maureen. 🙂
Getting my Border Collie to take Tramadol for his arthritis was nearly impossible. Peanut butter, cheese, pet pockets, hiding it in hot dogs all failed. I found something hat works, Vermont Cabot Cheddar cheese in a Spam “wrap”.
Here’s what you do. Empty the span can and cut it into full length pieces. For each dosing take one of the slices and cut it into five and set aside. Using a small piece of the cheese cut it in to two pieces and put the pill on ne of he pieces and cover it with the remaining piece of cheese. Microwave until the cheese just starts to melt, about 5 seconds or less.
Put the cheese/pill mixture on one of the spam pieces and then surround it with the other Spam pieces so that the cheese is barely visible. Microwave this for 5 seconds or less. The Spam should be warm not hot. Put it where you feed your pet and watch. Pictures included with this.
post.
Michael, this is a very creative and innovative tip! Thanks for sharing! Tramadol is specifically tough to get into dogs because it’s very bitter. Congratulations on your success!
My dog is currently dealing with pancreatitis and I appreciate you mentioning not giving certain foods that can cause pancreatitis. Ice tried everything from putting it in his food (then he just refuses to eat) and manually putting it down the back of his throat. It’s a struggle.
Do you know if you can give peanut butter and marshmallow if the dog has chronic pancreatitis. I know I can do chicken breast and plain yogurt. I aso wasn’t sure if I could give pill pockets due to his pancreatitis.
Any insight would be so helpful. He has been hospitalized twice within the least 6 months with pancreatitis.
Hello Ashley, I would definitely ask your vet about this just to make sure we’re all on the same page. We would never want to trigger your dog into another episode, of course. Your safest bet is the “down the throat” method because there’s no other food involved. I would not recommend peanut butter because it’s a higher fat food. You might be fine with marshmallows because they are nearly fat free, but please talk to your vet first before trying. And, yes, white meat (skinless) rotisserie chicken (breast) can work miracles. 😉
I too am having a heck of a time giving my Brandi her pills. We have tried EVERYTHING. I get the pill down her but she somehow gets it back up and shakes her head and out it comes. I will be calling the vet tomorrow for another alternative. She used to be fine with it now since she is older, its a no go.
Hi Kelly, I know how frustrating that can be. I’m sorry that it’s become so difficult. Hopefully your vet is able to provide you some options/alternatives to make this more pleasant for both you and Brandi!
Thank you, thank you! My Rhodesian Ridgeback X was attacked on a dog walk by my neighbor’s 2 pit bulls when her kids left the front door open. Anyhow, long traumatic story… My fur-baby now is on a ton of meds (antibiotics, antidepressants, pain meds, and sedatives twice a day). I’ve tried liverwurst, hot dogs, wet dog food, cheese, yogurt, and crushing the pills (epic fail!) He might fall for my tricks the first time, but not the second. Washing my hands was a great idea! I used a bait and switch method with Italian meatballs. I gave him half of an unmedicated one, then quickly gave the medicated meatball, followed by half of an unmedicated one. Best part? It worked TWICE today! Finger crossed that it works for the next four days to finish all his meds. Thanks again!!
I’m so happy that you found this information to be helpful. You and your dog sound like you’ve been through so much! I wish you every success in finishing out the next 4 days of medications. You can do it!
You have taught me the correct way to give my dog a pill via the mouth,no way I could never hide it in any type of food not even a flavorful med,her nose can smell a mile away..so many thanks to you,I know we both will sleep well tonight! She’s 15 years younger than me!
Hi Michele, What a super sweet and encouraging comment. 🙂 Thanks so much! All the best to you and your dog!
My Chihuahua x is the pickiest eater ever and won’t touch her favorite food if there is medicine hidden in it. My solution is sneaky, but it works. I mix the crushed up pill with liverwurst and smear it on her paw when she isn’t looking – and she will lick it off.
Thanks for sharing, Lisa! My only concern would be the potential variability of how much of the pill she actually gets each day, but if she consumes it all in this fashion, I think it’s brilliant! Way to be creative!
I have wasted three pills, trying the “jaw” method. Now I know that it will only work with two people handling the dog – stress and torture for all involved. In addition, my pup can just lock her jaws so hard that a crowbar would not open her mouth. The pill pocket – full size – did not work either as it is large enough for a dog to have time to chew and spit. After that, frantic search of the Internet, and I found this great page. Combining all the wisdom here, plus my own thinking, here is what works for my puppy: cut the pill in half, took variety of small treats – chicken, store soft treats, and pieces of the pill pockets made in two tiny/small balls hiding the half of the pill each. Played with my dog and rewarded her alternating treats. After the one with half a pill, quickly gave the neutral one.. Made sure all treats were approximately the same size, Combined treats with hugs and kisses. Worked like magic!
I’m so happy to hear that you’ve found the “recipe” for success with your dog! Thanks for letting us know. 🙂
I really appreciate the tips.
I have an (approximately) 12 year old male beagle.
He’s feeling under the weather, pills from the vet that, up until recently, he’s been taking.
I put them in liverwurst which, normally, he just eats up.
Lately he’s not been eating aside from a few bites of kibble.
Even refusing the liverwurst without any pills.
Any help on trying to get him to, at the very least, eat something.?
Thanks.
Hi Andy, I’m so sorry to hear this. It’s definitely concerning that your dog is not eating well (pills or otherwise). Loss of appetite can be a sign of serious illness in dogs. I would reach out to your vet asap with an update. At the very minimum, there are appetite stimulant medications for dogs that are considered safe and can be very effective in turning things around, depending on what the underlying cause of the problem is. However, at this point, your #1 objective is ruling out an underlying cause.
I have an (almost) sixteen year old male chocolate Havanese who has been diagnosed with pulmonary edema and kidney failure (he only has one kidney, he was attacked by a Rottweiler in our yard in April 2017…a whole other story)
We have all of the usual anti-pill behaviours and he won’t even let me “squirt” a liquid into his mouth.
So, I’m on the “open-wide and make it quick” routine. He takes Lasix and Vetmedin…plus an appetite stimulant (mirtazapine). I’ve had the Vetmedin compounded because the “chewy” version is too big for his throat…now it’s in capsule form. This is still a bit tricky because as soon as the capsule is wet on his tongue, he can regurgitate the capsule…so the capsule needs to be deftly pushed as far down as possible, causing as little stress as possible !
Fortunately I work predominantly at home and can be attentive to water/food needs…he doesn’t have too much longer, but at least he does have his younger “buddy” around for company…a six year old Hav/Maltese mix that I adopted to keep him company, four years ago.
There must be a solution to this pill problem (I’m investigating)…why do I have to split a pill into (sometimes) three or four pieces ?… this is insane
Philip, you sound like an expert! Great job taking such meticulous care of your boy! I don’t have a “magic bullet” to your pill dilemma, but compounding, like you’ve done with the Vetmedin, may be your best option. Keep up the good work and if you come up with better ideas, please let us all know! 🙂
I have an adopted mini Aussie 14.5 years old who I adopted last year. She won’t let me touch any part of her body if she has a wound. I can not touch her feet either without an attempt to bite me. I am unable to administer pills as she figures out my tricks after the first time and then becomes aggressive if I continue to try. Recently she was diagnosed with glaucoma in one eye and before agreeing to have her eye removed I am trying eye drops. But again she will become aggressive in my attempts to administer them. I can do it once but then she knows what I’m up too and will not even come to me or attempts to bite me. I’m concerned that even if I decide to have her eye removed, I will not be able to care for her wound after surgery as she will not let me close to her in these types of situations. I’m just lost as what to do. I do see her holistic vet tomorrow in hopes of some sort of solution. It was an ophthalmologist that suggested eye removal. She also has a hear murmur which concerns me about surgery. Any opinion is useful for me.
Hi Teresa, God bless you for adopting a senior dog! I’m sorry that you have all these challenges and understand your concerns. Use of a muzzle and restraint during an exam can both falsely increase ocular pressure readings, but I’m sure the ophthamologist would take all that into account. I’m eager to hear what your holistic vet had to say. It would be fabulous if that vet could also check intraocular pressures for you to confirm the diagnosis before you go any further. Please update us! Thanks!
I love step six of the bait and switch; give that dog a happy ending.
Thanks for your comment! Yes! It’s all about the happy ending. 🙂
My Sheltie is a tough case and cannot be tricked a 2nd time.
But two things are working for me.
The pills will stick to a small clump of cold butter which can then be pushed into the back of the throat and will be swallowed. The pills stick to the butter. It doesn’t take much to clump together several pills.
Fried scaled fish skin is a treat that will hide pills and get gobbled up.
A bite of skin- on salmon with pills placed between the skin and fish goes down easily.
Gene, I love to hear that you’ve found things that are working! I’m not one to recommend butter nor fried fish because of the risk of pancreatitis from the fat content, BUT I’m also not one to mess with success! 🙂
Thank you for the hand washing tip.
I’ve been lucky with the dogs in my life. Only the monthly heart worm/flea/tick meds were ever needed. Never had an issue with pills as I was taught the open jaw put in back of throat method and follow that with a treat.
Then Trifexis came into our lives. The battles began! Motley eats anything called “treat”, but would head out the dog door once the pill pack was opened. The jaw trick turned into a battle royal! Tried all the hiding in food tips and no go. Would not even eat it inside of a cheese ball. Jenna was worse! Swear she figured out how to cheek the pill so she could spit it back out! She manipulates the food around the pill inside her mouth and then spits the pill out!
Did a web search as I figured there had to be a better way and found this article. I will buy liverwurst for next month. Used what I had at home for tonight (which was fiesta blend shredded cheese, roast chicken – I’ll save the chicken gelatin for the pills and liverwurst instead of putting on their dinner next month- a bit of butter to hold it all together.) I know milk fat is bad, but it is what I had on hand that didn’t have garlic, onions or yeast in it.
Used various utensils to make the treat ball so I wouldn’t have smell on my hand and then washed my hands anyways, I used a paper towel to firm the ball and confirm pill was in center of the ball. No muss, no fuss. They both were cautious, but ate without a fight.
Thanks again!
Thank you, Anita, for your kind words and for sharing your success story with us! Keep up the great work!
Please be careful with cheese…cream cheese can cause Panceatitis. Can be extremely expensive. My Maltipoo is a tricky girl and hard to get to take Chinese herbals or any pills. Vet said to try mini marshmallows.
Same with my dog, He’s a Great Dane and taking Cephalexin for an auto immune disease. I’ve tried everything to disguise this stupid pill.. But the thing smells horrible… My trick… Or what I have been able to do lately is… I freeze them… I just keep his pills in the freezer and it takes that stinky smell away.. They can smell that cephalexin a mile away.. and they do stink… so no food is going to cover that.. Now when they are frozen, you can put them in something cool and they won’t stink for a bit so they don’t realize it’s there.. Try that and see if it works for you.. Meatballs and peanut butter where I put the pill seems to work. I even put little cat food on it to make it appealing.. the canned kind.. For some reason my dog loves it.
YOU. ARE. BRILLIANT. I was concerned about freezing impacting the potency, but in my research, I can’t find a problem with freezing the capsules. Thanks for sharing, Cindy!
How can i get my dog to take an extended release fairly large pill w/o chewing it? She is a good pill taker generally so I hate to shove it down her throat but any one have a better idea?
Hi Karen,
Have you tried wrapping the pill in a piece of lunch meat or soft treat? I find that most dogs don’t chew those, but simply gulp them down in one swallow. I would recommend experimenting a bit with food without the pill in it to see if she does chew the “bait” or if she just gulps it down. I agree that “shoving it down her throat” would be a last option, but if you get to that point, be sure to follow it with a few treats as a “chaser” so the pill gets pushed down her esophagus.
My anxious dog, Mocha, has never been food motivated, and she stopped taking Pill Pockets voluntarily as soon as the novelty of them wore off. I have switched to hiding the pill in a pea-sized dab of Armour potted meat at bedtime. It’s now part of our routine and she loves it! It’s a little messy, but not bad.
I have a problem, though. I’m going to be boarding her while I go on vacation this summer, and the boarding employees are not allowed to handle medications. They can handle “treats” knowing the pill is inside, but can’t actually touch the medicine. She takes 1/2 of a Clomicalm per day, and if I leave them in Pill Pockets (not to mention potted meat) for a day or more they start to dissolve and break down. Do you have any suggestions for the best way to “package” the pills to be doled out over 10 days without breaking down? I tried forming my own pill pockets out of potted meat and dehydrating them, but they became brittle and powdery. Less dehydrated ones got the pill wet… I’d love to hear your thoughts. I still have a little time to try some things. Thank you!
Hi Nell,
Wow, this is a bit of a dilemma and you are wise to be thinking about it ahead of time! Honestly, my first thought is that you may need to find a different boarding facility or home care option that would allow the routine to continue without interruption ie. someone is willing to continue to give Mocha pills using your current, successful system.
I do believe that the pill will disintegrate as it sits in the moist meat (though I’m not sure to what degree…you could experiment). My concern is that when this happens, the smell and taste will taint the meat and Mocha will refuse it. I’m sorry I don’t have a better answer!
I tried everything to trick my Chihuahua to eat the pill but to no avail.
He will eat all around the pill, I don’t know what to do anymore.
I also tried to crush the pill and mix it with his food, he wont eat it, he rather stay without food.
Hi Grieta,
I’m so sorry for your frustration. Please speak to your veterinarian to explain the situation and ask about alternative options. Depending on what medication you are referring to, there may be other solutions that your vet can suggest, including compounding the medication into a yummy liquid that you could squirt right into his mouth.
I really appreciate all the tips and tricks to get a dog to swaloow a pill. I’ve never had this problem until I rescued Gio, a handsome cocker spaniel.. He doesn’t eat any treats, pill pockets, peanut butter etc. Every bite that goes in his mouth he puts on the floor/carpet and inspects it before eating it. We had to change the flea medcation to the liquid on his back because I was traumatized after 6 months. He, now needs anti itch medication and I am dreading it. I’m using organic coconut oil and applying it on his skin. If I try to put some drops, he won’t eat the food. I’m going to try the chewable with the cat food because he will eat it without inspection. I honestly think is something mental. Ant suggestions on a really hard core problem.
Hello Martha, I’m so sorry for this challenge that you and Gio are facing. I think you might have to take it on a case-by-case basis, meaning do what you can with each medication he needs. Changing to the topical flea and tick treatment is an example of a very practical adaptation. If he’s itching because of seasonal allergies, talk to your vet about an injection he could get every 1-2 months that tends to work quite well. It’s called Cytopoint and you can read more here: https://toegrips.com/allergy-medicine-for-dogs/ Hopefully he stays super healthy and doesn’t need any more medications! Thank you for rescuing him! 🙂
Cytopoint shot for itchy allergies worked great for my two Maltipoos…..
Thanks for sharing your experience, Claire! I couldn’t agree with you more. 😉 I discuss the pros and cons of Cytopoint and other allergy treatments for dogs here: https://toegrips.com/allergy-medicine-for-dogs/.
I have a medium sized dog that is a delicate eater and adept at eating around a pill hid in a treat. I can use the jaws method, but her pill is for anxiety and I hate providing anxiety in order to treat it. I have found that a small amount of hard boiled egg yolk smushed around the pill is a great tool. I make sure to not overcook the egg yolk, so it has enough moisture and isn’t crumbly. The less that is covering the pill the better, as it means she is more likely to swallow it whole. Takes a bit to get used to exactly the best ratio, but its one that works for me almost every time.
Sarah, thanks so much for sharing what has worked for you! That’s brilliant. I was just at a veterinary nutrition lecture in April, and the speaker talked about egg being a great food for dogs, so I’m giving you two thumbs up. 🙂 Just watch the total calorie count if your dog is prone to weight gain.
My dog is recovering from neck disc surgery. He immediately turned from being an excellent pill-eating dog (barely coat in hummus or PB or anything, snaps it up) to apparently being suspicious of all pills due to the diminished state they leave him in. I can get a tiny prednisone in, but they have him on a pretty damn big gabapentin, a huge methocarbonol pill and also a small amount of an anti-anxiety. I had them compounded and flavored as liquids and he DESPISES the taste of all, so I had to force them in — 3-4 SQUIRTS, 3 TIMES A DAY. It was a huge, physical struggle, just what he does not need. Now, he’s relapsing with pain (probably due to an ultrasound, but the dosing isn’t a plus!) and when returned to me, he is not just struggling but biting me. So I’ve returned to TRYING to mix this stuff in food, to no avail. I agree with the person above — there must be some dogs who 100% will not eat their medications, and you just have to be resigned to it or pay a vet $$$ x times a day to do it. For me, I have a few more WEEKS of this, so if I do liquids via oral syringe, that’s a minimum of 189 times I have to squirt odious meds into his unwilling mouth. It’s a desperately, uniquely demoralizing situation.
Oh, Matthew. I’m so sorry to hear of your dog’s disc issues plus the problems medicating him. I can completely understand how that would feel demoralizing. I guess compounding makes the most sense in your situation. There are not reasonable alternatives for those drugs for dogs. Incidentally, I want to commend you for persevering in adversity and I hope your dog recovers uneventfully.
So I just took my dog to the vet and unfortunately, she has a kidney infection. Her doctor prescribed her pills and gave her a shot. But here’s the problem, she doesn’t want to eat anything but drink water. We tried to wrap the pill in food but she still doesn’t want to eat it. What should I do?
Hi Kimberly, Unfortunately lack of appetite may be part of the kidney diagnosis. I would reach out to your vet to ask about injectable treatment options and/or an appetite stimulant. Hopefully your dog will get over this hump quickly and get back to eating normally.
Mix canned dog food with just enough water to make a cake batter consistency. Then get a medicine syringe from PetSmart. Block the nozzle and fill the syringe from the top with the mix (it will be too thick to draw up into the syringe). Then syringe it into the dogs mouth. Using a thicker mixture, the dog can’t spit it out.
Or, make the mix like above. Then use a silicone spatula and put a little of the mix on, then put on the roof of the dogs mouth.
Right now I’m trying to give her meds n I’m not succeeding at it I try chicken breast even treats where u can hide it n nothing she has to get her meds in she has diarrhea n also was throwing up help
Hello Mayra,
I’m so sorry to hear this. I’m sure that not feeling successful in medicating your dog is discouraging. But I think there’s more we must consider. If a dog is vomiting, it’s very difficult, if not contraindicated, to give oral medications. Please call your vet to make sure he/she is aware of the vomiting and diarrhea. It’s possible they will want to have you bring in your dog for injectable medications until the GI signs are under control.
I have tried everything. And I am wondering if there comes a point in time when a dog simply will not take the medication. It breaks my heart to write this, but I am feeling so helpless at this point. I can’t even have my dog live with me most of the time because he has to take so many medications throughout the day, that he has to be with my mom who is retired. She called me crying today because he wouldn’t take his heart medication. How do I know when I am causing more distress to my dog?
Hi Shelbie, I hear the frustration and sadness in your post and I understand. Step One for you is to reach out to your vet to explain what is going on. There may be modifications that can be made in the medications so that they can be dosed less frequently. It’s important for your vet to understand what a critical issue this is for your family’s quality of life. I’m optimistic that a creative solution can be found. And don’t forget about the last option in the article–compounding. Any medication can be put in a liquid or in capsules and flavored to your dog’s liking. Please reach out to your vet to discuss! Thanks!
My dog Jackie Peanut will be 16 years this March. She is a 7 pound Rat terrier with a little chi in her. Her medications are Gabapentin, enalapril & tramadol. I have tried everything you have mentioned and Jackie won’t take her 3 medications in the am. Jackie has Kidney problems so her medication is crucial. She also has 1 pill in the afternoon which I had my vet change to liquid(Gabapentin). I feel really bad giving it to her she acts like it’s poison. The nightly 3 pills she takes easier due to the house smelling of the food and I disguise it in our food.
She needs her medication to walk. I feel my day has become consumed with getting her pills in her. Her
This morning again I tried unsuccessfully cooking sausage to make the house smell like dinner. She had gone back to sleep after not eating her meds this morning.. She didn’t wake for the sausage which sometimes works. She is now going for laser therapy to help her back legs.Hwr right front paw can’t hit the floor without her meds. The problem also is when she doesn’t take her meds when she wakes in the afternoon she can’t walk. I have done massage therapy on her for a long time now but that isn’t working much anymore. This technique was wonderful and I learned it volunteering at
Guiding Eyes For The Blind.
I just ended my Animal Rescue last year. I have worked with many of the animals helping them with medication and trying different techniques have always eventually worked. I feel really badly working with animals such as
dogs, cats, chinchillas, rabbits, birds etc. and now having major issues with my own pet.
Wildlife was extremely difficult and yet worked out. My vets have given me suggestions but now are not working.
Once Jackie has eaten dinner & her meds she won’t eat that food again.
I’d love any suggestion you might have.
Thank you!
Hello Louise,
I’m so sorry to hear of your difficulties getting medications into Jackie, particularly because it is so critical for her to have them. Is it possible that part of the problem is that she just doesn’t have much of an appetite in the morning? This is a common issue for dogs with kidney disease, and if this is a part of the picture, talk to your vet about an appetite stimulant that might help her eat and take her pills better (disguised in food). Will she let you just “pill her” and pop the pills down her throat? For dogs that won’t fall for “the tricks”, this method is the most efficient. I would always recommend following up with a water chaser (syringing a little water into her mouth) afterwards to make sure the pills make it all the way down the esophagus to her stomach.
I didn’t read all the comments here and maybe someone post it before but I take a quarter of a slice of low fat cheese, make a little ball and my dog never knows what he is swallowing.
Thanks for the tip, Jose! The low-fat part is key to reduce the risk of causing pancreatitis. It’s great that you and your dog have developed a system that works!
Hi there…I have 2 white peekinesse…my boy bb is almost 12 and my girl Chrystal turned 10 in October….I give them trifectis…flea’s…ticks…heartworm in one…It smells awful…I mean awful…as you said washing hands is very important…I give them a small amount of liverwurst to get them to take the pill..they are very smart…I have to go through a process that takes time…they know…I have to cut bbs in half and Chrystal in quarters…she has a small mouth….I put little pancake like then walk away from it..then I place each piece on top of it…wash hands and go away…then I put a little piece of liverwurst on top of the pieces…wash hands…carefully squish together and then I will start getting them excited about a treat and give a piece of clean treat then slip the one with the piece of pill in it…I know this takes time to do but it works…I also have to give Chrystal a half a pill small apaquil pill to control her skin…I use a small amount of the liverwurst to give it to her each night as a treat…works like a charm…I never give them liverwurst any other time of the day….strictly night between 6/7 PM…did you know that they can tell time??? Well mine do and lets me know when it’s time for this…amazing how this works for my fur babies…
Hi Katrina,
Thanks for sharing your experience! Congratulations on being creative and achieving success in this process with your dogs!
It was suggested to me to get some smelly canned cat food to hide the pill in. Works like a charm. My dog can’t wait to have her car food “treat”.
Hi Lisa, Thanks for sharing your successful idea with us! I would caution you to just use as little cat food as possible, since canned cat food is typically very high protein and calorie dense, but it sounds like you’ve discovered a brilliant solution. Thanks for sharing!
The cat food treat for my dogs 2 which have crossed the rainbow bridge and my current dog. Charlie a mutt, Max a chihuahua and now Sheeba a chihuahua has always been effective. I used to feed the cat a door down from me warmed cat food heated on the oven door. When I wasn’t looking my beloved mutt Charlie would snatch it up and eat it. Ok you’re one up on me Charlie but I’m gonna sit and wait on this next one. Because this is for George the cat. I always wanted George to have a warm meal because he was outside in the cold so much. If the neighbors door was unlocked I would let him in so he could be out of the elements. Just saying. Love ? those fur babies.
I would love it if any of these pill hacks worked for me. he has e coli that has been resistant to 3000mg per day of cephalexin caps, which we are trying again. all my hacks – meatballs (eats around the good stuff and rejecting the pill) mixing it in wet food (sometimes but not always), pill pockets (worked at first then not), marshmallows (texture), peanut butter (doesn’t like it) etc, etc. You can’t touch his mouth to pill (otherwise I would do so), as you can’t even touch his mouth at all. I have avoided all subsequent tests to see if there is another issue bc I can’t get meds into him. I really do not expect any answer, just frustrated and venting. My vet can’t seem to come up with any alternative solutions.
Thanks
Hi Laurie, I’m so sorry for your frustration and all your dog’s health issues. It sounds like you both have been through a lot! In a situation like yours, I do sometimes offer my clients a workaround. Would you be willing to learn how to give injections? If you’d be willing and you think your dog would tolerate it, I’d express all that you shared in your comment to your vet and ask if there is an injectable option that you could do at home. Wishing you and your dog smoother medication sessions in the days to come!
My dog will not be fooled by hiding a pill in a treat of any kind. My solution is to put it in a gelatin capsule. I split the tablet so the two pieces fit rather snugly, close it up, and cover it with a bit of moist dog food. He seems to not notice it at all.
This is a great tip and one I should have included in the blog. Putting pills in gelatin capsules is a great “trick.” They are inexpensive and can be obtained at most pharmacies, health food stores, and even online. Thank you for the comment!
I am going to try this ! Mybeagle that is on Predinsone has figured it out tryed all methods listed and he has to take this medisone it’s a matter of his life ?
It’s amazing how smart they are and that beagle nose, of course, is smelling out every molecule of medication! Talk to your veterinarian about compounding if all else fails. Good luck, Susane!
This article has some great ideas. Yes, I have been aware of most of these tricks along the way, but it was nice to see them all listed together.
I appreciate the time and effort it took to write such a good article for us. I really enjoyed reading it, and not only for the 5 tips that were helpful, but also for the cute little jokes and bits of well-placed humor that this post was laced with.
And for that reason alone I decided to write this comment.
Thanks so much for your comment and encouraging words, Leontine! You inspire me to keep writing with a light heart and a mission to help people better help their dogs!
I have a large dog and can pry her mouth open. Poke her anti-inflammatory and Pepcid over the back of her tongue. She then gets a “treat chaser”. I show her the treat beforehand and put it between my lips so she can keep her eyes on it. Use hard treats.
We use Bil-Jac dogfood, the refrigerator kind, to mold around the pill. We give it as treats when they come in from outside too. They gobble it up. I worry about using a marshmallow go hide a pill. I am afraid they might choke on it.
I hide my boys pills in his canned food. He takes 14 pills a day so I just make meatballs out of his food and place a few pills in there at a time. He swallows them right up.
For those on a natural diet or doesn’t want to add sugar, veggies, or processed foods (or for a really picky dog who loves an Awesome treat…) I use “Mother Natures” pill pockets.. raw Chicken or Turkey hearts! Has a natural pocket built in! My dog normally just eats capsules and tablets, but large tablets get a heart! Most grocery stores carry or can order them! (of course, my dogs never needed any nasty conventional medicine since he’s so healthy from being raw fed and naturally raised since a pup, but hope this tip might help someone else!)
One of the dogs I am currently medicating is a real challenge. Her tastes change like a pregnant woman! She has taught me to switch it up!! Sometimes a chunk of baked sweet potato works. Braunschweiger has worked a number of times.
My dog is the DELIGHTFUL creature who will spit out any pill given with food but will happily have them shoved down his throat. Freaking weirdo.
Thank you for this much needed laugh today!
This was most helpful for me as I have problems dispensing medication to my dog Casper. I realized many mistakes and hope to use theses. Thank you