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.
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.