When you finally get something from a veterinary compounding pharmacy to give to your dog, it may be tough to introduce them to something that’s never been part of their diet before. This can lead into a series of frustrating attempts at trying to give your sick dog a pill that they need to consume as soon as possible.
There’s a variety of strategies that you can keep in mind if you want to ensure the speedy recovery of your dog through administering medication in the form of a pill. You don’t even have to worry about trying to force them into taking it. Make sure that you keep in mind the tips below the next time that you’re trying to get your dog to take their medication.
Hide the Pill With Food
It goes without saying, but dogs love to eat. Even if they’re sick, they know that eating is one of the many things that they can enjoy with relatively little to no effort to do. If you want to make sure that your dog takes the necessary pills, try to hide it in the food that you’re going to feed your dog. If it’s impossible to mix the pill with the food that your dog currently eats, try to mix it up.
When you have a pill that your dog doesn’t have to take immediately, try to change up what they eat and add in food that can easily mask the presence of a pill. Food like peanut butter, butter, salami, cheese and other similar items in appearance and taste could be introduced as a part of their daily meals. When they get used to the taste, hide the pill with the food to ensure consumption.
Hold Their Head
If your dog is sick to the point that they have no energy to even move their body energetically, you can use your hands to maneuver their head in the manner for them to easily take the pill. If you have a small dog, take the veterinary compounding pharmacy that you have in your dominant hand and use your other hand to hold their head as you drop the pill on their tongue.
With a bigger dog, you might need assistance so try to use both hands to hold the head of your dog in place. Ask someone to help you with giving the pill to your dog. The best way to ensure that the dog stays calm through the whole ordeal is to not force their head into any position. Be as gentle as possible with the entire process so they won’t be resistant in doing it again.
Give Them a Treat
A trained dog will know and love the presence of a treat. Even if they get sick, they’ll still know that the treat is something that’s there to give them happiness. In a way, you may even cheer up your sick dog by giving them a treat every now and then. However, you can use the treat as a way to get them to take their medication.
Use these simple tips the next time you need to give your pet a pill. If you fail the first time, keep on trying!
Do you need a veterinary compounding pharmacy to get the best medicine for your pet? We got your back covered at Akina Animal Health. Contact us for more info.
