Step By Step - How To Give Your Dog a Pill

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Getting your dog to swallow a certain pill or med could be a really hard thing to do for the majority of dog owners. Many of us have been there; you try to give your dog a pill, only to notice it on the floor a few seconds later. Whatever the reason behind your dog needing pills, you must ensure that he swallows them.

If your dog is stubborn and you can't find a possible solution for him to swallow a pill, there are a few things you can try. Some of these tips will work immediately; if you own a ridiculously smart dog, you will have to put in a little more effort.

The easiest way you can try to give a pill to your dog

Many dog owners will reach for human food to trick their dogs into taking pills. For most of them, this trick will work, and their dog will take the pill without knowing. You can take one piece of banana and stick the pill inside, or even wrap the pill with salami.

For stubborn dogs, there are pill pockets.

What are pill pockets?

Pill pockets are dog treats made in a pocket shape. You can take a pill, put it in the pill pocket, and trick your dog into taking it. Pill pockets are extremely effective, and the reason behind this is that they are so tasty.

To learn more about pill pockets, make sure to read this article - What Are Pill Pockets For Dogs & How To Choose The Best Ones  

Insert the pill directly into a dog's mouth

If the tricks above don't seem to work, and you have an extra intelligent dog that sees your every move and manages to escape taking the pill. Don’t beat yourself up. You can still perform things to ensure your dog takes the recommended pill.

Next, you should place a pill directly into a dog's mouth. However, this is more complex, and you must know the proper steps to ensure everything goes as planned.

Follow these steps, and you can be sure that your dog will take the pill.

1. Place your dog in a secure area where you can safely handle him. Avoid tight spaces with many things around because they all pose a danger for your dog if he becomes restless.

2. Pill should be placed between your thumb and index finger

3. Open your dog's mouth with your hands. With one hand, you should hold the upper jaw while the other hand is holding the lower dog's jaw.

4. While holding your dog's jaw, tilt the dog's head backward, which will cause the lower jaw to open automatically.

5. If the mouth is not open fully, use your hand to separate the upper and lower jaw

6. Place the pill on your dog's tongue. You need to ensure not to put your fingers far back in your dog's mouth since this could trigger the gag effect. The best place to put a pill is the middle of your dog's tongue

7. After placing the pill, close your dog's mouth and slowly put his head in the normal position while holding his mouth closed.

8. That's it. At this moment, your dog should successfully swallow the pill.

*Note: If you are unsure how to follow these steps properly, we advise you to ask your vet to demonstrate them to you to avoid any complications or health concerns for your dog.

What to do if nothing seems to work?

We hope that the tricks mentioned above will work for your dog and that you found a way for your dog to take the pill. If you still can’t get your dog to take the pill, you should speak with your vet. He will surely have a few more recommendations on what you can do for your dog in order for him to take the recommended pill.

World Dog Finder team