Convincing a dog to swallow pills that smell suspicious, taste bitter, and feel unpleasant can be a challenge. Forcing a dog to swallow a pill can result in a bite or disrupt a human-canine relationship. So what’s the best approach to getting a reluctant dog to take a pill? One of these methods can help:
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- Hiding the medicine in food. Of course, you have to use the right food—something the dog values highly works best—and there are some tricks to hiding it convincingly.
- Use pill pockets. These treats are specifically designed to better hide pills from dogs. You can use the commercial products (such as these from Greenies), or you can make them from scratch yourself.
- Try a “pill gun”. Also called a piller or pill shooter, these devices make it easier to get the pill past your dog’s teeth and released into the very back of his mouth, where it will be more difficult to avoid swallowing it.
- Ask your veterinarian’s staff to demonstrate their technique, so you can give that a try.
Best Foods for Hiding Medications
When looking to hide medication from a dog, it helps to use foods that have a strong smell and taste. It can also help to use something that thoroughly coats the pill. Some of the most effective pill-hiding foods are:
- Soft cheese, goat cheese, or cream cheese
- Raw or cooked ground beef or other meat
- Hot dog pieces
- Soft spreads like liverwurst
- Nut butters
- Pureed pumpkin
- Mashed strongly flavored fish like sardines or mackerel
If using a prepared food like peanut butter or flavored spread, check the label to be sure it doesn’t contain ingredients that are toxic to dogs such as onions or sweeteners like xylitol.
How to Effectively Hide Pills in Food
- Pack the cheese, meat, or other treat around the pill, but not while your dog is watching. Create a morsel large enough to surround the pill but small enough for your dog to swallow whole. Biting into a bitter-tasting pill can ruin your dog’s attachment to any treat, even a favorite.
- Another strategy is to learn whether a pill can be crushed without harming its medicinal properties. If so, try crushing it in a plastic bag with a rolling pin or hammer, then mix the powdered bits into canned or pureed wet food.
- Wash your hands after handling the medication. Dogs’ noses are so sensitive, your pup will recognize the medication’s fragrance if you don’t.
Tricks for Getting Your Dog to Eat the Hidden Medicines
- Pretend to eat the medicated treat yourself. Everything you eat is of interest to your dog and he’ll want some, too.
- If you have another dog, set up a rewards session and feed treats to both of them. Most dogs eat everything faster when there’s potential competition.
- Give your dog five treats in quick succession with the treat that holds the pill somewhere in the middle. Your dog won’t have time to do anything but swallow the next treat.
- If you use pill pockets, offer one from time to time that contains only a special treat with no pills. This will make pill pockets less suspicious.
- Administer pills immediately before a fun activity like going for a walk, running in the yard, or playing an indoor game. Soon your dog will associate medication time with play time.
Try Pill Pockets for Dogs
Pill pockets are hollow treats are designed to hold tablets or capsules. There are also formulas designed for cats available, so be sure to select a brand and type intended for dogs. One popular brand is Greenies Pill Pockets, which come in four flavors (chicken, cheese, hickory smoke, and peanut butter).
For pill pockets with minimal ingredients, try making your own. You will need:
1/4 cup water, milk, or bone broth
1/4 cup peanut or almond butter (without added salt or sugar)
1/2 cup wheat or gluten-free flour
Mix the water, milk, or bone broth with the nut butter and flour. Roll dough into balls (1/2 teaspoon each) and use the round tip of a wooden spoon or chopstick to form a pill-sized indentation in each ball.
These homemade pill-pockets can be refrigerated for 1 week or frozen for up to 6 months.
Using Pillers, Pill Poppers, Pill Shooters or Pill Guns to Give a Dog a Pill
If efforts to disguise a pill in food or treats fail, you can try a pill gun to give your dog a pill without food. Available from vet clinics and pet supply stores, this syringe-like tool drops a tablet or capsule through a tube into your dog’s mouth. See the Lxnoap Pet Pill Gun at Amazon and other suppliers.
Load it with a pill, gently open your dog’s mouth, and drop the pill at the back of the throat. Follow with a small amount of water and massage your dog’s throat to encourage her swallowing reflex. Then check her mouth to be sure it’s gone as some dogs are clever about hiding pills and then spitting them out when no one’s looking.
When All Else Fails…
If your dog is still resisting, ask your veterinarian for help. Vet techs are pilling experts and can give you a detailed demonstration, or your vet may be able to supply the medication in a different form, such as liquid or flavored, that is easier to administer.
