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It is common knowledge that dogs are by far the most common animals kept as pets in homes today. They have grown accustomed and very friendly to human beings. Their friendly nature and empathic sensitivity make them a perfect choice for company and companionship. Most people today genuinely love their pet dogs for several reasons. Owning and keeping dogs as pets can be a demanding exercise, but it pays extremely in return. Not only for the friendship they offer, but other benefits are also derived from raising pets, dogs especially. However, to keep your dog in good health always, it is necessary to consistently feed them with the right diet and provide medications. These medications help their body fight against diseases and keep them generally in a state of good health.
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There can, however, be challenges in getting their medications to be taken as they are naturally wired to detest these substances. This feeling of dislike towards medications is very strong that some dogs outright refuse to receive medications. Considering the advantage that these drugs give them, you as the owner must ensure that your pet adheres strictly to ingesting these substances even if it means tricking and coning. So in homes with dogs, medication giving time requires a lot of craftiness and ingenuity.
Ways to get your dog to take pills
Most of the time, administering medications to your dog takes a lot of skill, tricks, and effort, but it has to be done to keep your dog healthy. Here are a few tricks or ways to give your dog pills successfully:
Hide pills in its food
It is a simple strategy that requires a deal of brain work too. It involves the process of camouflaging your dog’s drugs and mixing them with its food without any suspicion. This strategy gives an assurance that your animal will consume the drugs.
Consult with your veterinarian
You must obtain advice from your veterinarian on how to give out medicines as this would influence the strategies of giving out these medications. Some drugs work better when they are taken wholly. Others work when they are split into bits, blended, or grounded. Some medications are readily available in liquid and paste form, while others are powdered. It is therefore imperative to have this knowledge to better equip you for the task of pilling your dog.
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Keep medication boxes or bottles out of sight
This must be done, especially when gearing to administer medicines. Always keep containers out of the dog’s sight while you’re getting them and, if possible, catch your dog by surprise and give no room for it to escape.
Request for flavored capsules
The bitter taste of most medicines is one thing that discourages dogs. You can ensure that your dog thinks differently by choosing or asking for capsules with sweetened flavors that are still effective. By so doing, you can easily get medicines into your pet’s system.
Disguise the medicinal smells
Dogs have excellent noses, which they use often. Medicines, in general, give out certain scents distinct to them, and these scents can remind your dog of their presence in a room or around them. So, therefore, before handing out and giving these substances to your pet, ensure that you wash both hands to hide the smell from a distance. You can also use strong-smelling fruits like oranges and lemons to confuse your dog’s nose.
Employ distractive strategies
Dogs find it hard to focus for a long time and can be easily distracted. You can capitalize on this fact by offering them medications when they are too distracted to pay attention to the capsules. Walks and strolls are good for carrying out this act as your dog will likely swallow its pills before realizing it in moments like that.
Use the trick and treat method
Dogs find it very hard to resist treats when offered, so you can carefully hide medications within them. Foods like sardines, peanut butter, hotdog pieces can be used in carrying out this trick effectively. So your unsuspecting dog sees only treats but consumes its pills alongside.
Confuse your dog with multiple treats
It is easy for a dog to lose sight of its pills and even harder to avoid them when offered multiple foods at a go. While doing this, it is necessary to be cautious of the blood sugar level of your pet.
Disguise it as a reward
Animals like dogs love rewards, especially when they feel they have deserved them. Pamper your dog into believing this, and instead of rewarding it with toys or more food, your reward it with medicines.
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Pretend to eat it
This trick works as your dog trusts you enough to always desire what you eat. So when you pretend to eat its pill, your dog becomes interested, and that way, you can administer medications without any fuss.
Crush or split drugs before administering
This seems to reduce your dog’s hatred and anxiety towards pills and should only be done on the advice of your vet. It also makes it easy to mix pills with your dog’s meal.
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Administer by hand
This is usually the last resort when you have exhausted your options, and your dog refuses to eat. It involves forcing the medications into the mouth of your pet. It is essential to be careful and gentle when carrying out this process to avoid any form of agitation or irritation.
Conclusion
The fact that dogs dislike pills doesn’t undermine their importance in the dog’s health, so you should observe and devise a strategy to carry out medication giving exercises as their good health is essential. Dogs can also be trained to dutifully take medicines.