Giving pills to a cat or dog can be a big challenge for many pet owners. Some of them are so sensible that they disappear once they hear you opening the cabinet to get their pills. When you find them, opening their mouth would be another problem. In situations like these, what do you do?
Not many dogs like to swallow pills, and no amount of reasoning can make them change their mind. The only way to get around this is to try a new approach and be tricky about it. In this guide, we will share some tricks and tips to get your pet to eat their pills without any hassle. One of these ideas will definitely work for you!
One thing that tips your dog or cat off when you want to give them their pill is the smell. These beautiful creatures have a much stronger sense of smell than humans, so they can smell it early and run off. One of the best ways to bit them in this game is to hide the pill in wet food with a strong, sweet smell. If the smell of the food is strong enough, it will overshadow the scent of the pills, making it completely undetectable. Your pet will naturally eat their food and drown the pill without knowing.
The grinding method works very well with treats. Grind the pill thoroughly until it is powdery. In its powder form, mix it with a treat like sour cream or peanut butter. You can also mix it with other food products you use and that your pet likes. Consider mixing it in small quantities so your pet will eat all of it and get the full dose of the pill. Make sure your pet does not see you when grinding and mixing the pill.
Another helpful trick is faking them out. To do this, buy or make up large soft treats that can hold their pills. The treat should be big enough to cover the pill without exposing any part. Next, give the treat to your pet randomly, including the ones with the meds.
If your dog is always at your heels when opening a new bag of food or treats or watching you cook and desperately waiting for scraps to fall to the floor, you can easily trick them to take their pills. While opening the food or cooking dinner, you can trick them by knocking the meds off the countertop. They will quickly rush and eat it up, thinking it is the scrap they expect to fall to the floor. This treat works better when the med is slathered in meat grease or melted butter.
This trick is for those with more than one pet at home. Treat times are always fun when you have two or more dogs at home. They will all lineup, competing or patiently waiting for their turn to receive a treat. You can leverage the competition, add the pill to a treat, and give it to the pet who needs it.
While some meds do not have strong smells, they can be utterly bitter for cats and dogs. Your pet might spit them out even when you hide them in treats or food because of their bitter taste. For such pills, the best solution is to use a capsule. Purchase an empty capsule and put the medicine in it. The cap gel will prevent the pill from touching your pet’s tongue, so they will not taste it.
Fill Treat Dispensers with a mix of food, treats and the supplement! Treat Dispensers are a good way to scramble the capsule with other food so your pet (hopefully) can’t tell the difference! A treat dispenser can also work as a toy and your pet may associate taking supplements with this positive reinforcement!
Pets are only attracted to things that smell good and taste nice. Pills are one of their enemies, but we can’t help but give them when needed. With these simple tricks, you would be able to give your pet their pills without any struggle.