Pill Difficulty

Discussion in 'Labrador Health' started by phil, Feb 5, 2017.

  1. phil

    phil Registered Users

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    We give Zeus Benadryl on occasion in a piede of liverwurst which he takes with no problem. He has to take an antibiotic for an ear infection. Won't take it in liverwurst or any other food he normally gobbles. Ended up putting in back of mouth, holding jaw shut and rubbing throat. That may take many attempts before he swallows it. I tasted some residue on my finger and YUCK! Afterwards he acts all dejected and we get the stink eye for awhile. Any suggestions are appreciated. Thank you.
     
  2. edzbird

    edzbird Registered Users

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    How about making 3 snacks of liverwurst, cheese or what ever. Line them up and have him catch them, the pill being in the second or third one - he MIGHT just gobble it down.
    Sometimes, I drop the "snack" on the floor "by mistake" then there is a race to see who gets it first - dog wins, of course & again - straight down. I have to admit to resorting to the "back of the throat" sometimes though :( Good luck.
     
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  3. drjs@5

    drjs@5 Registered Users

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    If devious hiding doesn't do it, has to be the back of the throat :(
     
  4. Emily_BabbelHund

    Emily_BabbelHund Longest on the Forum without an actual dog

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    Maybe I'm a meanie puppy mom, but I never had any luck with the pill hiding thing with my two boys. With little foster dogs, yes, but my big boys no. MUCH easier just to quickly stick it down their throats. They don't have to taste it (ick) and there's no chance of them spitting it out later. Neither of my boys minded at all, just "open" command and fingers down the throat. Less than a second and it's done. Perhaps it's harder with Labs because they have smaller mouths and jaws?

    I did try those pill pocket things once as I had a free sample - Brogan just ate around the pill, got this horrible look on his face like I'd poisoned him, and then spit out the pill. I really do think he much preferred the "hand down the throat and then yummy treat chaser" method. :D
     
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  5. Kelsey&Axel

    Kelsey&Axel Registered Users

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    Any pill, I hide it in a gob of peanut butter and he just licks it all down
     
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  6. SwampDonkey

    SwampDonkey Registered Users

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    I've tried yogurt and baby good too. I have had the most success with hiding them in black pudding. My dogs love black pudding
     
  7. JenBainbridge

    JenBainbridge Registered Users

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    I get a big handful of treats and start doing training. He's so busy wanting the treat he doesn't notice I've swapped the treat for the tablet and gobbles it down without thinking :D
     
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  8. snowbunny

    snowbunny Registered Users

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    Have you seen a Lab wrap its mouth around a full-grown goose? :rofl:
     
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  9. charlie

    charlie Registered Users

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    I hide pills in sardines, I put them in their food bowls, gone in a split second. David is a down the hatch which I don't like. x
     
  10. MF

    MF Registered Users

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    I do like the three snack method edzbird! Snowie takes pills no problem but if I know it will taste awful, I always give a chaser to make it less awful. Snowie gets his meds and supplements in sweet potato and there are lots of no-pill portions as well, I mix it up.
     
  11. Emily_BabbelHund

    Emily_BabbelHund Longest on the Forum without an actual dog

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    Good point. Excellent, I won't have lose my "meanie mommy pill technique" with a Lab then. :p
     
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  12. Naya

    Naya Registered Users

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    I use peanut butter as its the only thing that works with her!
     
  13. Cath

    Cath Registered Users

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    When I give Fred a pill I have 3 pieces of sausage. I let him see all 3, I put the pill in the first and let him see the other pieces in my hand. He eats the first sausage quickly because he wants the other two pieces. Works every time :chuckle:
     
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  14. xxryu139xx

    xxryu139xx Registered Users

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    i use the PB method and works fine. I also just throw it into his bowl with the rest of his food and it disappears fine.
     
  15. Anne123

    Anne123 Registered Users

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    I used to give Euan his pills in peanut butter. I held the peanut butter with the pill in it high and then drop it. He would catch it and the peanut butter ended up in the back of his throat. After that, he tended to lick his paws, he liked it that much! When giving it without the butter he would spit it out and with putting it in the back of his throat, he managed to get the pill out. So with no worries the peanut butter is favorite!!
     
  16. Ski-Patroller

    Ski-Patroller Cooper, Terminally Cute

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    Most of the time we have no problems with giving pills. We often use pill pockets, and most of the time they work fine. Tilly will eat almost any treat she gets, but if Cooper gets a new treat she doesn't recognize she will take over to her bed and give it a close inspection.

    Years ago our first Lab, Ginger, was given an antibiotic for something, and apparently it upset her stomach. After a few of the pills she made the connection, and there was no way she would take them again. Apparently she could smell them regardless of what we did, and as gentle as she was, there was no way she would let us do the back of the throat thing. (This is the same lab that would sit still for blood sticks inside of her mouth). Fortunately she got over what ever it was, and the vet said Ginger was OK and probably smarter that we were about the pills.
     
  17. phil

    phil Registered Users

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    Thanks all for the advice. You have given us some good ideas.
     

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