Help getting puppy to swollow a pill

Truxaw · 06-16-2011, 04:39 PM

Hi everyone,

I just want to start by saying I’m new to the forums and I think they are fantastic. It's been a rough day for my wife and I, one of our little ones Zelda has been acting real strange recently. We started to become convinced that she had Parvovirus. The Vet ran some test and we found out earlier today that she does not have the disease. What a relief! However, she does have worms and some digestion problems. We have worm medication and some pills labeled TMPS and she is to take a half a pill twice a day.

Zelda is only 7 1/2 weeks old and I am finding it particularly hard to get her to take this half pill. its probably about the size of the home button on an iPhone (hehehehheeh). I tried putting it in a little bit of bread and she just chewed the bread until the pill fell out and left the pill alone. I was thinking about crumbling it up and putting it into water for her but i don't know how much of it she will actually get into her system. when i was growing up we had Saluki’s and i can remember my mom forcing them to take their pills but little Zelda is so tiny I just don't want to hurt her.

Any suggestions would be appreciated by all of us.

-Brian, Zelda and Eva

onyx'girl · 06-16-2011, 04:42 PM

I gently blow on the nostrils which will cause the dog to open the mouth, then place the pill way back and hold the muzzle close while again gently blowing on the nostrils. It will cause the dog to swallow.
If you and your pup are fighting this, then disguise it in some cheese(american molds to the pill) and toss a couple bites of cheese, then the one that is loaded, usually the dog will swallow it right down.

crisp · 06-16-2011, 04:43 PM

Can you crush up the pill and mix it in with a teaspoon of cottage cheese or something yummy.

Mac's Mom · 06-16-2011, 04:46 PM

Welcome to the forum. I'm so happy its not parvo. Have you tried the treats especially designed for this purpose? My vet sells them. I sneak pills into small pieces of hot dog. Can you crush it and mix it in with some hamburger? I'm not a medical professional so have no idea if its ok to feed this pill with food or whatever. Hope you get some good advice.

kiya · 06-16-2011, 04:50 PM

My dogs wont touch bread. Try liverworst if you can't get the pill down her throat, it's much kinder.

jressler · 06-16-2011, 04:53 PM

I coat mine with peanut butter and my pup just swallows them in one gulp.

Tbarrios333 · 06-16-2011, 04:57 PM

Denali KNOWS when I've messed with her food and she won't have it! I usually have to open the mouth and stick the pill waaaay back in there. Far enough that they can only swallow it and not work it back up.
This is why it's so important to teach them to let you mess with their mouth when they're little

clearcreekranch · 06-16-2011, 05:13 PM

cut up wieners

1sttimeforgsd · 06-16-2011, 05:31 PM

I have used both hot dogs and cheese, they both work for mine.

Klamari · 06-16-2011, 05:34 PM

Be sure to ask your vet if it's ok to crush the pill. It's a capsule (a plastic outer shell encasing granules/liquid), you probably don't want to crush it.
If it's just a tablet, then most of the time it's ok. Crushing a capsule can change how the med is absorbed, which can decrease efficacy.

Rayne swallows anything I hand to her

so I don't have advice there, sorry.

06-16-2011, 04:39 PM	#1 (permalink)
Truxaw New Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Ozark, AR Posts: 6	Help getting puppy to swollow a pill Hi everyone, I just want to start by saying I’m new to the forums and I think they are fantastic. It's been a rough day for my wife and I, one of our little ones Zelda has been acting real strange recently. We started to become convinced that she had Parvovirus. The Vet ran some test and we found out earlier today that she does not have the disease. What a relief! However, she does have worms and some digestion problems. We have worm medication and some pills labeled TMPS and she is to take a half a pill twice a day. Zelda is only 7 1/2 weeks old and I am finding it particularly hard to get her to take this half pill. its probably about the size of the home button on an iPhone (hehehehheeh). I tried putting it in a little bit of bread and she just chewed the bread until the pill fell out and left the pill alone. I was thinking about crumbling it up and putting it into water for her but i don't know how much of it she will actually get into her system. when i was growing up we had Saluki’s and i can remember my mom forcing them to take their pills but little Zelda is so tiny I just don't want to hurt her. Any suggestions would be appreciated by all of us. -Brian, Zelda and Eva

06-16-2011, 04:42 PM	#2 (permalink)
onyx'girl Crowned Member Join Date: May 2007 Location: SW, MI Posts: 17,600	I gently blow on the nostrils which will cause the dog to open the mouth, then place the pill way back and hold the muzzle close while again gently blowing on the nostrils. It will cause the dog to swallow. If you and your pup are fighting this, then disguise it in some cheese(american molds to the pill) and toss a couple bites of cheese, then the one that is loaded, usually the dog will swallow it right down. __________________ Jane~ Kept by Onyx, Kacie and Gideon v Wildhaus aka Karlo

06-16-2011, 04:43 PM	#3 (permalink)
crisp Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Palatine IL Posts: 492	Can you crush up the pill and mix it in with a teaspoon of cottage cheese or something yummy. __________________ chris and clark (whelped 07/18/2008)

06-16-2011, 04:46 PM	#4 (permalink)
Mac's Mom Knighted Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Midwest Posts: 2,035	Welcome to the forum. I'm so happy its not parvo. Have you tried the treats especially designed for this purpose? My vet sells them. I sneak pills into small pieces of hot dog. Can you crush it and mix it in with some hamburger? I'm not a medical professional so have no idea if its ok to feed this pill with food or whatever. Hope you get some good advice. __________________ Carrie Mac - 2 year old GSD Bart - 4 year old GSD/Akita & 3 Cats Buffy, Rusty & Magoo

06-16-2011, 04:50 PM	#5 (permalink)
kiya Elite Member Join Date: May 2010 Location: Long Island Posts: 1,907	My dogs wont touch bread. Try liverworst if you can't get the pill down her throat, it's much kinder. __________________ Carolyn Apache - Shiloh Shepherd 12/15/02 Kiya - Shiloh Shepherd 5/15/04 Lakota - WGSD 1/13/10

06-16-2011, 04:53 PM	#6 (permalink)
jressler Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 38	I coat mine with peanut butter and my pup just swallows them in one gulp.

06-16-2011, 04:57 PM	#7 (permalink)
Tbarrios333 Knighted Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Ft. Myers, FL Posts: 2,549	Denali KNOWS when I've messed with her food and she won't have it! I usually have to open the mouth and stick the pill waaaay back in there. Far enough that they can only swallow it and not work it back up. This is why it's so important to teach them to let you mess with their mouth when they're little

06-16-2011, 05:13 PM	#8 (permalink)
clearcreekranch Master Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Friendswood, Texas Posts: 856	cut up wieners

06-16-2011, 05:31 PM	#9 (permalink)
1sttimeforgsd Crowned Member Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: West Virginia Posts: 4,891	I have used both hot dogs and cheese, they both work for mine. __________________ karen, mom to: ace-gsd (bi-color) 6/14/2010 mandy-yellow lab 1/31/2009 baby-terrier mix 11/25/2000

06-16-2011, 05:34 PM	#10 (permalink)
Klamari Master Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: South TEXAS Posts: 596	Be sure to ask your vet if it's ok to crush the pill. It's a capsule (a plastic outer shell encasing granules/liquid), you probably don't want to crush it. If it's just a tablet, then most of the time it's ok. Crushing a capsule can change how the med is absorbed, which can decrease efficacy. Rayne swallows anything I hand to her so I don't have advice there, sorry. __________________ ~ Cayla 'Rayne' Karma v. Wildhaus (2/2011)

Remove Advertisements Sponsored Links
German Shepherd Advertisement