Tricks for pilling your pet

Giving your pet the medication they need at home can seem overwhelming for many pet owners; here are a few tips and tricks to ease the pain of pilling your pet.

“Sasha doesn’t like pills, but she loves treats.” Get sneaky and hide the pill in a treat! Smear it in peanut butter or yogurt, stick it in cheese or bread, or wrap it in a small piece of deli meat. There are also pre-packaged treats available at pet supply stores that are made specifically for hiding pills.

“Buster foams at the mouth and spits out the pills I give to him.” Some medications just taste bad. Your veterinarian will tell you when they are prescribing a medication that is known to be bitter tasting when chewed or licked. Transferring the pill into an empty gel capsule is a good solution for this. Empty gel caps can be purchased at pharmacies and health food stores. “Pill guns” are also an effective way to get a pill past your pet’s mouth without him tasting it. They are available at pet supply stores and require some practice to get the hang of, so ask your veterinarian to demonstrate using it.

“Smokey gags when I put a pill down her throat.” Tablets and capsules sometimes stick in your pet’s throat. Coat the pill with butter and store it in the freezer. The butter will help the pill slide down, and freezing it will minimize the mess. Some medications must be kept at room temperature, so check with your veterinarian to make sure it is OK to freeze the meds they have prescribed. Also make sure your pet has access to fresh water; sometimes a little drink is all they need to help things go down.

“Lucky just hates the sight of pills.” Crush the tablet, or open the capsule and mix it into his food. Some medications should not be broken up or crushed, so check with your veterinarian. Make sure your pet eats all of his food, or he might not get all the medication he needs, which would defeat the purpose of putting it in his food.