Medications and Your Dog

By Joseph Devine

Do you have trouble giving your dog his or her medications? With some dogs it can be a very difficult process. There are dogs who love to take their medicine, and there are dogs that will fight against you forever. Unfortunately, there is not a lot that you can do about this. A dog's personality is what really affects whether or not it will be an easy task to administer medications. Also, some dogs will be perfectly willing to take certain medications, but will fight against others. This can be a big surprise to you if a new medication is prescribed and your dog suddenly rejects it. If your dog doesn't like to take medicine, there are a few tricks that you can try to keep your dog healthy.

The first thing to do is figure out what kind of medications you have to give. Most medications come in pill form, but your dog may need medications that do not. For instance, there are topical medications for rashes that your dog might need. It is also possible that your dog needs to take some medicine that comes in a liquid form. You may even need to administer a medication directly to your dog's eyes.

With pills, some dogs will eat them without complaint. Most dogs, however, will not. You may want to try hiding your dog's pills in his or her favourite treat. This is slightly harder to do if your dog's favourite treat is a milk-bone. In that case, you can try to hide it in some peanut butter or cheese. This can make life much easier for you, and make your dog think that he or she is getting a treat. Everybody wins. Some dogs still will not take their pills this way. If that is the case with your dog, you may want to try placing the pill in the back of your dog's mouth and holding it shut. You know that the pill was swallowed when you see your dog lick his or her nose. To make the process go faster, you may want to try rubbing your dog's throat while you hold the mouth shut.

For other types of medications, things can get just as tricky. You have to hold your dog still, and keep the eyes open to administer eye medications. On top of that, you do not want to scratch your dog's eye.

With liquid medications, you can either pour it on your dog's food, or use a syringe to force it down your dog's throat.

Topical medications are easiest. You just have to rub them on the affected area.

If you have more questions about administering medications to your dog, please contact your local Dallas Veterinarian Clinic.

Joseph Devine