Pills and the stubborn pup...HALP!

[AkNeoLover]

Anyone have any tried and true methods for getting drugs down a 170 lb pups throat that Does. Not. Want.???

The jaw clenching is just killing me. The ONLY things we have been able to get down the Trollbug (with a LARGE battle) have been the antibiotics.

[Itsapyr]

velveeta cheese, or a giant glob of butter

[ALDOGMOM]

They sell pill pockets at Petsmart...Most dogs love them.
Cheap hot dogs will work too for some dogs...stuff the pill down in the center.

I use the Kong stuffing that comes in a can (liver flavored) for Bogey. He will pick his heartworm preventative out of his food but if I cover it with Kong stuffing he snarfs it right down.

Good luck!

[sam.i.am]

I have been using pumpkin (plain, canned). I did not think it would work, but Oliver loves it. And, I am giving him boat-loads of pills/supplements/etc. each day and it's been easy. I have also used canned butternut squash and canned sweet potato. All worked well, but pumpkin has the best ability to hold it's shape rather than being gloppy, so I use that most, but I rotate.
Oh, before the pumpkin, I used liverwurst. Very sure-fire, but kind of gross.
Delilah likes american cheese wrapped around pills.
Peanut butter is OK, but I'm sure you've tried that....
Hmmm,

[Yeti_Girl]

I used the pill pockets. They work pretty well.

Are they capsules or solid pills? Can you mush them up or break them apart and put them in a treat in powder form?

We were taught about the "pill pocket" at the back of the jaw by our breeder. If you can get his mouth open, there's a natural pocket way back there that you can sort of plop the pill in and they can't spit it back out. It gets a little slimy but works.

[Terry]

when Bella was on all those meds I put them in a piece of hot dog. Hot dogs are so smelly they cover up the smell of the pill. Good luck.

[AkNeoLover]

Thanks All! I'm gonna try the "pocket in the back of the throat". The problem I am having is the antibiotics have stolen his appetite, so I have kind of a vicious circle going on. Gotta get the pills down him but he isn't interested in any food/treats so I have to force them down his throat.
I just "forced" Metoclopramide (supposed to help with nausea and loss of appetite) down him. If he doesn't eat SOMETHING by tomorrow he has to go back to the hospital. UGH!!!
Please cross your fingers/paws/eyes that this will help. I really do not want to take him back to the hospital!

[ToBScholarly]

Reggie never went for the pills in food. He would eat around it then spit the pill back out. We had to force his mouth open and thrust the pill into the back of his throat and then hold his mouth closed until he swallowed.

Good times. I feel for ya.

[AkNeoLover]

Reggie never went for the pills in food. He would eat around it then spit the pill back out. We had to force his mouth open and thrust the pill into the back of his throat and then hold his mouth closed until he swallowed.

Good times. I feel for ya.

Yeah, that's exactly where we are right now. Thank goodness the big lug loves me and hasn't bitten me!

[Swissy Mom]

Well, with Shiva I had to put his heart meds in the back of his throat and make him swallow. My GSD used to be the same way. My lab would inhale everything so it was never an issue with her. So far, with Cash, a coating of PB or cream cheese works well. If I give him something like a piece of cheese he often eats the cheese and leaves the pill, but if I coat it with a small glob of something gooey he will just take it and swallow.

Good luck!

[leomom]

Cleo always ate around the food and then spit out the pill, but cream cheese seems to work with her too.

[Itsapyr]

Cleo always ate around the food and then spit out the pill, but cream cheese seems to work with her too.

Cream cheese is good too. You should try giving a pill to Hattie.::runs for suit of armor with steel gloves::

[AkNeoLover]

Well, some good news. I have resorted to smashing the antibiotics (supposed to be chewable so I figured What the Heck, right?) and mixing them with some pumpkin. Worked this morning, we'll see if he falls for it this evening. Thankfully the Meto (anti anusea) is small enough that I can coat it with butter and get it down his throat. He ate about half a breast of the store bought Rotisserie chicken last night and a handful of Yummy Chummies this morning, so I am calling that progress. And on a much happier note he is walking all by himself this morning, and even putting some good pressure on the newly fixed leg. I was talking with a girlfriend the other day and said it's a good thing I do what I do for a living (pastry chef - playing with LOTS of bread dough every day) otherwise I never would have been able to sling his heavy butt up and down the stairs!!
So, I guess it's a minor YAY on the pups progress this morning. *thanks everyone for listening to me whine for the last couple days*

[bren]

Yay for success!!

[sam.i.am]

That is wonderful news. I'm so glad he's eating and you've gotten some pills into him.

Are you saying that you pick Troll up?
I'm struggling with helping Oliver and he is 30 pounds lighter. WOW, you are very strong!

[AkNeoLover]

That is wonderful news. I'm so glad he's eating and you've gotten some pills into him.

Are you saying that you pick Troll up?
I'm struggling with helping Oliver and he is 30 pounds lighter. WOW, you are very strong!

I have a sling that we crafted out of a large bag that had handles and we wrapped a towel around it for a little cushion on T-bugs belly/hips, - but, yeah, I was hefting his rear end up so he could walk/hop outside or wherever he needed to go. Needless to say, my back and arms are a little sore now

[sam.i.am]

I'm slingin' Oliver, too, but I cannot imagine him being as big as Troll. My back is all out of whack from helping Oliver around.

I hope you can get a few massages during Troll's recovery so that your back gets a nice break

[ToBScholarly]

Sweet Shiva I love the phrase Yummy Chummies!

I am going to use that to refer to all kinds of things now.

[AkNeoLover]

Sweet Shiva I love the phrase Yummy Chummies!

I am going to use that to refer to all kinds of things now.

*giggles*
They really are a pup treat : http://www.yummychummies.com/ And quite good, too...or at least the Bug thinks so!

[ShilohsGirlJen]

careful with that back. it took 2 months after I had to carry Shiloh into the vet for my back to settle down. She was 150ish pounds by then and I am no weakling..