Problems giving medicine

[ashleykeri]

I need to give my puppy his medicine for Giardia and I cannot for the life of me get him to cooperate. I've given it to him four times already and each time he is more resistant. He's squirming like crazy, this feels impossible. I don't have anyone to help me at the moment, and I've tried everything I can think of from trying to make him calm first to putting him on a counter top that he can't get down from.

It's liquid medicine so I can't really disguise it. Any suggestions on how I can get him to take it would be appreciated. I've been trying for hours.

[TaylorWoods]

My puppy was the same - she would scratch me to death if I had failed the first time and tried again!

I havent given liquid medicine before but if i did i would try a syringe. make sure his head is tilted up so he doesn't spit it out and I would put it in the corner of his lips (if you know what i mean). remember on a counter he can slip around and move backwards. I would say sit him in your lap so you can grip on to him. wow, that sounds harsh but I mean just so that you can keep him still! lol!

When i started brushing my Yorkie's teeth she was the same. they need to just learn it isnt hurting them, although im sure the medication tastes vile. try some treats and reward him for sitting still. sit him on your lap facing away from you and have the syringe in his sight and let him see it. He's just scared and you can't blame him for that.

when i started to clip my Yorkie's hair she was terrified of the clippers. i always keep something she likes to eat close by and reward her for positive behaviour. I also started by touching her with the clippers while they were off and then putting it on the counter while they were on and eventually moving them to her body. i know it's off the topic but i would think the same rule applies to anything that scares him. he needs to see the syringe won't hurt him and be rewarded for the things he does right

when i give a pill i always try to hide it in something but it gets spat out! i normally sit on the floor with her between my knees holding her still. if they facing you they just back out and run off!

good luck remember, baby steps. these things are so easy for us as humans but a little puppy doesnt understand why you are doing it!

[lovmyyorkie]

I have to give my girl pills every day so I hide them in a treat that are soft and I make little balls with the pill in it, I think you can also use cheese since it is also soft and can be rolled up in a ball with the pill in it.

I first give her some treat or cheese balls without pills in it and once she is so excited and almost just swallows them I give her the ones with the pills, and that's how I give the pills

[lovmyyorkie]

Sorry I didn't read the liquid med part....ok I hope they gave you a syringe and the way that my vet showed me was to pull a little on the cheek or side of the mouth and with the syringe squirt it in the back of the mouth and its ok if the teeth are close as soon as the liquid is in they open their mouth and start licking it.

I hope this works for you!

[Cirlonde]

Not sure if this will work for you or if I'm just incredibly lucky, but have you tried just letting him lick it? With Chloe, she can't stand to be forced to do something and she'll fight you tooth and nail (literally) just b/c you're forcing her and she's scared. But if I put the medicine in like the cap of the bottle and act like it's a treat, she laps it right up like candy.

If that doesn't work, try mixing the liquid with something like plain vanilla yogurt or maybe even a small amount of wet dog food. I actually prefer liquid meds for Chloe as she takes them much easier than a pill, which I generally have to crush up. She just eats around the pill if I hide it.
-C

[megansmomma]

Liquids are hard but giving a pill I found the easiest way is to put it into CREAM CHEESE. I've tried everything with mine and by far this works EVERY TIME. I think the reason is the cream cheese covers the taste of the pill and is sticky so they cannot spit it back out.

As for the liquid if it were me I would wrap the puppy in a little blanket so she cannot scratch, take the syringe and insert it between the gums head slightly tilted upward and them hold the head up while rubbing her throat to make her have the swallow reflex.

Try to avoid putting her on the counter. If she were to get away and accidentally jump down it could be devastating.

[Dara311]

If you are giving the liquid med for giardia, I'm pretty sure you can mix it in the food, or if you have a sringe for it, just put it in the side of the mouth, and aim for the throat...good luck!

[lmperez]

If you can give it with food I mix it with parmensan cheese it masks the smell of anything. I will make a scrambed egg and mix in meds and cheese. It works everytime. Good luck

[ashleykeri]

Thanks so much for all of the suggestion! Last night I just waited until he fell asleep and caught him by surprise. I felt so bad about it, but it's for his own good :/

Now that he's awake I don't have that option, but I'll try all the different suggestions I received, thanks!

[Rhetts_mama]

Just a note on meds:

Some shouldn't be mixed with food, so ask your vet first.

And I feel your pain on giving the meds. Rhett has not been exactly cooperative with his antibiotics. It's kind of funny seeing how it takes two adults to hold down a 5 lb dog!

[Princes mom]

Originally Posted by megansmomma

Liquids are hard but giving a pill I found the easiest way is to put it into CREAM CHEESE. I've tried everything with mine and by far this works EVERY TIME. I think the reason is the cream cheese covers the taste of the pill and is sticky so they cannot spit it back out.

As for the liquid if it were me I would wrap the puppy in a little blanket so she cannot scratch, take the syringe and insert it between the gums head slightly tilted upward and them hold the head up while rubbing her throat to make her have the swallow reflex.

Try to avoid putting her on the counter. If she were to get away and accidentally jump down it could be devastating.

I've tried pretty much everything, and cream cheese works effortlessly when giving pills!

I always ask the vet if a liquid med comes in pill form, because since Prince has CT, he often chocks if you try to squirt something in his mouth...even if it's between his cheek and teeth. Also, pills last a lot longer than most liquid meds.

[Princes mom]

Originally Posted by Rhetts_mama

Just a note on meds:

Some shouldn't be mixed with food, so ask your vet first.

And I feel your pain on giving the meds. Rhett has not been exactly cooperative with his antibiotics. It's kind of funny seeing how it takes two adults to hold down a 5 lb dog!

I know!!!

[mojo]

Bella gets liquid medication every other day, has taken it for years. At first it was a nightmare because she didn't want it and I was forcing it.
I learned if I was calm, didn't grab her and try to force it, she would accept it.
I don't let her see the syringe until I get her or she runs off and hides. I have her sit on the floor - or bed - and I place my left hand on top of her nose, gently insert my thumb into the right side of her mouth and middle finger into the left and gently pry her jaw open. I tilt her head back and insert the syringe. I gently release the plunger on the syringe and give her a chance to swallow.
You might also try giving a small treat after you give the medication so your dog learns there is something to look forward to afterwards.