Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook.pdf - Mr. Walnuts

566 •DOG OWNER’S HOME VETERINARY HANDBOOK
How to Give Medications
Don’t give your dog any medication until you have spoken to your veterinarian
to make sure it is the right medicine for the dog and the circumstances.
You should also ask for instructions on how to give the drug and the correct
dosage for your dog.
PILLS, CAPSULES, AND TABLETS
To give a dog a pill, slip your thumb into the space behind one of the canine
teeth and press upward on the roof of the mouth. As the mouth begins to
open, press down on the lower jaw with the opposite thumb. Alternatively,
press in on both lips from above the muzzle. As the skin pushes in behind the
canines, the dog will open her mouth.
Insert the pill well to the back of the tongue in the middle of the mouth. If
you place the pill too far forward or to the side of the tongue, the dog will spit
it out. Close the dog’s mouth and massage or rub her throat until she swallows.
If the dog licks her nose, the pill has been swallowed. Blowing briefly into the
dog’s nose may also cause her to quickly swallow the pill. You can also give her
a syringe full of water to make sure she swallows, or give the dog a small treat
after the pill goes down.
Do not break the pill up into a powder. Powders have an unpleasant taste
that dogs don’t accept well. Some pills also have a protective coating that is
important for the delayed release of the medication, and crushing the pill will
destroy the coating.
Some pills can be given in food. This can be done by making up small
“meatballs” of dog food. Give the dog one or two undoctored meatballs, then
The correct way to give a
pill—in the middle and
well at the back of the
tongue.