How to give a dog pills

Reviewed for accuracy on May 22, 2019, by Dr. Katie Grzyb, DVM

When you’re trying to figure how to give a dog a pill, the truth is that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Some dogs are very easy to pill, while others will spit out the pill 50 times before you get them to swallow it.

Pet parents will often use food to get reluctant pets to take their prescription pet medication. But did you know that certain foods can be unsafe for your dog or inadvertently affect the potency of the medication? 

If you need to administer medication to your pet, check out this list of foods to avoid when giving dogs pills.

Not All Foods Are Safe for Giving Pills to Dogs

While it may be tempting to just use any food you have around to get your pup to eat their medication, that is not always a safe bet. Different types of foods can have different impacts on the efficacy of the medication, and they can have detrimental health impacts for dogs with certain conditions.

Always be sure to talk to your veterinarian prior to choosing a type of food for delivering your pet’s medications so that you can be sure it is safe.

Bananas

Bananas can be an acceptable way to hide pills for your pet, but they are high in sugar, says integrative veterinarian Dr. Carol Osborne, DVM, who owns Chagrin Falls Veterinary Center & Pet Clinic. “If your dog is a diabetic or is suffering from [a particular] illness, bananas may not be the best choice,” Dr. Osborne says. 

Bananas should also not be used for dogs that have potassium-regulation problems or are on prescription pet medication for blood pressure or heart disease, says Dr. Jess Trimble, DVM, Head of Health at Fuzzy Pet Health. “The potassium in bananas has a possibility of affecting the effectiveness of certain medications,” Dr. Trimble explains.

Dairy Products

Cheese might work for some dog medications, especially if you use softer cheeses that you can mold around pills, says Dr. Trimble. “It’s important to give a small amount to your pet first before trying it with a pill—some pets are lactose intolerant or can have vomiting and diarrhea from dairy products,” says Dr. Trimble. “Cheese can also be high in fat too, so remember to use only enough to get the pill covered and decrease [the number of] other treats.”  

The same goes for cream cheese. “Cream cheese, as a dairy product, has a higher likelihood of causing stomach upset, so use the smallest amount possible to hide the pill—if you have to use more than ½ teaspoon, find a different method,” advises Dr. Trimble.

If your pet should avoid high-fat food as a part of their illness, then you may want to skip the cheese completely.

Also keep in mind that dairy products can negatively affect other medications, like dog antibiotics.

“Calcium-rich foods, like dairy products, can interfere with some medications,” says Dr. Trimble. “Specifically, some antibiotics can bind to the calcium in dairy products; once bound to the calcium, the antibiotics can no longer be absorbed in the intestines, making the antibiotic useless.”

So, if you’re giving prescription pet antibiotics, avoid using cheese, yogurt or other calcium-rich foods to hide the pills. 

Creamy Peanut Butter

Peanut butter can sometimes be a good option for giving a dog pills, and the creamy kind can be more effective. “Peanut butter especially can be tough for pets to lick off and spit out the pill—just check the label to ensure there is no xylitol or other sugar substitutes starting in ‘xy-,’ as those sugar substitutes are toxic to dogs,” says Dr. Trimble.

You should not use peanut butter if your pet needs to avoid high-fat foods, says Dr. Osborne.

Raw and Cooked Meat

Using meats to hide pills can be tricky. “Never use raw meats to hide pills—the risk of bacterial contamination is high,” says Dr. Trimble. “A bit of cooked, plain chicken or a small meatball made of cooked, drained ground beef or turkey can work well.”

Deli and lunch meats, sausages and hotdogs are never good options, as they are very high in salt and preservatives, according to Dr. Osborne.

Tips for Giving Dogs Their Pills Safely

Giving your dog their medication doesn’t always have to be stressful for everyone involved. Here are a few tips for effectively administering your pet’s medication safely.

Don’t Smash the Pills Into a Powder

While it may seem logical to grind a pill up into a powder and sprinkle it over your pup’s dog food, this can actually be counterproductive.

“Many pills actually taste terrible, [and] some are coated in something to help them not taste quite so awful as your pet swallows them,” says Dr. Trimble.

Not only that, but crushing some pills can make them ineffective. “Some also have coatings to allow for extended release, or release into different parts of their intestines—crushing the pill will take away that coating,” says Dr. Trimble.

Use Dog Pill Pockets

While pill pockets for dogs might not always be the healthiest option, they offer a convenient, pet-friendly choice for many pet owners to hide and successfully administer medications to their pets, says Dr. Osborne.

Pill pockets are specifically designed to be tasty and appealing to dogs. They come in dozens of flavors, making it convenient to rotate flavors and find what your pet’s favorite is, says Dr. Trimble. “Plus, with pill pockets, you don’t have to worry about fat, sodium and artificial sugars,” he adds.

When choosing a pill pocket, however, Dr. Osborne recommends reading the labels to pick a brand that isn’t too high in calories. 

There are products, like Greenies Pill Pockets, that can make the process of giving dogs their pills a lot more efficient and effective. You’ll also have peace of mind in knowing that none of the ingredients will affect your dog or their medication.

Try Your Dog’s Usual Wet Food

If you have a pet who gobbles down canned dog food without even thinking about it, you can try making a tiny meatball out of their wet food and hiding the pill inside, says Dr. Trimble. However, this can backfire if you have a picky pet or one that is very good at finding pills hidden inside food.

“Some pets will become averse to foods when medications are placed in them,” Dr. Trimble says. For pets with an amazing ability to discover hidden pills, avoid using their own food and only give medications outside of the meal to avoid any negative associations with their mealtime or their regular food, advises Dr. Trimble.

Work With Your Veterinarian

If your dog is a pill-dodging maverick, then it might be time to talk with your veterinarian about working with a pet pharmacy for alternative solutions. Dr. Trimble recommends talking to your veterinarian about compounding pharmacies.

“Pharmacies can take pills and turn them into liquids, chewables and other forms that taste like fish, peanut butter, bacon and other delicious flavors,” Dr. Trimble says.

By: Diana Bocco

Featured Image: iStock.com/fotyma

These are a few options to try if your dog won't take pills:

• Ask for a nice-tasting tablet
• Hide the pill in a dog pill pocket treat
• Hide the pill in food
• Use a pill pusher
• Use the vet technique

There are a number of tricks for giving dogs pills. Try to make sure the end result is always something positive – be that more treats, a walk or some play. Whichever route you choose to use, bear in mind that successfully getting your dog to take a pill takes practice. If you are unsure about how to give a dog a pill, here are a few options:

How to give a dog a pill if they will eat

1. Ask for a pleasant-tasting tablet
There are now an increasing number of ‘palatable’ tablets available – more so for dogs than cats – and if your dog isn’t particularly fussy about their food, this can be the most painless and hassle-free way of medicating them. N.B. The whole point of these tablets is they are ‘tasty’ so it is very important not to leave these within your pet’s reach.

2. Use food to hide dog pills in
Some dogs, especially the very food motivated ones, can be tempted to eat their pills in some form of treats. There are now special, strongly flavoured, dog pill pocket treats on the market specifically to allow you to pop the pill in the treat and then into your dog. If using a homemade alternative, the best foods to hide dog pills in should generally be a bit ‘sticky’ so that they cling to the tablet and mask the flavour well. Things such as butter, cucumber or lumps of ham are commonly used tactics. It is best to start out with a few empty treats before you load them up.

How to get a dog to take a pill when he won’t eat

1. Use a pill pusher
Widely available from the vets, these often work best for small dogs. The idea behind them is you can push the tablet to the back of the pet’s throat without losing your fingers. It does require practice and is not infallible, however once mastered, it can be effective.

2. Do as the vets do
If your dog won’t take pills, do it like the vets do. Once mastered, this technique is very simple and effective:

• Either restrain your pet yourself or get an ‘assistant’ to help
• Quietly but confidently take hold of your pets upper jaw and gently tilt your pet’s nose towards the sky
• Once looking directly at the ceiling you will probably notice that the lower jaw is slightly open. At this point there are 2 options:
• With the fingers of the hand holding upper jaw open you can slide them just behind the canines and this will usually cause them to open their mouth, pressure on the palate will help keep it open. Then with your other hand, put the pill as far into the mouth as you can.
• Or, you can use the free hand (with the pill in it) to place a finger into the crack between the teeth and pull the lower jaw down, then roll you hand further into the mouth and push the pill in as far as you can.
• Quickly close the jaw and gently rub their throat.

The trick of this is that you are trying to get the tablet over the ‘hill’ at the back of the tongue, once there they will swallow the pill. If they haven’t swallowed, you can squirt a small amount of water into the corner of their mouth with a syringe to encourage them to gulp.

These are a few options to try if your dog won't take pills:

• Ask for a nice-tasting tablet
• Hide the pill in a dog pill pocket treat
• Hide the pill in food
• Use a pill pusher
• Use the vet technique