Last Updated on May 5, 2023 by Olivia Anderson
Medications often taste awful, which is one reason dogs may hate taking them. They can be bitter, hard to swallow and make the puppy feel drowsy and want to spit out.
If you have a puppy at home, you might already know how difficult it is to administer medications regardless of their type. It could be your puppy’s routine heartworm medications or pills to recalibrate its stomach function; whatever it is, shoving the medication down your furry baby’s throat can be an arduous task.
Some dogs may accidentally bite their owners while administering or choke on the medications, throw up, or just faint at the sight of them. Eventually, medicating may turn out to be an unpleasant experience for both of you.
Early intervention often means less pain, simple treatment, quick recovery, and light vet bills. However, consider being equipped with pet health insurance because not all medical conditions can be identified sooner.
Search popular pet insurers online and then request and compare each pet insurance quote to find a policy that best fits your canine pet’s health needs and your budget. Contemplate purchasing a policy, so you are more prepared to handle unanticipated pet health situations.
Meanwhile, read this article to learn a few easy tips to give your poochie its medication hassle-free.
Tip 1: Hide your puppy’s medication in food.
You can do this in several ways. Pick flavorful food or foods with a strong odor to hide the pill. These food characteristics can help mask the pill, so your pet hardly knows about its presence inside the food item.
For instance, you can conveniently use wet food items, meatballs, peanut butter, pumpkin puree, steamed vegetables, and tasty treats to disguise the medication. Another method to try is mixing the pill with food, yogurt, cheese (if lactose tolerant), or other creamy items.
This way, your furry precious can easily lick the food coupled with medication in the bowl.
Tip 2: Make pill pockets.
If the above technique doesn’t work with your pet, consider making delectable pill pockets at home. You can make many of these and store them in the refrigerator for regular use. Mix crunchy peanut butter and milk in equal proportions and all-purpose flour to form a dough.
After this, pinch out small balls of dough and poke at the center of every ball to make a depression where you can hide the pill when it is time to administer it.
Tip 3: Learn to hold your puppy.
To physically administer the medication, hold the pill in one hand and your puppy’s lower jaw with the same hand, and at the same time, firmly hold the upper jaw with the other hand. Now lift your pupper’s head so its nose points towards the roof, slowly open your pet’s mouth, introduce the medication far behind the tongue, remove your hand, and gently close your pet’s jaws. Stroke your puppy’s throat in the downward direction to promote pill movement and shower it with a tasty treat for cooperating.
Try the above tips, so medicating time is easier on both of you. While medications can help treat superficial health issues, chronic conditions may require a combination of treatments. Consider being prepared with pet health insurance, so your furry precious gets the medical care it deserves during distressing health situations.
Requesting and comparing each suitable pet insurance quote is pretty easy with the online services most insurers provide. Contemplate purchasing a policy so that providing your four-legged friend medical assistance need not be significant economic trouble.
