Giving your dog medication can be very stressful, not only for you, but for your canine friend as well. This article contains 8 Tricks that will make giving your dog his or her medication much less stressful for both of you.
One of the first things that you should do is start in a place that is familiar and comfortable for your dog. It will help to make the even less traumatic. It is also important that you keep the experience a positive one. Don t yell or scream at your dog. Instead try to keep your voice monotone or high pitched, while encouraging the dog to take its medication.
It is also imperative that you don t try to shove the medication down the animal s throat and allow him to run off. If he or she has a bad experience taking the medication, then it is unlikely that you will get her to take it again.
• Do not try to slip the pill into the food that your dog normally eats. Nine times out of 10 the dog will sniff out the pill and it will be the only thing left in the food bowl.
• Using a food that is a treat for your dog is more effective, especially if the dog has never had the treat before. Some foods that work good include mullet and peanut butter. These work well, because they have a strong smell.
• You should consider your location as well. While you should give the dog the medication in a familiar place it is helpful to change the place that you give the medication to the dog on a daily basis. If the dog really hates to receive his or her medication he may start to associate bad things happening in one particular room and refuse to go into it.
• Get the dog into a calm state before attempting to give him or her the medication. Try sitting an petting her for 10 minutes before hand
• Allow your dog to sniff the medication before you give it to him. Especially if it is in a dropper. This allows the animal to become familiar with the object. He or she will be less likely to try to get away if he already knows what you are placing in his mouth!
• If you are giving the dog a liquid medication then you should try to aim the dropper toward the back of the throat. This will help to make sure that the dog actually swallows the medication and doesn t drool and spit it out.
• You can also make sure that the dog swallows the medication by holding the dogs mouth closed until he or she swallows. Or just keep an eye on the dog and make sure he or she doesn t spit it out. Most dogs will easily take the medication if it is placed into a new food.
• Once your pet has taken the medication then you should play with your dog or take him for a walk as a treat for taking the medicine. This will remind the dog that it is not really all that bad!
Author Resource:
This article was written by Kelly Marshall of http://ohmydogsupplies.com - home to fully washable, high quality dog car seat covers.