As a dog owner, you will probably have to medicate your pet a few times over the course of their life. However, giving your dog a tablet can be challenging, especially if they are uncooperative or anxious. Read this guide to learn how to administer tablets to your dog effectively.
Preparation
Before you begin, gather the following items:
- The tablet
- A treat or food reward
- A quiet and comfortable space
- Optional: a pill popper
Read the instructions on the tablet label
Before giving any medicine to your dog, carefully read the instructions provided by your veterinarian. Make sure you understand the dosage, frequency of treatment, and any guidelines related to the medication, as some may need to be specifically given with or without food.
If you have any doubts, consult your vet.
How to give your dog a tablet
Option 1: Direct administration
- Get in a good position
- Sit or kneel beside your dog in a calm environment.
- Hold the tablet
- Place the tablet between your thumb and index finger of your preferred hand.
- Open your dog’s mouth with your free hand
- Gently lift your dog’s upper jaw to open their mouth.
- Do this by grasping their muzzle with your free hand from above by placing your thumb on one side and your index finger on the other.
- Find the little space between their front teeth with your thumb and index finger and encourage your dog to tilt their head up until their lower jaw falls open.
- Place the tablet on the back of their tongue
- Quickly place the tablet at the very back of their tongue. If you struggle to get the tablet back far enough with your hand, you can try using a pill popper.
- Close their mouth and encourage them to swallow
- Drop your dog’s head back to a neutral position and hold their mouth closed until you know they’ve swallowed the tablet.
- Gently stroke their throat to encourage swallowing.
- Reward them
- Immediately offer a treat or praise to reinforce positive behaviour.
Option 2: Hide the tablet in a treat
- Choose a treat to hide the food in
- A soft treat or a small piece of cheese or chicken that can be wrapped around the tablet work well.
- Hide the tablet
- Conceal the tablet inside one treat but have at least 2 more treats ready to feed so the dog is less suspicious of the medicated treat.
- Offer the treats to your dog
- Give your dog one or two unmedicated treats to your dog, then the medicated treat, followed immediately by another unmedicated treat.
- Reward them
- Praise your dog and offer additional treats and pats.
Option 3: Crush the tablet and mix it into food
If your dog struggles with swallowing whole tablets, check if the medication can be crushed. However, some tablets must remain intact, so always consult your vet before attempting this method.
- Crush the tablet
- Use a pill-splitter or crusher to cut the tablet into smaller pieces or crush it into a powder.
- Mix the tablet pieces with food
- Mix the medication with a small amount of wet food.
- Feed them the medicated food
- Serve the mixture to your dog, ensuring they eat it all.
- Reward them
- Celebrate with positive reinforcement, like another small helping of food, pats or treats.
More tips to make tableting your dog easier
- Be patient and calm. Dogs can sense anxiety.
- Use a gentle but firm approach.
- If your dog refuses, consult your vet for alternative medication options.
- Try to avoid hiding tablets in their regular food, as they can become averse to eating if they see the pattern of medication hiding in their food every day.