Giving medication to pets can be tricky, especially for those who are picky about what they eat or who are resistant to restraint. However, with the right approach and techniques, you can learn to give your pet their medication in an efficient and stress-free manner. The Willow Wood Animal Hospital team shares our expert tips and tricks for ensuring pets get the medications they need to stay healthy.

1. Understand your pet’s medication

Before you give your pet any medication, ensure you understand what you’re giving them and why. Knowing how medications work can help you understand their importance and develop a dosing schedule that matches your furry pal’s treatment plan. You should also ask our team about any expected or potential side effects and what to do if you accidentally miss a dose or find out later that your pet has spit the medication out. 

2. Choose the administration method that works best for your pet

Different pets may respond better to some administration methods than others. For example, many dogs will gladly swallow pills hidden in tasty food, but most cats require manual pilling or a liquid medication administered with an oral syringe. An injectable form may be more appropriate if your pet resists oral medications. During your veterinary visit, ensure you communicate your medication preferences with our team. 

3. Consider compounded pet medication

In some cases, your pet’s preferred form of medication may not exist. If your dog or cat will not swallow a pill but the drug they need comes only in a pill, we may be able to order a different form of the medication through a compounding pharmacy. Compounded drugs are not proven to have the same efficacy as those commercially made and tested. However, they are a better alternative than not giving your pet the medication at all.

4. Learn proper medication administration techniques

Proper technique is essential to ensure your pet receives the correct dose of their medication and to make the process easier for you. If you have not yet tried to give your pet medication, ask a team member to show you how before you leave our office and attempt a trial run to ensure you can administer the medication at home. 

5. Practice gentle pet restraint

Giving medication to a reluctant pet requires patience and a gentle approach. Causing additional stress for pets who are already experiencing illness or pain can slow their recovery and create unnecessary anxieties about medications. Learn to use towel-wrapping techniques to gently restrain cats and small dogs without excessive force or how to use your body to gently hug a larger dog. Like medication administration, restraint techniques take practice—ask our team to show you how.

6. Hide pills in tasty pet treats

Before using the “pilling” technique you learned from our team in tip four above, try hiding pills in a tasty treat, such as cheese, liver sausage, hot dogs, pill pockets, or peanut butter. You can also try opening small capsules and mixing them with a small amount of tuna, canned food, or other semi-solid food. You may need to try several different foods before finding one that your pet enjoys enough to forget about the pills.

7. Use positive reinforcement pet training techniques

Use positive reinforcement techniques while you’re giving your pet medication and afterward to reward them for cooperating and to help establish a medication-time routine. Pairing rewards with medications consistently can help your pet look forward to taking pills rather than dreading them. Such positive reinforcement can include giving your pet a treat, offering verbal praise, petting, throwing a ball, brushing your pet, or offering a favorite toy.

8. Recruit help from pet-savvy professionals, friends, or family members

If you’re still having difficulty medicating your pet despite trying various techniques, seek assistance from a friend, family member, or neighbor. Sometimes, giving your pet medication is a two-person process. Otherwise, contact our team to let us know so we can troubleshoot the situation and find ways to ensure your pet gets their necessary meds.

Giving your pet medication may seem daunting at first, but with patience, practice, and help from our Willow Wood Animal Hospital team, you can ensure your furry pal gets the treatment they need to preserve or improve their health. Contact us if you have questions about your pet’s medication, would like a medication administration demonstration, or want to schedule your pet’s next routine visit.