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Similar to administering pet vaccinations, medicating a pet is often easier said than done. Fortunately, if your furry friend is uneasy about ingesting a pill, there are a couple of different ways to streamline this process while your pet is none the wiser. Here are three tips for medicating your pet without creating a disruption to their normal routine.

3 Tips for Administering Medication to Your Pet

1. Hide Pills Within Food

pet vaccinationsAlthough pills and capsules are the most commonly prescribed pet medications, they can also be the trickiest to administer without a game plan.

One of the best ways to avoid the hassle of convincing your pet to swallow a pill is to disguise it in their food. For instance, if you need to give your dog a pill, hide it in a scoop of peanut butter. Soft foods make disguising pills easier than dry foods, for example, where they’ll be more obvious.

If hiding the pill in the food doesn’t do the trick, try a pill pocket dog treat instead. Dogs are typically happy to have a new treat that they’ll unknowingly take the pill as they’re gnawing away at it.*

*in the event your pet has a history of food allergies, please consult your regular veterinarian.

2. Use a Special Collar for Topical Medications

Sometimes you’ll be required to put a topical medication directly on your pet’s body. While this medication type is usually the easiest to administer, your pet may be tempted to lick it off. To avoid this, put the topical cream on your pet while they’re eating. As your pet happily munches away, the topical medication will have a chance to absorb in the skin. 

If your pet notices the medication even with food as a distraction, you can place an “Elizabeth Collar “around the neck to prevent him from licking it. This lampshade-style collar is easily removable and will not interfere with mealtime.*

*In some instances topical (or “transdermal”) medications can be less effective than their oral substitutes.  Please consult your regular veterinarian.  

3. Make It Fun

Just as administering pet vaccinations can be somewhat stressful, sometimes the anxiety associated with medicating your pet makes it difficult. To remove stress from the equation, make the process fun by turning it into a game. For instance, if you have a dog who likes to fetch, toss a favorite treat in the air for them to catch. After doing this a few times, sneak a pill inside a treat.

And people often do this for dogs, but sometimes forget for cats: POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT, POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT!  Cats (and dogs) are very intelligent creatures, and they identify and adapt to new patterns and routines (especially positive ones!) very easily.  Does your pet not enjoy their bad tasting medication that you still have to give orally despite many different tricks?  Try giving a treat before and after the medication...and don’t forget to verbally praise your pet, no matter what the species! 

If your furry friend needs to be spayed or neutered, put your trust in Nutmeg Spay/Neuter Clinic in Stratford, CT. Our low-cost, non-profit spay and neuter clinic performs everything from inexpensive pet surgeries to vaccinations (additional services offered at the time of surgery only). With a mission of decreasing animal euthanasia due to overpopulation, we proudly offer low-cost spay and neuter services, as well as a Pets for Life community outreach program. To schedule an appointment for your pet, call us at (203) 690-1550 or visit us online to learn more about our services.

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