Become a Pet Pilling Pro


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<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=1653416038259742&ev=PageView&noscript=1"Honey, Did You Give the Dog His Pill?

We can prescribe and fill your pet’s medication, but what happens when you walk out the door with your trusty red bag?

  • Create a system to record when you have given the medication. Print out our handy medication dosing chart. Put it on the fridge (this chart is for a twice a day dose for 1-2 weeks, but we have others if you need).
  • Some clients put reminders in their electronic calendars or just record medications each day on their paper calendars.
  • pillboxUsing a pillbox works great—just be sure to not mix it up with your own!
  • Or stop in and get some free Den Herder Swag!
  • Find what works for you so you will remember to give the pills each day for the entire prescription.

How To Pill My Pet?

medication flow chart for pets
The flow chart may joke, but having trouble giving medicine is no laughing matter. There is help for pet owners, both cat and dog, if you are having a tough time giving medicine.

How to Pill Your Dog

Keep it simple. Put the pill into a small treat. Normally we don’t advocate pets eating human food, but with pug tonguemedicine, it may be the easiest option. Stick the pill inside a small piece of low fat cheese, low fat hot dog, lean meat, a small bit of bread, or a marshmallow.

You can buy Pill Pockets (think tasty, edible Play-Doh) from us or from many pet stores. Pill pockets come in a variety of flavors and can work wonders.

Some dogs are easy and will catch the treat in the air, eat it from your hand or out of the food dish. Do make sure you see her eat it all. Some dogs catch on to the game and will eat the treat but spit out the pill.

dog ready for pillFor others, you may have to open up their mouth and with the pill pinched between your finger and thumb, quickly place the pill at the back of the throat and close the mouth. Keep the mouth shut and stroke their throat to make sure they swallow.

Lots of hugs and positive attention after you are successful!

Some medications are particularly bitter (e.g., Flagyl, Primor) so you do need to put the pill in something before giving it to guarantee success.

Crushing up medicine and putting it into soft food is possible, but with caution. The medicine may change the flavor of the food resulting in your pet not eating. Use the “mix in food” as a last result and be sure they eat all you have given.

If you would like to try an injectable medication, we can do it for you or learn to do it at home with this short video.

How to Pill Your Cat

mad catYou have your own special How-To page! It does not have to be a battle. Trust us. We show you how in pictures or we have a short video you can watch. You need a good laugh, don’t you?

Do I Have to Get a Pill?

Many medicines come in different forms: tablets, capsules, oral liquids, or injections. We work closely with a local compounding pharmacy on transdermal gels you can rub on the inner ear flaps (this is great for cats on long term medications), tasty solutions you can give orally (chicken liver flavor anyone?), and even small tablets that dissolve quickly on the tongue—before they figure out how to spit out the pill!

Not Going Well?

Is your pet throwing up, having loose stools, not eating or just not acting right? Call us right away day or night, 319-232-5292. We want to know this as soon as possible. We will work with you to change to other options.

We want your pet healthy, but we don’t want to change the relationship you have with your pet. If giving medicine is too stressful, talk to us about options. We want you to be successful in giving the medicine—your pet’s health depends on it.

Dog catching a treat in slow mo.