No matter how good and strong your bond is with your dog, giving medication can really be a challenging task. When it comes to giving medications, just like other pets, dogs do not get along with this idea really well because usually vets instruct to give medicines directly and you seldom get to hide them in their food. Unlike emotional support dogs who are trained for every kind of stuff according to ESA doctors review, giving medication to your dog can be an unpleasant experience for you. However, since they are vital for your dog’s physical or mental health and aid their healing process, you must find ways to make them take it easy. Here are things that you must consider while giving medication to your dog and make the process convenient for you both:
Follow the Prescription:
Just us we humans follow our doctor’s prescription strictly; it is vital for our dog’s health that the vet’s instructions are followed as they are. When it comes to antibiotics or pain killers to your dog, timings are crucial for the medicine to work effectively and aid in your dog’s healing process. Therefore, you must make sure to pay extra attention to the timing. If it is meant to be taken twice a day it does not mean twice a day whenever you want, rather follow the time intervals prescribed by the vet for desired outcomes.
Giving the Pills or Capsules Rightly:
The most commonly prescribed pain killers or antibiotics are either in the form of capsules or pills. The important thing to keep in mind is that you must never crush or dissolve the pills or capsules. Their coating and outer layers are designed to wear off in your dog’s digestive system where they are more likely to be effective. Cutting or crushing the medicine will make it less effective as it will be released earlier and in the part of the body where it isn’t meant to be. Make sure not to mess up with your dog’s medication.
Ways to Give Medication:
Honestly, it is not easy to make your dog swallow a pill. It will be a lot more difficult for you particularly if you are new to it. Therefore, ask the vet to walk you down the steps by demonstrating how to give your dog medication. Moreover, you can ask him/her for the recommendations that how can you make the process less difficult by either hiding the pill in peanut butter or cheese or any other food item. Every dog reacts differently to getting the pills, in that case, the vet can be a great help as they are used to treating various sorts of animals every day.
Topical Medication:
Applying topical medication is quite easy. However, the hardest part is to prevent your dog from licking it off. You must find ways to distract your dog from it or you can make them wear something like ‘cone of shame’ so that they cannot turn around and lick off the medicine. Your little pup might look like begging you to take it off, but you must know that it is for their good. Else, you can apply the medicine right before giving them the food so that they can forget about it and get busy enjoying their meal.
Bonus Tips:
Always follow the complete prescription because not finishing the whole medication course can make your dog prone to infections. Make sure that your vet knows the health history of your dog and knows what medication or supplement you have been giving to it because they can react with the other medicines and can harm your dog. Besides, make sure to visit vets regularly and do not miss any of it as the sessions will be helpful in keeping track of your dog’s health.
Giving your dog medicines on a daily basis will be difficult for both you and your little friend. However, your patience and love can help in easing the process. Your dogs are solely dependent upon you for their wellbeing therefore, it is your responsibility to keep them happy and healthy and do whatever it takes. Consult your vet as they can be a great help in letting you get comfortable with making your dog swallow pills or capsules.