Points on Pets

MEDICATION MOJO 101: Dosing Pets Can be Stress-free

“T his is the medicine for Marigold’s condition,” the veterinarian informed me. She held up a package of pills as I stroked my cat reassuringly after a stressful checkup. Handing me another bottle, she continued, “And this is for you once you try giving Marigold her medicine.”

Yes, this is a joke. But the reality, where Marigold is concerned, is NO joke. Dosing a pet can be challenging. Having someone to assist you is ideal but going solo can be stress-free if you apply a few tricks, lots of patience, and stay calm.

Preparation is Key

Before administering medicine, consult with your veterinarian for any tips (some will even demonstrate for you and let you practice in front of them with your pet). Have at hand a towel, gloves (if needed), and a proper applicator, if required. Most importantly, have some yummy treats—a special delicacy your pet gets only at the time of medication.

Delectable Disguises

Hiding a pill in tasty food can turn medication into “treat time”. Check with your vet first since some medications shouldn’t be taken with food.

With dogs, a spoonful of peanut butter (with no xylitol), a chunk of meat or cheese, or ice cream can work.

Commercial pill pockets or paste mask the taste of medicine when wrapped around the tablet.

Try a bait-and-switch approach. Give your pet a treat (or two) that’s not laced with medication. Then offer one that contains the pill. Follow up with a treat without medication.

Open a capsule or crush a pill into powder and mix it into a small portion of your pet’s food. Monitor your pet’s eating to make sure all the food is consumed.

Cats have an uncanny ability for knowing when they are being tricked. Their sense of smell can detect medicine even in the yummiest food. Soaking the pill in fishy tuna juice might work. A method I learned at King Street Cats was to insert the pill into a pill pocket then roll it in crushed cat treats.

There are many how-to videos are available on YouTube. These are among the best:

■ Medicating Tricks and Tips

■ 5 Different ways to give pill or capsule to your dog

■ The Scratch-Free Way to Give

Your Cat Medicine!

Feeding Directly into the Mouth

If the veterinarian says medicine shouldn’t be mixed with food, you will need to administer it directly.

Fortunately, many devices are available for sparing your fingers from a pet’s sharp teeth. With cats, a good practice is to wrap the animal in a towel (this trick is called the “purrito”) so that their front paws are covered securely.

A pill plunger is a narrow cylinder that holds the pill at one end. A trigger on the other end is pressed so that the pill is “fired” into the back of the pet’s mouth.

Hold your pet’s head with one hand while pressing the sides of their mouth with your thumb and middle finger and slightly tilting their head back. This will cause the mouth to drop open. With cats, you can hold them by the scruff to keep them still. This gives them a slight release of endorphins, making them feel somewhat secure.

Hold the plunger in your other hand with your thumb on the trigger, insert it into the side of the pet’s mouth and press down, thus shooting the pill to the back of the throat.

Close your pet’s mouth and gently stroke their throat to encourage swallowing. Blow softly on their nose.

Syringes, used to administer liquids, work best when you sit behind your pet and press their back against you so they cannot back away.

Be sure to shake any liquid medication before measuring.