Trying to give Molly (tiny shih tzu) antibiotics. Half a tablet (Synolux). How do you all give tablets to your dogs. Easy with Barney just folded it in a piece of ham etc but Molly has such a little mouth this doesnt work. She hates them. So far have tried trying to put it in her mouth with a little treat - didnt work. Then yoghurt by grinding it between two spoons .. no go. Then put hte yoghurt ix in her some chicken. I have run out of ideas and she has got to have one tonight. Anyone around at the moment with ideas for me please, please please. :)

Many thanks Gina

Gina - open her mouth, put tablet right to back of her tongue , clamp her mouth shut, tip head up and rub her throat - she should swallow then :)

I'm the same as Sara W, works every time

According to my vet, 90% of his dog clients cannot cope with doing this, they think they are being cruel

Theresa :)

Thanks both will have a go but when we tried this earlier we couldnt get her little mouth open. Will let you know if it works in a mo.
Gina x

Hi Gina, I've never tried to use one (big mouths :-)), but might it be worth trying one the 'pill gun' thingies you can get at the vets?

Hi Sharon hadnt heard of the pill thing will ask vet about it in the morning.

Thanks everyone for the quick response and talk about a joint effort. :) :)

I broke the half of the tablet into 3 cos it was too big for her mouth. Opened her mouth and tried to get them all near the back .... one piece was swallowed :)
Then smeared the other 2 pieces with a little butter and another piece gone :)
The rest of the time til now I have been trying to get the last piece down and so wrapped it in a tiny bit of corned beef as it is quite sticky and ..... in the end .. and in between having to give Barney some as he was jealous!!! the last bit went down. Phew!!!

I cant believe so much noise comes out of such a small mouth :D :D

Many many thanks

Try using jealousy in reverse, give other dog some goodies then when she is wondering where hers are try tablet using previous suggestions
Anne

Hi, will try that in the morning with all the other suggestions that worked for me tonight. But Molly is so laid back she couldnt care less if Barney got something before her. He always gets things first anyway as he is top dog to her ... she just waits for her turn cos she knows it will come :D :D
Gina x

If all else fails ask the vet for the antibiotic in suspension (I know it can be given that way, as have used it like this on newborn pups). then you can syringe it into her mouth between her teeth, keeping her head tipped back and mouth closed until she swallows.

90%? Good heavens! What on earth do they do Theresa ?

apparently they spend ages crushing it up and putting it into nice food and then trying to retrieve the crushed up bits when the dog spits it out

I think some even get the vet to give them for them

I was amazed
That said my husband can't do it the down the throat way, he thinks it is cruel and starts cringing at the thoughts of it

Theresa

hiya Gina
I used this for my cat ! smear the tablet in butter then put it as far down the throat as you can then stroke the underside of the throat to get them to swallow good luck!!
liz

This can work but no promises give her a bit of plain butter, then another then butter with tablet, lull her into a sense of false security.Try this method works for cat sometimes pop it down her throat as far back as you can hold her mouth shut rub her throat. Hope one works, what about something strong smelling stinky cheese or fish.
Anne

crash it down with the edge of a teaspoon then mixe it with some meat.

peanut butter does the trick for my crew --- YUM!!!
If it's the crunchy type, they never notice the pill wrapped by the stuff :D :D :D

Plenty of good advise for you there Gina ...but it does remind me of us trying to give our ginger cat (Barclay) a rablet a few years ago ...it was a course of particularly (apparantly) foul tasting antibiotic tablets. Everydat for 6 days we struggled to get the darned cat to take a tablet ...everyday it took ages to get it into him.

On the final day of the course ..hubby unwrapped the tablet and put it on the arm of the settee whilst we tried to decide on the strategy we were going to employ THAT day.

Barclay jumped up onto the settee , sniffed the tablet and began to eat it as though it was the tastiest thing since cheese!

*Sigh*

:D

Melody

These tablets don't taste bad, I just hand it to the dog as if it were a treat, and they take it without trouble. Try just putting it in the food. Jackie

If mine need tablets I just press them into a small chunk of firm tinned meat like Butchers Tripe when they have their dinner and make sure one doesn't pinch the others food.

I must say that I agree with Jackie. Ben had a course of these and he ate them quite happily just like a treat! Good luck Gina:)
Lynn x

Said it before and will say it again cats have their own agenda and are evil, in the nicest possible way :-D Anne

Anne, thank goodness our present young cats are very amiable and easy to dose, but one of my vets used to laugh his leg off at me over the previous two. At the time I had an enormous wolfhound as well as a smaller IW, assorted deerhounds and a bullmastiff. John had seen me give them pills and with the big IW my hand vanished to mid-forearm to get the pill to the back of her tongue. It never cost me a moments worry or thought with any of the dogs, so John reckoned it was hilarious when I'd bring the cats in with fear and trepidation, for him to dose them :-).

Hi Sharon,
Yes cats are a nightmare to dose. I have realised that while I don't "know" you I know of you. I showed Deerhounds for a friend briefly and at SKC I qualified a puppy bitch for Crufts and one of yours won the class R Fire something. I remember particularly because both affix and dogs name were so nice. Having said tat I know very little about Deerhounds apart from the fact they like to pin you to walls and take out your earrings and are the most laid back dogs alive.
Anne
PS The SKC I am talking about was a good few years ago

Hi Anne, thanks - glad you liked the dog :-). It would have been Firehawk, Firecrest or Firespur.

I had to be very sly when giving one of my bitches pills. She was VERY suspicious. I ended up crushing them, and mixing the powder in with some melted doggy chocolate. Let them firm up and give as a treat. Yum;) She was so keen to get the chocolate that it didn't touch the sides! Mission accomplished :)

Gina, tried wedging it in a piece of cheese. Have you got two dogs, if so give one something tasty and the other one will probably gobble whatever you offer it.
Lorna

Fish or meat paste does the trick too, or pate.

I swear by Cheddar cheese. Either break the tablet up and squeeze it in. Or crush it up and make the cheese soft and roll it into the cheese.
Failing that the vet will give liquid synulox for puppies. How old is she.
Maybe the liquid synulox would be ok for older dogs. Ask you vet.
Nutkin

Hi Nutkin
I didnt realise you could get liquid. Have managed so far with crushing and squeezing it on ham or corned beef - cant get it to stay on cheese as has to be small pieces. She is 8 months on 22nd. She only has a little mouth. She must really hate the taste though cos she will normally eat ANYTHING :)

Gina :)

Cheese as well for our girls. When ever I am grating cheese they will sit and watch every move just in case a tiny slither of cheese may just happen to drop into their mouths !! :D

Lucy

Just thought I would let you know that the best way we found to give Molly her tablet was to try the chocolate trick ... worked every time .... just as well she is not overweight. :)

Many thanks everyone
Gina