Administering Flea Medication

[poochiemama]

My goldie FREAKS OUT everytime she is given her flea medication. She used to be on revolution, but she would run away from us and HATED the smell, she would start hyperventilating and banging at the screen door to get out. After a while, we just couldn't bear it so we got flea tablets instead. But she refuses to eat them and kicks up a fuss, and again starts freaking out and breathing fast, trying to get away. We have tried putting the tablet down her throat but it seems to scare her so much when we do this and she clenches her mouth tight.

Is there an easier way???? there has to be ...it's so painful watching her go through this every month.

[Shazzapug]

My goldie FREAKS OUT everytime she is given her flea medication. She used to be on revolution, but she would run away from us and HATED the smell, she would start hyperventilating and banging at the screen door to get out. After a while, we just couldn't bear it so we got flea tablets instead. But she refuses to eat them and kicks up a fuss, and again starts freaking out and breathing fast, trying to get away. We have tried putting the tablet down her throat but it seems to scare her so much when we do this and she clenches her mouth tight.

Is there an easier way???? there has to be ...it's so painful watching her go through this every month.

If you have cheese slices....wrap a bit of cheese around the tablet and she will eat it quick smart.

[poochiemama]

you'll be amazed at what i've tried - i've tried the cheese slices, she eats the cheese then spits out the tablet. i've tried sticking it in a sausage, same thing. I think it's the smell or something, she KNOWS it's hidden in the cheese, can't trick her into it.

[BMAK]

Sounds like a typical goldie chucking a wobbly because it isn't going their way.

Open your dogs mouth chuck it down the back of it's throat praise your dog and give it some chicken afterwards and let the dog have its hissy fit. too bad if she doesn't want the tablet.

Sorry tuff luv here for those who chuck tantrums, there is no nice way to give a tablet. it only last a second and they move on unless we fuss over them.

Edited March 10, 2011 by catherine.b

[poochiemama]

hehe, maybe it's me who needs to toughen up hey?

[PAX]

My goldie FREAKS OUT everytime she is given her flea medication. She used to be on revolution, but she would run away from us and HATED the smell, she would start hyperventilating and banging at the screen door to get out. After a while, we just couldn't bear it so we got flea tablets instead. But she refuses to eat them and kicks up a fuss, and again starts freaking out and breathing fast, trying to get away. We have tried putting the tablet down her throat but it seems to scare her so much when we do this and she clenches her mouth tight.

Is there an easier way???? there has to be ...it's so painful watching her go through this every month.

When you said your dog freaked about a spot on medication, I thought maybe it could irratate her skin, but if she is freaking about tablets she is training you well.

Goldies are usually greedy, put the tablets in some cheese, devon or somehting similar and yummy to her, give her a piece with no medication, then, when she likes the treat add the tablet to the treat (have it preprepared), after that give her another treat with no medication at the end. It shouldn't be that hard.

If she is used to being fed treats and you behave in a 'matter of fact usual way' she shouldn't get suspicious, you are perhaps behaving in an anxious way that makes her worry.

[Cosmolo]

while i usually would agree with what everyone else is saying- i have a dog here that will not tolerate tablets hidden in food to the point where if we try it, he will not only spit roast chicken (or similar) across a room but he then becomes very suspicious of ANY food we try to give him for days after that.

So, i refuse to hide tablets from him now and instead put it down his throat as quick as we can and then give him multiple food rewards afterwards- this seems to work the best. When we started doing this he would still drool and get stressed but it has improved significantly over time.

In addition- every few days, open her mouth and physically put a food treat in there- a pleasant surprise.

[poochiemama]

thanks tamara and everyone else...got some good ideas. will try to get her used to us opening her mouth up to give her treats, it will make life easier. she's a little princess prima donna sometimes; i think it's probably true that she picks up on our anxiety because we dread 'pill day'.

[Mrs Rusty Bucket]

Reminds me of the dramas I used to have trying to get my (now departed) horse to eat his worming meds. He could sift it out of his food even when you put pollard in (like flour). And the tubes, he'd just stand up on his back legs so I couldn't reach.

I used to core out an apple and hide the tube in that, or use a brown lunch bag (since he liked the smell of my lunch) to hide the tube or line him up under a low hanging tree and spring it on him. In the end I gave up and just got the vet to give him a shot which seemed to be more acceptable to the horse. If it was me getting the needle...no way.

I put my evil hound's wormers inside sardines that were tinned in olive oil. In bits small enough that she's eaten them before she's figured out what happened, or I make promite sandwiches out of them.

[Crisovar]

I expect every animal here to be able to be dosed with medications.

It is invaluable if you need to have them on a course of something or they need to be hospitalised.

Open the mouth and straight down, calmly and quickly. Then treat.

[jazzy4]

any tablets i give my dogs i grind them up and put them in their breakfast with loads of wet food, this way it is all consumed, they love the wet food & lick the bowl clean & you know the tablet is gone

[poochiemama]

She LOVES wet food, so i might try the grinding it up and putting it in wet food...thanks!

[Rebanne]

be aware that some meds are not meant to be ground up, doing so alters the action/availablity/strength etc