Are you using a syringe? I usually just get them in a hold and push the syringe in the side of the mouth - and squirt away. If my hubby is around, he holds and gets the mouth wide open. Then the pill or liquid gets put as far back as I can get it.

Mixing liquid with food never works for me. They sense or smell or something, but it will sit there for days uneaten.

With pills, I cut them in smaller pieces, either halves or quarters, and hide it in a piece of shrimp. That works like a charm for Charley. Just put one piece at a time in the bowl and down it goes!