How do you pill the hard to pill dogs?

[slleipnir]

Always done the

1. "Sit"
2. Pry dogs mouth open
3. Throw pill to the back of the throat
4. Clamp mouth shut with one hand and point the nose skyward while
5. Other hand strokes the throat until you know she's swallowed.
6. Pet dog and say "good girl!!!!!!"
7. Get glared at.

That's what I do (only I say good boy instead of girl ;D) but it takes him FOREVER to swollow it.

[Husky_mom]

just hold his head up and rub his throat to provoke gulping (swallowing) it shouldn´t take too long.......

I´ve read some others blow into their face so they have to lick and therefore swallow while trying to do that.......

[Canis-Lupess]

For all those that point their dogs noses up when they are trying to get them to swallow.

Point your face skyward so you are looking at the ceiling/sky whatever and then try to swallow. You'll find you can't. This is what happens to the dogs when you point their noses skywards. Thats why they might take ages to swallow...simply because they are unable to.

[CathyBogart]

I also want to reiterate that it is IMPORTANT to squirt a little water in there with the pill!! Ever try to swallow a pill without water? It can be very painful, and it can damage your esophagus.

[wolf_Q]

I've been having to give Keva pills because of the infection or whatever it is she has. First I tried bread, that worked once, but the next time she tasted the pill and spit it out. So I tried putting it down at the back of her throat to get her to swallow, she did eventually swallow it but she took forever. I had some of the Nutro Desserts and I tried sticking it in some of that, she loves them so much that she doesn't even taste it I swear...down the throat it goes in one second. I just put it on a spoon and give it to her, I don't know if that would work for Zeke. What does he have to take pills for? I hope he's ok, good luck giving them to him!

[Karen]

Point your face skyward so you are looking at the ceiling/sky whatever and then try to swallow. You'll find you can't.

Yes I can! No problem!

[Canis-Lupess]

If you properly stretched your neck so that your face front is horizontal rather than just using your eye movement to look upwards the swallowing mechanism cannot technically work. The neck has to be more in it's normal position otherwise the muscles that are used cannot do what they normally do during the swallowing action. I just asked everyone in our house if they can do it and they can't....unless they don't lift their head up enough. I found that my dogs had great difficulty swallowing if I held their heads up. Thats why I hold their heads in normal position now.

The only other way to do it is if you life your chest and shoulders to hunch them whilst looking upwards because this puts the throat back into it's more usual position but, if not, it can't be done.