Because I'm kind of a genius, I knew there had to be a way to make Puppy Jack take his medicine that does not involve Puppy Jack eating everything I stuff it in, but still spitting out the pill. I've tried every food imaginable, soft and runny, meaty and firm (hope that doesn't get me any pr0n hits on my little anonymous blog), odorous and bland. EVERYTHING! Well...as much of everything I could, considering that this is only the fifth set of pills that Jack has ever taken. I think one is for heartworms, and one is for fleas and ticks. Don't hold me to that. I just take the boxes out of a shoebox with Jack's medical info and receipts from the vet. I write on the front what dates he gets his meds.
Yesterday, I decided to put Jack's pill inside an old hot dog. Sorry, Farmer H. Out of sight, out of mind, out of hot dogs! Jack is a small dog with a tiny mouth (though an extraordinarily long--and fast--tongue). I cut the ends off a hot dog, hollowed them out, trimmed a little cap of inner meat (I use that term loosely) to plug up the end when the pill was in. I cut the pill in half, and put a half in each hot dog end. See? It's so complicated that I have to tell you specifically.
Here's what it looks like:
Yum yum! Gotta give your doggy some! But make sure it goes to the right doggy! Therein lies Mrs. HM's genius. We usually have a problem with my Sweet, Sweet Juno stealing things given to Jacky. Toys, food, lava rocks he resorts to playing with because all of his toys are in her house...Sweet, Sweet Juno feels entitled to even Puppy Jack's pills. It was not such a problem when The Pony was here to dispense or hold back. But with only me, it's a problem.
Yesterday, I thought I could sneak out the kitchen door while Juno and Jack were waiting for me by the front door for their evening snack. Jack is nimble, Jack is quick, Jack can hear the back door click. He's always the first around there to greet me, his sturdy diggin' toenails clicking on the wooden porch deck.
I almost made it. Really. I snuck out, two hot dog ends stuffed with half-pills in my hand. I went down the steps while Jack jumped up and put his paws on my chest from the side porch. I started to give him a hot dog end, and HERE CAME JUNO! Jack's ears perked up, and he gobbled that hot dog end like there was no tomorrow! Like he knew Farmer H was coming back, and there would be no more hot dogs. I quickly slipped him the second one, and he ate that in one gulp. Therein lies the secret!
TO GET PUPPY JACK TO EAT HIS PILLS AND NOT SPIT THEM OUT, HAVE JUNO THERE READY TO EAT THEM IF HE DROPS ONE!
Yep! Jack was so dead set on not letting Juno get his medical treat that he didn't even fool around with biting into it and discarding the pill.
I did the same thing tonight, but Juno was more aggressive, so I had to toss her a chicken breast bone left over from lunch. That distraction worked. Jack gobbled two hot dog ends with their enclosed pill pieces while Juno was chewing.
I'm a genius. And my pup is medicated.
Radar gets chewable tabs for heartworm--I think they're beef-flavored--and he thinks they're a treat. Does Jack get something different for heartworm?
ReplyDeleteJack sounds like a super-smart dog. He's also slick. No wonder he likes going with Farmer H on his Gator adventures. They're both sneaky...
That's exactly the way my husband gets me to take my pills!!
ReplyDeleteSioux,
ReplyDeleteAre they kind of square? I think that's what Jack has, too. He has trouble chewing them with his tiny mouth, keeps spitting it out. I think we cut it up the first time, when The Pony was here, and didn't give him anything else. He fell for it in crumbs, as a treat.
Not so sneaky last night. Very obvious in his misbehavior. Story on the not-so-secret blog.
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fishducky,
Heh, heh! Looks like I'm not the genius I thought I was! We used to put the #1 son's pills in a spoonful of pudding. Not to trick him, but because that boy cannot seem to swallow pills. The Pony can take one without even liquid.