Pet Health Topics

Giving Oral Medications to a Dog  

This information is not meant to be a substitute for veterinary care. Always follow the instructions provided by your veterinarian.

Variations on these instructions exist.

Your veterinarian will tell you if the medication(s) can be given with food or must be given on an empty stomach. If the tablet or capsule can be given with food, you may make a "meatball" with the medication at the center of a small ball of canned dog food or cheese ("cheeseball").  Always give a test "meatball" to see if the dog will willing eat the "meatball" and see if they chew it or gulp it whole. Dogs are more likely to gulp the "meatball" without chewing. If they do chew and spit out the tablet or capsule, it will partially dissolve and get very slimy and hard to handle. If they bite into the tablet or capsule and have a bad taste in their mouth, they will be harder to medicate on the second attempt. You will have do decide what works best with your dog. 

The following instructions are presented to help you give medications if you cannot give the medicine in a "meatball". Use caution when giving a dog oral medications to avoid being bit. A dog's mouth contains many bacteria. If you should get bit, clean the wound thoroughly and seek medical attention.

Medications for oral administration may be in pill, capsule or liquid form.

Hold the dog's head from the top using your left hand if you are right-handed. If the dog has a long nose hold the upper jaw between thumb and index finger. If the dog has a short nose, hold the head like a cat (see giving oral medications to a cat).

	Tilt the head back. Dogs have stronger jaw muscles than cats and unlike the cat, the lower jaw does not usually drop open far enough to place the pill or capsule over the base of the tongue.
	Gently fold the upper lip over the teeth as you open the mouth. If the dog bites down with your hand in her mouth, she will bite her lip and will not bite your hand. Place your thumb on the roof of the dog's mouth. You do not have to fold the dogs lip over their teeth but this does reduce the chance of you being bit.

Hold the pill or capsule in your right hand between your thumb and index finger. Use the middle finger of your right hand to pull open the lower jaw. Keep your middle finger over the small incisor teeth NOT over the sharp fangs (canine teeth).

Drop the pill or capsule as far back over the tongue as possible, then immediately close the mouth and blow on the dogs nose which will encourage them to swallow.

If you are unable to get the pill far enough over the base of the tongue, the dog will spit it out. You may need to use your index finger and thumb to push the pill over the back of the tongue. IMPORTANT: If you use your thumb and index finger to push the pill over the base of the tongue, your fingers will be inside the dog's mouth and you must work rapidly to avoid getting bit.  Close the mouth and stroke the dog's neck or blow sharply on his/her nose to encourage the dog to swallow.  Notice the dog's lip is still folded over the upper teeth to protect the hand from being bitten.

There are several styles of pilling devices that can used to place a pill or capsule over the base of the tongue so that you do not have to place your fingers in the dog's mouth. See section on pilling a cat for details.

The medication is quickly squirted into this pouch, the mouth is held closed and the neck stroked or the nose sharply blown on to encourage the dog to swallow. Liquids are more likely to accidentally enter the windpipe compared to pills or capsules. To avoid the dog inhaling liquid into the windpipe, DO NOT tilt the dog's head backward.

If you find it difficult to give your dog a pill or capsule, speak to your veterinarian about suspending the pill or capsule into a liquid. Some medications can be suspending in liquid while others lose their effectiveness when placed in a suspension. Always talk to your veterinarian before altering the medication.

Washington State University assumes no liability for injury to you or your pet incurred by following these descriptions or procedures.

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