Give Your Dog a Pill Without Sticking Your Fingers Down His Throat

It's not a pill, it's a treat! The absolute best and easiest way to accomplish this task is to hide the pill in some form of food that doesn't require a lot of, if any, chewing. Cream cheese works wonders for me. I knife off a little bit and cover the pill completely, then feed it to them by hand. My dogs gobble it down before they even know what hit 'em! Margarine also works well. Sliced cheese does not.

If the pill is too large to go inside a treat, split it or crush it up so it will be easier to hide.

Watch them eat the treat, just to make sure they didn't surreptitiously spit the pill out. If they do spit it out, try putting it in a different kind of food. You can even hide it in a piece of chicken breast if you must. Never known a dog to turn down actual meat...

You can also mix the pill in with their regular food. Wet food is better for this task, obviously. But you must watch and make sure they didn't leave the pill or spit it out.

If you have an older pet with digestive restrictions, ask your vet if the medication comes in a liquid form.

Finally, there's a new invention called "Pill Pockets" which are an actual pre-made dog treat with a little hole in it to insert the pill. They also come in cat form. You can find these at major pet stores or online. Their website is www.pillpockets.com. You can enter your zip code and they will show you a retailer near you.