Help - Getting Tablets Into Dogs

[rockyracoon]

My dog is currently on a cocktail of 8 tablets twice a day. They are a friggin nightmare to get into him. The usual hiding in fish, cheese, pepperoni is failing miserably at the moment, and he is checking every bit of his food before eating. 5 of the tablets are small and yellow and are not too bad, then he has 2 huge pink antibiotics that are the size of a Minstrel, but the killer is the Tramadol, they must taste foul as he seems to smell it a mile off. I'm having to unclamp his mouth and get the tablets down the back of his throat, he's obviously not very cooperative and my hand is in bits.

Any ideas?

[EcclesCake]

If you want a challenge try getting painkillers into a chook whilst isolating the rest of the little devils!

You seem to have exhausted the obvious so I’d ask for further suggestions from the vet nurse and get a couple of dressings for your hand whilst your about it.

[rockyracoon]

Indeed. I'm thinking about ordering a pair of Kevlar gloves.

[anneasquith]

Boiled chicken breasts , it's working for us ATM ?

[Mexican18]

Crunchy peanut butter works a treat with my dogs!

[jourdain2]

Crunchy peanut butter wrapped around pill works every time for us. If big pills, we break them. An idea is to give a 'treat' of a lick of peanut butter regularly so dog is used to it.

[rockyracoon]

I tried him with peanut butter a couple of days ago. A friend brought some round for me, he just turned his nose up.

He was on antibiotics for about 3 months at the end of last year, so has unfortunatley copped on to every trick in the book. He’s only been on them since Wednesday, this time round, but seems to be much more resistant to taking them, probably because he doesn’t feel ill. He’s got plenty of fight left in him.

[woofgang]

I haven't got any earthshaking suggestions but plenty of sympathy because I have been there! If the Tramadol is a problem, could he have different pain relief?
I know a few people who do rescue work and while they try to avoid it, if they do have to "insist" with a dog....and many newly rescued injured dogs are very fearful indeed....then they use leather gardening gloves. The attempts to bite still bruise but the gloves prevent broken skin and are soft enough so that the handler can still use their hands gently.
something like this Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation

[rockyracoon]

Thanks Woofy. He usually takes Loxicom which is very easy to get down him as it’s liuid, but the vet is checking out see if the infections are being caused by an auto immune problem. If they are, then he’ll have to have steroids, so he’s had to come off it.

[jakep]

Arden Grange liver paste works for us with Tramadol.
I also crush tablets and put them in yogurt.
Good luck.

[Tuvok]

Normal butter?

[sunny-dave]

I agree with the Pâté suggestions - get the cheapest, smelliest chicken liver pâté from your favourite German supermarket ... worked well with my elderly and recalcitrant Maisie who could spot a tablet at 30 paces ...

[chrissa1]

I agree with Tuvok. I big knifeful of Lurpak with the pill inside.

[Islay]

The toast that I mentioned earlier works with my lab - who can eat *** but will not touch a tablet!!

[rockyracoon]

Didn’t mean to give a BA, finger must have brushed agoinst the option on the iPad, sorry Jake. All answers are good and valid.

Well, the toast worked for the little antibiotics, but not the Tramadol, he knew it was in there straight away. We decided to pop down to the local Pets at Home shop and found that there is a resident vet, so I bought some of those capsule things and a pill gun. Wish me luck!

Thanks for all your help, it’s much appreciated.