How to Properly Give a Tablet to a Dog or Cat While Avoiding Stress for the Pet

How to Properly Give a Tablet to a Dog or Cat While Avoiding Stress for the Pet 0

In modern veterinary medicine, many medications for animals are available in liquid form or as emulsions. However, there are situations when it is necessary to give a tablet to a pet, for example, in cases of liver disease or other internal organs. Additionally, once a year, before vaccination, even healthy cats and dogs need to take deworming medications in tablet form. There are several methods that can help make this process less stressful for your beloved pet.

Hide in a Treat

This method does not require significant effort from the owner, but it does not guarantee that the dog or cat will swallow the tablet. Animals often show cleverness and can recognize a hidden object in food by smell or touch. If this method does not work, it is worth considering other options.

Use an Introducer

This tool, also known as a pill dispenser, is a large plastic syringe into which the tablet is placed before the plunger. The tip of the device should then be placed at the root of the animal's tongue, the plunger pressed, and the tablet pushed down.

To use the introducer, the owner needs to properly open the pet's mouth. To do this, insert a finger into the corner of the mouth where the toothless edge of the lower jaw is located and apply slight pressure. When the animal opens its mouth, the pill dispenser can be inserted. It is important to act quickly, otherwise the pet may break free and run away. It is also worth considering that next time the dog or cat may try to hide at the sight of this tool to avoid the unpleasant procedure.

Quickly and Effectively

During a visit to the veterinarian, owners may notice that the specialist gives the tablet in this way. First, it is necessary to open the animal's mouth, just like with the pill dispenser. At the same time, the pet's head should be slightly lifted and tilted back — this will facilitate the swallowing process. Then the tablet should be placed at the root of the tongue and gently pushed with a finger closer to the throat. After that, the mouth should be closed by holding the jaw with one hand, but not pinching the nostrils so that the pet can breathe. At this time, the other hand can stroke its throat, which will help ease swallowing.

Alternatively, the tablet can be crushed into powder beforehand and poured into the open mouth of the animal. In this case, immediately after the procedure, the pet should be given plenty of water to soften the unpleasant taste of the medication.