My family just got a dog a few weeks ago. Since I'm new to this whole dog-owner thing, I wasn't sure what to do re: medications such as heartworm prevention and flea and tick prevention. I ended up buying Sentry Fiproguard for fleas/ticks (same active ingredient as Frontline, but a bit cheaper) and I bought Tri-Heart Plus for heartworm prevention (a chewable tablet). Well, the dog won't take the chewable tablet! I've tried hiding it in his food, and giving it to him with a treat, hoping he will eat both at the same time, but he'll chew up the treat, and spit out the medicine! So now I've spent all this money and he won't even take it! I think I just want to buy Revolution, which I guess is a topical treatment that covers all my worries in one! Way easier, without having to try and get him to eat something he doesn't want, even if it is a bit more expensive. Any ideas on what I can do with the leftover meds? I would love to sell them to someone to at least get some of my money back - there's nothing wrong with the meds, the dog just won't take them (and they're minus one month's worth). Where would I go to do this? I was trying to look on Craiglist, but I didn't see a specific "pet stuff" category. Thanks for your help!
I have tried Kraft cheese, I remembered my dogs growing up really liked cheese. But he eats the cheese and spits out the pill. I will try peanut butter, and if that doesn't work, I'll try those pill pockets. What a pain! =) Thanks for all of your suggestions!
I could get my dogs to do tricks for Frontline. Don't buy cheap knockoffs. If you buy a generic med for humans you are getting the same thing as the brand name. Those laws do not apply to animal products.
My dog can sniff out pills from anything. And leave them and none of the "treat". When she had to go on anti-seizure and thyroid meds (2 1/2 pills twice a day) I thought we'd lose her for sure b/c I'd never be able to get her meds in her. Guess what. They sell "pill pockets" at Petsmart and other pet stores. It is made by "Greenies", and while she will not eat any other greenies product, she will do whatever I ask of her to "get" to take her meds, when I roll them up in these little capsules. It is about the consistency of soft playdough, and comes in beef, chicken or even lamb flavors.
Give them a try before you dispose of the meds you've already got. You might be surprised.
I know I was.
It is pricey for 2xdaily meds, but for once a month? Cheap. It's about $9.00 for a bag with 30 of the pill pockets in it. If you buy the "capsule" one (they are bigger for bigger doses of meds) you can pinch off half of it and get double the doses. My dogs pills are tiny, so I can get 3 "doses" out of one pill pocket.
Umm, try putting the medicine in a hot dog or smothered in Peanut Butter (best bet). I also suggest Heartguard for the meds - really yummy treat to/for dogs. Tablets are less desireable for dogs but smothered in peanut butter success.
What we do with our dogs, for the heartworm is this:
Take a piece of soft bread (any bread should do; we mostly eat whole wheat so that is what we use). Rip the bread into smallish bits, approx. 1 or 2 inches by 1 or 2 inches (approximately--don't really worry about the size). Smoosh the bread into balls. Give them as a treat, feeding them one at a time one right after the other, or by piling them all in the dog's bowl.
Do this for a couple of days, and you'll notice that by the time the dog has eaten 3 or 4 of these, they just gobble them up and swallow them whole, and don't chew. So, by the third day, do the same, but hide the pill in one of the smooshed bits, and either feed it last or put it in the bottom of the pile of the bits in the bowl.
We use Frontline Plus for our dogs; it kills fleas & ticks and prevents flea eggs from hatching. We order from an Australian company (seriously, and bizarrely, it's cheaper and you don't need a prescription). You can also order heartworm meds without the prescription from there. If you want the name of the company/website, let me know.
Our dogs will eat anything if you smear peanut butter on it.
My dog does the same thing when you put it in with his food. He likes the pill pockets or sometimes we will give him a can of tuna or a can of chicken and put the pill in with it. Once it has the juices from the tuna or chicken on it, he eats it right up. You could also try crushing it and mixing it with something.
On CL there's a Pet category in the community section.
I agree about the cheese or bury it in a spoonful of peanut butter.
Hi! The cheese/hot dog/whatever thing always worked for us--- until Dillin. We now have a pill gun (nasty name isn't it?) our vet gave us. It's long and slender, you stick the pill on the end and then put it in the dog's mouth. You release it so far down the dog's throat he has to swallow it. Best thing since sliced bread, maybe better! Works great on the cat too.
Wrap it in cheeses like Kraft singles. They will never know it is in there.
frontline n heartguard r the way to go.. i have an itchy dog.. hes always scratching and we bought the cheapo stuff one time and it really irritated his skin and he wasnt a big fan of having that stuff put on as it is.. im sure u know if u read the box for it but it has to go on the skin not the fur and u cant touch the dog on that spot for a while if u do wash your hands immediatly.. and with the heartguard my dog wont take it unless its wrapped in cheese.. hes a big dog and he loves cheese and he doesnt chew so he just swallows it in one gulp.. im sure theres some food that your dog willl take it in.. if all youve tried was with a doggy treat id keep trying before you go buying other stuff... i had no idea there was a topical treatment for heartworm?
Peanut butter always worked wonders for any pills with me...sometimes it helps to break them up a bit and then put in a fair amount of peanut butter. However, for heartworm and flea protection, I switched to Revolution. It is expensive, but it protects a lot. They used to have a program where when you buy a 6 month supply, you get 1 free. i think they still do that, but your vet would have to tell you about it (might be worth asking). You can also buy it a little cheaper at 1-800 petmeds.
If you itemize your taxes, you may want to donate Heartgard to a shelter such as Operation Kindness or to a breed rescue and then take the tax deduction.
You have to outsmart the dog to get them to take meds.
We wrap it in a small piece of cheese.
