# Difficulty taking meds ProIn



## anitag (Oct 25, 2014)

DOes anyone have any suggestions for getting her to take meds .. she has urinanary incontinence and is on Proin but it has come to where anything i use to disguise it she won't eat it. On top of that she recently had surgery and seems to have no appetite.. So not only is she not getting her proin but shes not eating. Shes five years old. 

in terrible need of suggestions 

Thanks ... Anita


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## nezzz (Jan 20, 2013)

You could try force feeding the meds. Do do that everyday for my girl who is used to it now.

Take the pills then force them down the throat through the side of her mouth. They will resist slightly then give in eventually.


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

nezzz said:


> You could try force feeding the meds. Do do that everyday for my girl who is used to it now.
> 
> Take the pills then force them down the throat through the side of her mouth. They will resist slightly then give in eventually.


When I force feed pills, I open the mouth with both hands, left hand on the top jaw, with a finger hooked just behind the canine tooth, pop the pills down the throat as far as possible, close the mouth and hold it closed for a moment, and gently blow into the nostrils. That way, 1-- you won't get half a finger scissored off by the big molars in the back if the dog decides NOPE and clamps down; 2-- the dog swallows and won't spit out the med the minute you let go.

Even easier-- my dogs love peanut butter. I buy the natural kind that you have to stir up and keep in the fridge, so I just get a glob of that, push the pill inside, and they swallow it right down.

Susan


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## nezzz (Jan 20, 2013)

Susan_GSD_mom said:


> When I force feed pills, I open the mouth with both hands, left hand on the top jaw, with a finger hooked just behind the canine tooth, pop the pills down the throat as far as possible, close the mouth and hold it closed for a moment, and gently blow into the nostrils. That way, 1-- you won't get half a finger scissored off by the big molars in the back if the dog decides NOPE and clamps down; 2-- the dog swallows and won't spit out the med the minute you let go.
> 
> Even easier-- my dogs love peanut butter. I buy the natural kind that you have to stir up and keep in the fridge, so I just get a glob of that, push the pill inside, and they swallow it right down.
> 
> Susan


I used to do that but since I've been giving her supplements everyday like this, she's just given up resisting, now she just opens her mouth and I pop the vitamins down her throat.

Your peanut butter method seems easier for beginners though, OP should do that before attempting my method I guess.


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## eddie1976E (Nov 7, 2010)

I use american cheese to give the pills. I tease him with it, make him really want it, then give it to him. He swallows it right away. 1 slice of cheese is usually good for 4 or 5 treatments. I'm giving metronidizole now and that is really bitter...so I have to make sure he doesn't chew it.


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

Yes, whatever treat you use, make it small enough that they will swallow it right down and not chew it.

Susan


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## misfits (Jan 13, 2011)

Sounds wierd, ut I use about a half teaspoon of sour cream, they love it and don't even know the pill is in there.


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## Remo (Sep 8, 2004)

We take 1 inch segments of hot dog and run a straw through the middle to create an opening for the pills. Then we give one or two empty chunks of hot dog (to get them excited) then slip them the loaded hot dog piece and then follow with another empty chaser piece. 

You can also get a "pill gun" (most cat people know about these!) 

Good luck! I used to have a foster dog that would NOT NOT NOT take pills - he could really make things difficult.


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## GSDAlphaMom (Jul 20, 2010)

I dip supplements/pills in peanut butter and mine take it likes it's a treat.


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## anitag (Oct 25, 2014)

Thanks for all of the responses... we have tried all of the suggestions and nothing is working. she hasn't eaten since Thurs. The only thing she will eat are milk bones. I'm very concerned.. Called the vet and they basically said the same things. I don't know what to do at this point.


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## GSDAlphaMom (Jul 20, 2010)

They are pretty soft pills, have you tried grating it into a powder and putting in canned food?


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Recently my young dog got very ill from a reaction to meds. Once we had the vomiting and diarrhea under control, he flat out refused to eat. I tried EVERYTHING (chicken broth, baby foods, pumpkin, canned dog food, cooked chicken and rice, scrambled eggs, cottage cheese, greek yogurt....). I took him back to the vet because he had lost 7lbs in a few days and was not even a year old yet. I thought part of the issue was that I was force-feeding him so many pills (he was on 4 different meds, some with multiple pills multiple times a day), he was skeptical of *anything* I handed him. When I took him back to the vet, I had her offer him food. She gave him half a can of Hill's I/D canned and he ate almost all of it. She seemed disappointed that he wouldn't eat the whole can but I was thrilled, that was more than he'd eaten in the previous 5 days combined! I bought a bunch of cans. A friend offered to help me feed him at lunch time, but after the initial meal with the vet he lost is avoidance of eating what I offered and he ate the Hill's I/D canned. Then I mixed that with the canned version of his kibble, and then slowly mixed in his kibble. The sickness was about a week ordeal and then it took another full week to get his appetite back up. The Hill's I/D was recommended by another person on this forum whose GSD had a similar illness as mine and would only eat this food at first. It's not the best food, but for a dog that's flat out refusing food, may be worth a try.


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## Remo (Sep 8, 2004)

I hope that she is drinking - is she? Are you keeping your vet updated on her? 

We have coaxed foster dogs into eating meat based baby food warmed up for a couple of seconds so it gets nice and smelly. 

Good luck - I hope your pooch is OK.


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