How to give medication to your dog

There are times in your dog’s life when he or she will need medications that must be administered at home. Often a disease may strike requiring daily care and treatment, or perhaps your dog may suffer an injury that requires your personal treatment of meds.

There are generally three methods to give medication to your dog:

• Liquid medicine (using the pouch method)
• Prying open the mouth
• Pills and capsules

Liquid medicine: using the pouch method

Liquid medicine is the easiest of all solutions because you can either drop the medication in the dog’s food or water, or simply use a dropper to enter the canine’s mouth.

To use the pouch method you will use one hand to pull the corner of the dog’s lip open. This is the corner of the lower lip. Once you do that make a pouch. Meanwhile keep the doggy’s head back a little and then pour. You will pour with the other hand.

If this doesn’t seem to work out very good then get some help. Have someone help you hold the dog in place. If the canine has its teeth clamped then gently pry his mouth open using a couple of fingers. The dog might try to move away so just put the dog near a corner with his rear end facing the corner so he has not far to back up. Follow the steps to make the pouch and administer the liquid.

How to pry your dog’s mouth open

Now with this method you need to pry open the dog’s mouth at the upper jaw. Take your thumb and fingers and place them in the gaps behind the fangs while you hold the upper jaw with one hand.

At this point, the dog will typically relax just enough to open his mouth a bit. Then you would pour the medicine with a spoon or dropper in between the canine’s front teeth. Of course you will need to have his head back just a bit.

Giving your dog pills or capsules

To give your dog a pill or vitamin other than the chewable kind, use the pry-open-mouth method. Take the pill and hold it between your first finger and your thumb, or if easier for you, between the second fingers and the first finger. After you have the capsule or pill in place, use the rest of your fingers to push open the lower jaw at the front teeth.

Now you have to get the pill as far back into the dog’s throat as you can. Then encourage the swallowing. Yes it will be tougher at first, but as you gain experience and your dog becomes more accustomed, it will become a more comfortable routine.