first aide tips-pills

[Gina Heitz <brier@oregonsbest.com>]

Lori wrote:

>I just learned a great trick for giving dogs pills


Ha Ha Ha!  And I say it one more time with FRUSTRATION: HA HA HA!!! <grin>

    Yes Lori with "normal" dogs this woks very well,,, grr,,, heck just 
about any food wrapped around a pill works...  But Rocky has never been a 
normal dog!  As a young pup he got an eye infection, took three people to 
hold him down to get simple non stinging drops in his eyes...  Forget doing 
his toe nails till he was about 3 but he's hardly ever needed them 
done.  Can't mix his foods together either, if they touch he doesn't eat 
them.  So needless to say he is a real challenge when he is sick.

Vet story from last week:  Vet thought we should put him back on 
antibiotics and I asked if I could have injectable.  Vet said no you just 
give him the pills with a real puzzled look on his dumb face (sorry Jim) 
.  Well I said would you like to try?  Vet opened the pill bottle and a 
very sick Rocky got up and ran for the door.  Had to be drug back into the 
treatment room...  Now this was a dog who did not walk into the clinic 
under his own power.  Six pills later and two vet tech they finally got the 
meds down him.  Sent me home with a bottle of pills and a prayer...

Did learn a good trick though that so far is working...  I fill a 5 cc 
syringe with water, PRY Rocky's mouth open while George holds him down, 
cram the pills as far back as I can get them and shoot the water in the 
side of his mouth, he has to swallow.  Quickly remove hand form mouth 
access damage to my knuckles do first aide as needed fall to the floor in a 
heap of tears and pull my self up by my boot straps and go on with the next 
11 1/2 hours till we have to do it all over again...  Oh and if he's in his 
crate and KNOWS pills are coming FORGET IT!

<LOL>  I hope you all know I am telling quite the tail here but really it 
ain't so easy...

But with a difficult one try the water trick.  Works really good, except it 
doesn't remove the scowl from their face that just breaks your heart...

Gina