How to Give a Dog a Pill

Has this ever happened to you? You need to give your dog a pill – a vitamin, heartworm, aspirin – some sort of repulsive-tasting pill. You think you’re clever. You hide it in your dog’s favorite food. Your dog happily gobbles it up. You think you’re brilliant; you’re feeling relieved. Then your dog spits out the tiny pill and trots away.

You’re genuinely perplexed. After all, your dog isn’t normally such a discriminating eater. There’s a reason why we call it “wolfing down food.” He typically buries his head in his bowl and gobbles up anything that’s managed to find its way there.

And yet, when there’s something really, truly important you want him to eat – the moment you try to give a dog medicine he suddenly becomes some kind of a gourmand. His palate sharpens and his tongue develops unprecedented dexterity. You can hide a tiny pill in a whole block of Velveeta, and yet your dog will still be like the proverbial Princess and the Pea, spitting out the nasty medicine.

We have good news. There is actually a ridiculously easy and fool-proof trick to giving pills to dogs. And we’re going to tell you how…

How to Give Pills to Dogs

Here’s what you’ll need: the pill, his favorite food, and about 15 seconds.

Select your dog’s favorite food. No chintzing! Chicken, hot dogs, cheese. Whatever he goes nuts for. When in doubt, we always say go for the hot dog. They’re fine to eat straight out of the package – you don’t even have to cook them.
Break the hot dog (or whatever delight you select) into five small pieces.
Carefully hide the pill in one piece. Let’s call it Morsel #3.
Ready? You have to act quickly. Timing is everything. Talk to your dog in a friendly, excited voice. The “we’re about to go for a walk” voice. He already knows something awesome is about to happen.
Quick. Feed him Morsel #1. He’ll gobble it down. (Remember, pieces need to be small.) Quick! Don’t lose your fingers, but give him Morsel #2. Now quickly! Give him Morsel #3, right on the heels of Morsel #2.
Don’t lose your pace! Now feed him Morsel #4, then Morsel #5.
Success.

That’s all there is to it. You can’t fight your dog’s killer taste buds, but you can absolutely use his gluttony for deliciousness against him. A dog will root around and explore a single bite of food, but when he’s offered a rapid fire succession of treats, with the pill hidden in #3, he’ll never know what hit him!

It really is that simple. And it always works. If it doesn’t – you need to have a long talk with your dog and figure out what food he truly craves. Getting to know your dog is fun. And it gives you the upper hand when you need to give a dog medicine.

And now you know how to give a dog a pill!