Giving Pills To Your Puppy

The best way to give any pill is to wrap it in a small piece of meat; most puppies eat meat hungrily, and the pills go down easily. I give my puppy a vitamin-mineral supplement that is in powdered form. It is unfortunately rather insoluble, but she doesn’t mind, and eats it up easily with her morning meal. If you start this habit with young puppies, they get accustomed to it.

All puppies should get accustomed from an early age to having their mouths opened without biting. Try opening the mouth and popping in a piece of liver, each time commanding the dog to “Open.” You will find that your puppy will quickly learn to open her mouth on command, hoping for the liver.

You must never try to open a puppy’s mouth with your hand on the bottom jaw. Always place your hand over the top of the muzzle, with your first finger and thumb in the puppy’s mouth where the teeth are absent, just behind the large canine tooth when it comes through. Keep the puppy’s head up, and stroke its throat until you see it swallow. Always put the puppy to the sit before attempting any medication. Otherwise it might struggle and choke.