When Delilah was diagnosed with a severe heart arrhythmia last June, the cardiologist started her on Soltalal. Soltalal is a small pill and we break/cut it in half and put it on her food. After a Holter study it was determined the Soltalal was not working well enough, and Mexilitene was added. The Mexilitene is expensive and it’s supposed to be given every eight hours. Since Hubby and I both work, we do the best we can with the Mexilitene. (Heart related posts can be found HERE, HERE, and HERE.)
The Mexilitene is a capsule and it’s supposed to be taken with food. It’s problematic in that the dogs are fed twice a day, at about twelve hour increments. The vet said we could give it to her with something fatty, like peanut butter, but we find Liverwurst works really well too.
Delilah, like a typical Lab, knows when every morsel of food is designated to be dispensed.
When I’m dispensing meds, I take the Liverwurst out of the fridge and put it on the counter, then I take the pill out of the bottle and place THAT on the counter. Then I grab my knife, slice off three pieces (Delilah gets two and I break the other one in half for Sampson. Try not giving him some and see what happens. Dogs know. They know.)
I wrap the pill in one of the slices, ball it up in my hand and give it to her. Then I give her the second piece.
The whole time this is going on, she’s sitting on the floor next to me.
Sort of.
It plays out like this. I open the Liverwurst and Delilah, sensing the incoming goodness, slightly lifts her butt off the floor. Then THUMPS it back down.
I slice off a piece. Again, she lifts her butt slightly off the floor and once again, THUMPS it back down.
She does this….probably four to five times in the course of that minute of medication dispensing.
Naturally, I’m laughing (and usually swearing) the whole time.
What’s your routine for dispensing meds? Does your dog enjoy as much as mine? What did they do to make you laugh this week?
Madison says
I won’t take any meds. Mom has put them in things like liverwurst and I suck it all off and spit out the pill. She has crumbled them, mixed with wet food, and I walk away. Thus, all my pills are shoved down my throat. When I see her coming with a pill, I sit nicely on my own and let Mom pop it in. Bailie will eat anything even without coating. Mom puts the pill in her food bowl and it is gone. Enjoy that liverwurst, Delilah!
Brian Frum says
We’re all good at taking meds here but maybe we should hold out for something yummy with them!
Tails Around the Ranch says
The knuckleheads hear the bag of dehydrated chicken jerky and come running even if they’ve been in a deep sleep. No matter how quiet I try to be, they hear it and come running. They sit right in front of me, tails Swiffering back and forth till the (apparently) delish jerky with CBD oil is dispensed. For Elsa’s anti-seizure pills I make a up a batch of peanut butter/coconut flour pill pockets and while she’s super good about taking pills (even snarfing down milk thistle capsules laid on top of her meals), she patiently lays just outside the kitchen door waiting for it. She absolutely knows when it’s time. Whoever think dogs can’t tell time have never had a dog. 😊
Jan K says
I have a feeling if dogs could get together and talk, they’d be commiserating with each other over how slow their humans are at everything! 🙂
Cupcake says
Liverwurst sounds delicious. Mom gives me medicines in cream cheese. I will eat pretty much anything, so she really doesn’t have to bother with the cream cheese at all, but I appreciate her effort…
Love and licks,
Cupcake
jan says
I wrap melting cheese around the pills and they take them every time
Meagan & Merlin says
I used to be able to hand feed pills as a pup. Now i have to crush it and mix it with his wet food. Merlin will eat anything except lettuce. I don’t blame him i don’t like it either lol.