Unique Dog Parenting Tip: Pilling Doggos

When your dog is sick, inappetance is always a problem. So, how do you get your dog to take pills? There is some medication used to stop vomiting and nausea that you may need to give your dog. Your vet likely gave you some advice when you emailed them this week, freaking out about all the diarrhea you’re seeing on walks. I bet your vet didn’t tell you how to make sure your dog takes the medication needed for their current condition but also everything else you’re managing, like heart disease or irritable bowel disease. Plus, if your dog is super old, they’re likely on meds they can’t miss!

The best way is to hide the pill in marshmallows. Yes! I learned this trick while working as a certified veterinary technician at a vet hospital. Pill pockets never work. If you hide pills in chicken and serve up a bland diet of chicken and rice, you have ruined the chicken. Don’t create a bigger problem than you already have. Marshmallows are sticky, and it’s easy to hide almost any pill or capsule. 

Some GI-related medications can taste bitter. These include: 

• Metronidazole 
• Tramadol
• Gabapentin 

If your dog accidentally tastes any of these, you will never get another pill in them again. 

Also, let’s talk about chasers when it comes to pills. The second best trick is to feed two to three small marshmallows first, and then, when no one expects it, feed your dog the pill hidden in the marshmallow. You must prep these in advance. If it’s always the first marshmallow hiding his metronidazole, your dog will suspect a pill is coming. And your dog can SMELL the pills, duh. 

Let’s practice. 

1. Spread out ten small (versus miniature) marshmallows.
2. The marshmallows shouldn’t be fancy and don’t use chocolate-covered ones.  
3. Hide the pill in the third or fourth one.
4. Do the pills first thing in the morning when your dog is hungry. 
5. This is also before a walk and before breakfast. 

Plan b: if marshmallows don’t work. 

Have the following on hand at all times:

• Cream cheese: Some dogs love cream cheese and its texture.
• Deli turkey thinly sliced: Turkey can be slimy, so you must stick to many small chasers before you wrap up the pill. 
• American cheese: The stickiness will help hide the pill.  
• Turkey hot dogs: This is a last resort as the hot dogs are more challenging to hide pills in, but microwave the hot dog first, and the smell may do the trick. 

Listen up, folks! Here are the secrets of canine culinary persuasion. Once your pooch gets a taste of anything bitter, trying to give him the same pill again is like trying to sell kale chips at a candy store. But fear not! If you’re skeptical, grab a bag of marshmallows and watch your dog transform into a furry marshmallow monster on a day when he’s feeling fabulous. Just remember, these fluffy delights are for special occasions only—not for bribing your pup to drop his beloved stick on walks. Don’t just take my word for it; prepare for your dog to go bonkers for marshmallows!