I feel like a bad mommy

[Barbie]

Hercules won't take his pain meds, but he knows he won't get fed until he takes them. I feel like I've just tortured him because I fed Zeus and Hercules laid on the floor watching ... and drooling. I've tried over 15 times to get him to take his pills, but he won't do it. He's so good about taking his cancer treatment meds, but not the pain meds - I guess because they're tabs and not capsules like the other meds. He's whined four times for his dinner, and I keep grabbing the pill pocket and offering it to him, but he just snares at me - yah, teeth and all. So, I'm just sitting here ... waiting for him to let me know when he's ready to take that one lousy pill pocket. I know he must be starving right now, but if I give in, I'm afraid he'll stop taking his cancer meds also. It just breaks my heart that my baby is hungry and feel like I'm a bad mommy for not feeding him.

[Doris]

You can just scoop some peanut butter out with a spoon and stick the pill in  -  I don't like peanut butter, but this works easily!  I'm glad that the cream cheese worked.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

So glad to see the cream cheese worked. If he likes it, maybe you can just skip the peanut butter and stick with the cheese. Sorry Hercules is going through such a tough time. Our old Lab would come from anywhere in the house, if she heard that container of cream cheese being opened. She loved to take her pills....LOL!

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Oh dear Barbie, that is awful, poor Hercules.  I'm not surprised he won't let you open his mouth, the poor guy.  In that case lots of cream cheese and PB even if it is a big mess.   I think though I would crush the tablet  ( I use a pestel and morter) and mix it in with the stuff to be sure he doesn't spit it out.  I've often given whole tablets in food thinking it had been swallowed only to find it somewhere on the floor later.

[Barbie]

I wish it were that easy with Hercules. The cancer is in his mouth - a tumor on the front gums. He won't let me open his mouth and flares his teeth if I even try. He was abused as a puppy and has always had an agression issue since I got him, so when he says, "No", he means it. I can get him to do anything on his own terms, but he's been stubborn on the pain meds. I'm just as stubborn though. Thanks for your input, Nicky. I'm sure it'll come in handy when Zeus has to take meds ... hopefully no time soon. Poor guy has already had a rough start in life.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

Just cuz I see my pill dispensing method here goes again.  This works with horses and cats too.  I call it the cold (no) turkey method.  You open the dogs mouth and pop the pill in tilting the head up.  You then blow down their nose a few times. (Short blows, but firm)   This forces them to swallow. That's it!

[Barbie]

Ok, cream cheese it is then. Thanks, Camilla. Gosh, I just love seeing that avatar pic. Darwin's smile brings a smile to my face too. Thanks, I needed that.

[Camilla and Darwin]

We do cream cheese to get them to take pills....

[Barbie]

Thank you for the suggestion, Nancy. It looks like I need to buy some peanut butter, but it's so ooey and gooey. Can you put it in the fridge to firm it up, or will it still be gooey when you roll it in your hands around the pill?

[Barbie]

Yeah, the tabs fall out of stuff that's not sticky-like, and he'll do like Butter and eat the good stuff, spitting the pill back out. I don't keep peanut butter in the house, but cream cheese ... you had me scrambling in the fridge. Yup, had some stashed in the bottom bin that I'd forgotten about. It's past the expiration date, but wasn't moldy. So, I wrapped that slimey stuff around the pill pocket, and he woofed it down. I immediately fed him dinner, so he's now a happy camper and doesn't hate me anymore. Thank you, both so much!

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Can you cut the pill in  fourths and smear peanut butter on them and feed him like it's a treat?