Trouble Giving Pills!

[Lucy & AnnaBelle's Mom]

I was going to post this in the Health and Medical Group but felt possibly others might benefit who aren't members there as well so decided to put it here.  My girls have both been very good about taking any pills they needed.  Just a little peanut butter and they just open up.  Recently though Sophie has started resisting her meds big time.  Mostly because her stomach isn't feeling well and she doesn't even want food much less yucky pills.  As the Vet was giving me a couple more pills yesterday that I needed to give her I think she saw the look on my face and I mentioned how difficult it had been in the last couple days to get them down her.  She has this unique ability to yack them back up.  Here is a little trick she gave me.  It takes a little fine tuning to get it just right, but I think it is gonna be good once I perfect it.  She said to first crush the pill (or pills).  I can do them all at once, no need to separate them.  Take a syringe and cut the pointed end off.  Then put a couple drops of pancake syrup in the syringe, add the crushed pills and put a couple more drops of syrup.  Take a skewer or something and put it in there and mix the syrup with the pills to make a paste.  That is the key, a paste, not runny.  Then just take the syringe and push the paste into their mouth and it is more difficult to spit it out.  My first one was a mess as it was a little too runny.  However, this morning it was a little thicker and worked better.  Next one I'll make just a little thicker and I think it will be perfect.  It really doesn't take much syrup (I used sugar free hoping it wouldn't be quite as sticky).  

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

 I have been syringing paste into Boris's mouth three times today and it really goes down very easily. I would say a baby food puree of something yummy would be perfect.  You can get a horse syringe from a vet which will work perfectly. Just use a piping cone to push the puree and crushed tabs into the syringe.

[BG and Gavin]

Gavin got wise to the peanut butter when he had to do five weeks on anti-biotics.  I used cheez whiz which worked for the rest of the Rx.

[Bob Johnston]

luna takes a lot of meds now and I make little tiny finger size peanut butter sandwiches, The size of your thumb nail. Just enough peanut butter to make the pill stick to the bread. This would work with any spread but only is they will eat the bread. After she eats that she gets a bowl of crushed ice with a little water so it doesnt stick to her tongue. That way she cant drink to fast and get sick but still gets to wash down the peanut butter. The crushed ice also seemed to make her want to eat again to. Once she stops eatten that I am breaking out the snow cone machine. I cant imagine the chemo drugs are any kinda of fun for sophie.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

What a great hint, Sherri!  I'm not such a good Mom....I just open their mouths and shove the pills down.....this seems like a "kinder, gentler" approach.

[Nicky, Riley & Boris]

I often throw the pill down the throat and keep the head up while blowing down their noses, it makes them swallow LOL  I often use piece of sausage which makes a great pill pocket.  Just put a slit in the sausage and bury the tablet, mine just swallow.

[Rebeckah]

Ive always wrapped them in a little bit of liverworst :)