# feeding meds



## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

Twice a day I pry Tonka's jaws apart and bung a pill down his throat. He fought me for the first year of this. BUT NEVER GOT AWAY WITH IT! Initially, I had to hold his muzzle 'til he swallowed it. Sometimes for as long as a minute. 

Now, after a few years, he knows it's coming, he doesn't like it, but is reconciled to it. At his nitetime pill, he doesn't even get up from his bed now.


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## Dechi (Aug 22, 2015)

I gave Merlin his pill in a small ball of raw or canned dog food. Never complained...


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## someday (May 3, 2016)

Here is the common method of giving a dog a pill. It's not so much about manhandling the mouth open as it is about taking advantage of the natural movement of the jaw muscles. 

http://wvah.net/videos/giving-your-dog-a-pill/


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## glorybeecosta (Nov 11, 2014)

someday said:


> Here is the common method of giving a dog a pill. It's not so much about manhandling the mouth open as it is about taking advantage of the natural movement of the jaw muscles.
> 
> Giving your dog a pill | Veterinarians in Keizer, Salem & Tualatin OR | Willamette Valley Animal Hospital


That is how I do it, and it works, no they do not like it, but I have it down pat now.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Try Pill Pockets! Give a little bit of one, then give one with the pill inside, then follow up quickly with another bit of pocket. My dogs all just love them.


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

I get a roll of Braunschweiger or Liverwurst in the lunch meat deparment. It is soft and sticky and molds right around any pill. Dogs find it irresistable. Give her a little wad of that without the pill in it. Just act happy like it's a yummy yummy treat. She will probably eat it no problem. 

Then give her the pill with the liverwurst wrapped around it. I think this should work. Iris fought me with pills and had to take them every day of her life. The liverwurst made it sooooo easy.

I would take a roll of the liverwurst and cut it into 3 or 4 pieces.....wrap each piece well and freeze it. Then just thaw out what you need for a week at a time or as needed.

Best of luck. Viking Queen


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## Mfmst (Jun 18, 2014)

Same method as above with cheese.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I do the countryboy method. Peeves and Lily won't eat their chewible heart worm pills, so once a month I just open their mouths while they are on a sit and shove the pill so far back that they have no choice other than swallowing it. Hold their muzzle and stroke their throat until you feel the swallow.

And remember you are the one in charge!


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

I think all who've achieved success with pill-pockets, cheese, bacon, and other treats should know that us pill-chuckers have tried every other method possible. Before we resort to being bigger and stronger and more determined than our pets *sheer force*, we've gone thru all of that. 

Dogs can smell a teaspoon of sugar in an Olympic sized swimming pool so you're NOT gonna fool them with a wrapping of something... they can smell that pill. Some, with lucky owners, don't care. They'll eat it anyway. 

Tonka will not, no way, no how! So I can either strangle him for being so stubbourn... I've thought about it... or just show him, over and over and over, that I'm more determined than he is so he might just as well go along.

HE has forced me to become the heavy. I blame him completely and have no sympathy for him twice a day. If he wasn't so boneheaded stubbourn, this would go a lot better for both of us.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

So true Countryboy. I still show the pill in the palm of my hand to both Lily and Peeves every month when it is time for them to take it. They always have the chance to take it from me and eat it. I have wrapped them in all sorts of things only to find the ________ (cheese, bologna, etc) gone and the pill on the floor. We don't go down that road anymore. Also all three of my dogs regularly have my hands in their mouths. I can take away tissues and other naughty objects even as they start to swallow. Giving the pill this way is that process in reverse. It is too important to protect them properly to make sure the right dog takes the right pill on the right day.


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## Click-N-Treat (Nov 9, 2015)

Noelle spits out pills, so I coat them in something slippery, like cheese in a can, or butter, open her mouth and drop it in. My vet recomended Pill Pockets, but I haven't tried them.


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## oshagcj914 (Jun 12, 2016)

Chicken hearts make good pill pockets, and turkey hearts for bigger dogs. I use the countryboy method too though. Open mouth, toss in pill, close mouth. Asaah takes thyroid pills daily, so I'm not screwing around with giving them in treats every single day. I give treats after pills for my dogs and cats that have meds every now and then. Asaah doesn't get treats because she takes them daily, but she does get them right before dinner, so I don't think she cares


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Dechi said:


> I gave Merlin his pill in a small ball of raw or canned dog food. Never complained...



That's what I was going to say. I remember Trina had to take her phenobarbital pill 3x a day, and although the pill was small, she would always turn her nose up at it. It was a lifetime medicine to have to give her, so I knew we HAD to figure out an easy way. She usually ate dry food, and always associated canned food as being a treat, so it was an easy fix to wrap the pill in a ball of canned food.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

Try Pill Pockets, raw meat, and peanut butter before giving up! Then, I understand forcing the pill down is the only way. But it's do much more pleasant for all involved when you can give a pill with food.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

zooeysmom said:


> Try Pill Pockets, raw meat, and peanut butter before giving up! Then, I understand forcing the pill down is the only way. But it's do much more pleasant for all involved when you can give a pill with food.



I guess part of it is how good you are at getting the pill in the right part of the dog's mouth that you don't let them have a choice about swallowing. Since my dogs are all big I can easily get the pill way back to the base of their tongues. The only unpleasant part is having my hand get slimy. Nobody minds any of it much.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

lily cd re said:


> And remember you are the one in charge!




I definitely agree with being in charge, that is, if one has a well adjusted and normal healthy dog. But when you have a dog mentally and emotionally sensitive, you have to always approach the situation with extra love and patience. A fearful dog "could" become more fearful if a person used the being in charge method. 

We would have never been able to do that with Trina. If she was on the verge of possibly going into a seizure, the forcing her mouth open to pop a pill in, could have sent her over the edge. Of course HER mental and emotional state was completely different then a normal dog's mental state. We found out early on that she was emotionally extra sensitive to A LOT of things.


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

TrixieTreasure said:


> A fearful dog "could" become more fearful if a person used the being in charge method.


You're picking at nits. Sensitive, schmensitive. If the dog doesn't take the pill, the dog will die. So the dog will take the pill, bruised emotions or not. 

All dogs are calm and relaxed when they're dead.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

People in charge conveys stability. Treating a dog that has a chronic illness like it is fragile doesn't do any good if it means the dog doesn't take needed medications. As Countryboy said all dogs are calm and relaxed when dead. He knows whereof he speaks since he gives daily anti-seizure medications.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Countryboy said:


> You're picking at nits. Sensitive, schmensitive. If the dog doesn't take the pill, the dog will die. So the dog will take the pill, bruised emotions or not.
> 
> All dogs are calm and relaxed when they're dead.



No, I'm not picking at nits. Any dog who is mentally unstable, who jumps and screams when pans are accidentally dropped, when doors get slammed, or TV is too loud, ( and has many times gone into a seizure because of it), is not a dog that you want to force anything with. I was more than happy to walk on eggshells with Trina, just to make sure that her life stayed as calmly as possible. Why would I try to force my dog's mouth open just to make sure she got a pill, when there were so many other ways, that were more effective, and less stressful? It's fine if the dog can handle the stress of it. But if the dog's mental and emotional state can't, then it's not right to force the issue.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

lily cd re said:


> People in charge conveys stability. Treating a dog that has a chronic illness like it is fragile doesn't do any good if it means the dog doesn't take needed medications. As Countryboy said all dogs are calm and relaxed when dead. He knows whereof he speaks since he gives daily anti-seizure medications.


I didn't see anyone saying that an overly sensitive dog wouldn't be able to take their needed medication. However,, there are so many more effective ways to do it, if an owner does have a dog who is mentally and emotionally fragile.


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## zooeysmom (Jan 3, 2014)

I totally agree, Kathy. I like to take the path of least resistance in everything I do with my dogs, which is why I also think training items like prong collars and e-collars should only be used when gentler methods have been tried and failed. That's what I'm comfortable with, and my dogs sure appreciate it.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

lily cd re said:


> He knows whereof he speaks since he gives daily anti-seizure medications.


That's great. I also know whereof I speak, since I gave anti-seizure medications to a VERY sensitive dog 3 times daily from 4 months of age, to almost 14 years of age. The truth of the matter is, if the dog can handle it, then great. If the dog's mental state has been compromised because of so many seizures in its lifetime, then, personally, I don't think it's right.


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## BorderKelpie (Dec 3, 2011)

I guess I've been lucky, the only difficult to pill dog I had was a counter surfer. Poor thing never figured out why once a day, something got left on the counter just in her reach when I turned my back to 'get something from the fridge.' lol 

I could wrap it in bacon and hand it to her, just to have it rejected. Leave it on the counter and it was gone! Goofy dog. Have you tried 'accidentally dropping' it for her?

So far, so good with my current dogs considering that sort of trickery could now be dangerous since Sully is an MDR1 (+/+) dog and is the tallest one of them all. I now keep certain meds in a lock box, just in case. Overkill, perhaps, but why risk it? My livestock dewormers would be fatal for him.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

I have a very funny picture of the counter surfer thinking they had stolen something wonderful. BK thanks for the giggle.


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## BorderKelpie (Dec 3, 2011)

lily cd re said:


> I have a very funny picture of the counter surfer thinking they had stolen something wonderful. BK thanks for the giggle.


Ok, clarifying the visual for you, she was a black tri Australian Shepherd. lol 

My goofy Wishes.


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

TrixieTreasure said:


> Why would I try to force my dog's mouth open just to make sure she got a pill, when there were so many other ways, that were more effective, and less stressful?


I wouldn't force my dog's mouth open either if you would tell me of these so many other ways that are more effective and less stressful. 

And I mean now... no weaving or bobbing. Time to fish or cut bait. If you're advocating, to all PF members and guests, that dogs that need medicine shouldn't get it on account of them showing trepidation, I think we all need to hear those other ways.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

TrixieTreasure said:


> That's great. I also know whereof I speak, since I gave anti-seizure medications to a VERY sensitive dog 3 times daily from 4 months of age, to almost 14 years of age. The truth of the matter is, if the dog can handle it, then great. *If the dog's mental state has been compromised because of so many seizures in its lifetime*, then, personally, I don't think it's right.



Obviously you made a different choice than I would have with Trina. I think the right thing for me had I the same situation would have been to free her from her suffering long before she was so compromised. You don't really need to defend yourself or reply to my POV, Trina is in the past and I hope you have many more happy memories of her than can be imagined by me based on your description of her here. We will just have to disagree on this point as we are all going to have our own opinions informed by our own experiences.

I know someone who euthanized a young dog that had seizures and was aggressive as a result of the neurological damage he experienced. He was a rescue and had a deformed skull. It seems apparent that he had been really neurologically permanently damaged when a young puppy, just not wired right. The young woman loved the dog, but he wasn't safe to be around.

Another young woman who I had as a student was the executor of her aunt's estate after she died in a car accident. The aunt was a hoarder who had dozens of cats living squalid conditions. There too the kindest thing for many of them was euthanasia. Some were very old, physically ill, injured or mentally too far off the deep end to be able to be rehabilitated. The student eventually kept six out of the bunch, but there were over 20 that were PTS.

This has wandered from the original topic at this point so I will bring it back and just remind jcris that he is in charge and has responsibility for getting his reluctant dog to take her medications. Hopefully hiding it in something yummy will work for them, but if not just open her mouth and shove the pill in next time.


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## Viking Queen (Nov 12, 2014)

If my dog will take a pill wrapped in something yummy then that's the way she will get it. If not, then I open her hatch and pop it in. Whatever is easier on the dog, is my method.

My friend Tom's Dad had a very large golden retriever who required meds and would wrestle herself away from her 85 yr old Dad to avoid the pill. Tom asked his Dad how he managed to get it in her each day. Ken said, "that's easy, I throw it on the kitchen floor and yell No, Sandy, No and she dives on it immediately and eats it!"

We both still find that hilarious. :hahaha:


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Countryboy said:


> I wouldn't force my dog's mouth open either if you would tell me of these so many other ways that are more effective and less stressful.
> 
> And I mean now... no weaving or bobbing. Time to fish or cut bait. If you're advocating, to all PF members and guests, that dogs that need medicine shouldn't get it on account of them showing trepidation, I think we all need to hear those other ways.


I don't know what the word trepidation means, sorry. And I absolutely never said that dogs shouldn't get their needed medication! If nothing else works, then yes, you've got to get the pill in any which way possible. But there ARE other ways. What worked for Trina ( and actually all of my dogs) was to put the pill in something that the dog really liked. With Trina, I would put the pill in canned dog food, since she associated that with treats. With some of my other dogs, I would make a game out of it, getting them excited where they didn't have time to figure out that there was a pill in there. There was even a few times where I would crush the pill up in small pieces and put it into some hamburger. There is even the smarty pants Poodle who, like what Borderkelpie said, counter surfs. Sometimes, if the dog knows that the counter is forbidden, it makes the dog all the more determined to get what's up there.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Trepidation: Trepidation | Definition of Trepidation by Merriam-Webster


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

lily cd re said:


> Obviously you made a different choice than I would have with Trina. I think the right thing for me had I the same situation would have been to free her from her suffering long before she was so compromised. You don't really need to defend yourself or reply to my POV, Trina is in the past and I hope you have many more happy memories of her than can be imagined by me based on your description of her here. We will just have to disagree on this point as we are all going to have our own opinions informed by our own experiences.
> 
> I know someone who euthanized a young dog that had seizures and was aggressive as a result of the neurological damage he experienced. He was a rescue and had a deformed skull. It seems apparent that he had been really neurologically permanently damaged when a young puppy, just not wired right. The young woman loved the dog, but he wasn't safe to be around.
> 
> ...




You are misunderstanding. Believe me, Trina had a good life, and I absolutely would not have allowed her life to go on if she hadn't been happy. She wasn't suffering 24/7. She enjoyed life, going for walks and she especially loved her sister, Kaydee. The one thing that she really loved was howling when Fred and I started the game of howling. She gave us a run for our money one time when we were out in the field on our land, and we couldn't keep up. She could go 6 to 7 months without having a seizure, but when she started with the clustering seizures, it was really hard on her. We learned early on to keep our home calm and quiet. We also didn't have children come over so as to not upset her, and if for some reason my great nieces and nephews came over, I would put Trina in another room. She always did fine at the groomer. There WAS one time in 2001 when she was just 2 years old, and she was having clustering seizures, and it was really bad. I remember my husband and I laying on the living room floor with Trina, saying our goodbyes to her, because we made the decision to let her go. I called our vet and told him we would be coming in, in about an hour. We were almost ready to leave, and something came over me. It was like, no, don't do it. That feeling was SO strong, that I had to listen to it. And I'm SO glad we did. Instead of letting our baby girl go, we upped her meds ( with the vet's approval), and got her going on the rectal Valium, and used that for when she was having the real bad seizures. It took a couple of days, but we finally got her out of it where she was doing good again.

So, please believe, if Trina's life was more bad than good, I would have NEVER allowed her to suffer like that. I loved her too much to do that. She actually was doing pretty good up until the end. It was about maybe a couple of months when I noticed she was going downhill. And then she was starting to go downhill really fast. But it was not because of seizures. It was because Her organs were shutting down. It was time. She was 4 months shy of being 14 years old.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

I do want to make sure that people understand that I would never fault anyone who made the painful decision of letting their beloved dog go if it were having a lot of seizures. All I can say is how it was for us. We made a life long commitment in helping Trina, and as long as she was trying, then we were going to be there for her, and with her, every step of the way. Yes, it was very hard sometimes. You have to change how you live your life, and you have to be committed in making sure the dog always got his medicine, and vet visits twice a year, and everything else that went with a dog with epilepsy. Fred and I put our lives on hold for those years, not taking vacations, making sure that our home was always quiet and stress free, and working as hard as we could to make sure that Trina had a good and comfortable life. I would do it again. In a heartbeat.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

lily cd re said:


> Trepidation: Trepidation | Definition of Trepidation by Merriam-Webster


Thank you for sharing that. It says that it's a feeling of fear that causes you to hesitate because you think something bad is going to happen. I think that applies to all human beings at some point in time in their lives. I know that if I'm fearful about something, and I find myself hesitating, then that means there's got to be a reason as to why I'm hesitating. I always believe in listening to ones inner self.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

TrixieTreasure said:


> I do want to make sure that people understand that I would never fault anyone who made the painful decision of letting their beloved dog go if it were having a lot of seizures.




HOWEVER, I WILL fault anyone who is so close-minded and so judgemental that they are willing to imply that an owner would keep their dog alive for their own selfish purpose. People really should ask QUESTIONS first and give the other person a chance to explain themselves, before they spout off that they believe someone is selfish in that regard! I don't believe that any one of us would keep their pet alive for any kind of selfish reasons, and if anyone DOES imply that about ANY responsible pet owner, they are definitely going to hear from me about it!


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## Tiny Poodles (Jun 20, 2013)

jcris said:


> Hello,
> 
> My girl Princess will not eat her Bravecto tablet. Now Belle just gobbled it up like it was a treat. I tried to disguise it with several things: chicken gravy, in with her raw green tripe, peanut butter and some chicken pieces. All to no avail. She would smell whatever offering and just turn away. I'm so angry with her, that stuff is expensive. It was so great to see Belle just eat it without a problem and then so frustrating to see Princess be so stubborn. What should I try next?
> 
> ...



Ask your vet or an experienced dog owner to show you how to pill your dog. It is quick and easy if you know how to do it, and it is something that every dog owner should know how to do.


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

lily cd re said:


> Obviously you made a different choice than I would have with Trina. I think the right thing for me had I the same situation would have been to free her from her suffering long before she was so compromised. You don't really need to defend yourself or reply to my POV, Trina is in the past and I hope you have many more happy memories of her than can be imagined by me based on your description of her here.




So it seems like to me, lily cd re, that if you had had a Poodle who started having seizures at the age of 4 months, and you found out at age 5 months that she had Ideopathic Seizure Disorder, you would have put her to sleep after 1 to 2 years, because her mental state was compromised by the seizures. To me, that would be the same as a child who was compromised with a mental disorder and the parent didn't think the child would be able to live a normal life. Unless that parent is a scumbag, they would do whatever it took to help that child live as good of life as possible. 

There was absolutely NOTHING that was based on my description here to indicate that Trina was not enjoying life. Loud noises scaring her does not indicate that her quality of life was not good. Her having a lot of seizures also did not indicate that her quality of life was not good. Us walking on eggshells has nothing to do with her quality of life. That was how WE decided to live our life, in order to do the very best for her. Deciding to not force her mouth open to pop a pill in because we were afraid that she might would have a seizure, also does not indicate that her life had not been good. You make it sound like Trina had a miserable life. Well here's a news flash for you, she didn't.

Yes, sometimes it was hard. But sometimes, you have to sacrifice what you want to do in your own life, in order to help your loved one have a good life. When the good life outweighs the bad, then you don't give up. You keep on going for your beloved pet. As long as the medicine was helping, and she usually enjoyed life, I would NEVER ( EVER) give up my baby. If YOU would, that's fine, that would be your choice, and I would never fault you for it. But that would never be my choice. Therefore, I don't deserve to be faulted for it either.


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

Both of my nieces have had seizures at different times in their lives for different reasons. The reasons were acute, not chronic, and both of them are now seizure free, so I know a little something about seizures too.

Dogs are not children and shouldn't be treated as if they were. This is how so many dogs end up spoiled, overweight, and sometimes downright nasty to be with. If I had a dog that was going to suffer seizures for the duration of its life and could see that it was going to compromise the life of my family, my other dogs or that dog itself I would not hesitate to have it PTS for the well being of all concerned. Plenty of information about the dog's anxieties and fears were freely offered and I drew a conclusion based on that information here, just as has been done about my posting on quality of life in another thread that I started because Peeves is really a senior dog now and Lily is closing in on that stage of life.


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## Countryboy (May 16, 2011)

TrixieTreasure said:


> Therefore, I don't deserve to be faulted for it either.


The OP has a dog that will not take pills in any of the standard way. Some of us have offered a perfectly acceptable way of dosing the dog. Advocated by all vets, vet techs, and any other professional dog handlers. 

YOU are the one that has objected to that.


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## twyla (Apr 28, 2010)

I have used all the methods mentioned myself on a variety of animals with a variety of temperaments, have you thought of using a pill shooter?

Soft Tip Pet Piller|Cat Medication Dispensing Supplies from DrsFosterSmith.com


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

lily cd re said:


> Both of my nieces have had seizures at different times in their lives for different reasons. The reasons were acute, not chronic, and both of them are now seizure free, so I know a little something about seizures too.
> 
> Dogs are not children and shouldn't be treated as if they were. This is how so many dogs end up spoiled, overweight, and sometimes downright nasty to be with. If I had a dog that was going to suffer seizures for the duration of its life and could see that it was going to compromise the life of my family, my other dogs or that dog itself I would not hesitate to have it PTS for the well being of all concerned. Plenty of information about the dog's anxieties and fears were freely offered and I drew a conclusion based on that information here, just as has been done about my posting on quality of life in another thread that I started because Peeves is really a senior dog now and Lily is closing in on that stage of life.


If our lives were compromised because of having a dog with seizures, then we were very happy to be compromised. We decided right away that it was worth doing all that we could for Trina, in order for her to HAVE a good life. And she did. So it was absolutely worth it. Trina's mental state was compromised because of the seizures, but that doesn't mean she didn't have a good life in spite of that!


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## TrixieTreasure (May 24, 2015)

Countryboy said:


> The OP has a dog that will not take pills in any of the standard way. Some of us have offered a perfectly acceptable way of dosing the dog. Advocated by all vets, vet techs, and any other professional dog handlers.
> 
> YOU are the one that has objected to that.


I didn't mean to object to that, and if that's how I made it look, then I was definitely at fault, and I do apologize. Everyone needs to do what they believe is best in their own situation. In fact, those who really know me, know how strongly I believe that every owner has the right to do whatever they think is best for their own dog. Every chance I get, I say that. That's my belief and have been sharing that for years. But I guess I made it sound differently on this thread. Again, my apologies for that.

I would have to go back and re-read some of my posts, and the posts leading up to it, but I know at first, all I was doing was sharing what has worked for my dogs. In fact, in my first response, I was agreeing with Dechi. Later, I thought all I was doing was trying to get across that with a dog who has seizures, ( and who has been mentally compromised because it it -- thinking about my dog, and no one else's ), there are more effective ways of making sure the dog gets his medicine. The OP didn't have a dog who had seizures, and the only reason why I spoke more about the subject of seizures, was because lily said you were an expert on the matter. I said great, and that I too am an expert on the matter. 

Bottom line, CB, however you, and others do it, is your business, not mine. The most important thing is, the dog gets his medicine.


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## jcris (Feb 19, 2015)

Great suggestions all!
Thx everyone. The liverwurst is a good idea and I watched the link. So look out girls I'm ready for ya next time. haha! Now about being in charge, is that even possible? lol
Jcris


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## lily cd re (Jul 23, 2012)

jcris said:


> Great suggestions all!
> Thx everyone. The liverwurst is a good idea and I watched the link. So look out girls I'm ready for ya next time. haha! *Now about being in charge, is that even possible? lol*
> Jcris


Yes it is!


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