With one in four visits to veterinary clinics resulting in prescriptions, a big question for pet owners of dogs can be how to give a dog a pill.
One method dog owners sometimes use to help them give their dog tablets or capsules can be more forceful. This can cause stress to both dogs and owners and can make the process much more difficult. These attempts can also significantly increase the risk of injury to the dog.
As an alternative, pet owners often try hiding tablets in food such as cheese, peanut butter or meats. This method may be effective, especially in the first instance. That being said, one third of owners still find that their dog will spit out pills or tablets given to them in food.
If this method is repeated a dog may quickly recognise the action and taste, and filter the medication out of the treats.
Another area of concern here is that if medication needs to be given regularly, treats such as cheese or peanut butter can significantly impact a dog’s daily recommended calorie or
nutrient intake.
Why Pill Assist™ Dog is different
Pill Assist™ Dog has been developed with all of these concerns in mind. Using this product, pills, tablets and capsules can be given to dogs by placing them inside palatable and easily mouldable, hollow pieces which help to disguise their taste.
Contrary to cheese or pieces of meat, nutrient and caloric intake can be controlled: Pill Assist™ Small Dog contains 10 calories, and Pill Assist™ Medium/Large Dog contains 26
calories per unit. This moderated calorie content, along with added prebiotics and vitamins, means that the product can easily be administered alongside their regular, portioned food.
How to use Pill Assist™ Dog
Pill Assist™ Dog is a quick and simple solution to effectively give a dog a pill, and enabling successful medication intake in 97% of cases.*
- Hold the Pill Assist™ Dog with your thumb and forefinger
- Place the pill inside with your other hand
- Using the hand which did not touch the pill, squeeze the top half of the Pill Assist™ closed
- Still avoiding touching the Pill Assist™ with your second hand, feed it to your dog
Two distinct sizes have been developed to support the differences between small dogs and medium and large dogs, without compromising on the ability to administer most capsule and pill sizes.
It is important not to touch the Pill Assist™ Dog with the same hand that came into contact with the medication. Dogs have very strong senses and may easily recognise residue from the medication on the Pill Assist™ Dog. This can lead to rejection of the pill.
For best results, we recommend giving Pill Assist™ Dog to your dog at least once without medication. This allows your dog to get used to the product so they take it from you
enthusiastically when it contains a pill. That being said, Pill Assist™ Dog is specifically designed to support pet owners during medication, and therefore should not replace any other food nor be used as regular treat.
Pill Assist™ Dog is available from your veterinarian. If you are ever unsure how to administer medication to your dog, please consult your veterinarian for expert advice.
*Identified in a robust trial with a placebo, administered to 17 small dogs and 14 Medium/large dogs twice a day for a five day period.
