Giving Medication and Supplements to Your Pet

The breeders, and some vets, will prescribe a range of supplements and tonics on a first pup visit – vitamins, probiotics, digestive aids. If your puppy or kitten is on a formulated commercial diet recommended by your vet, it does not need any supplements at all.

The only benefit of these additional supplements is that it gets the pet parent familiar with how to medicate their pets. Doing this daily increases their confidence while giving deworming when needed and the occasional vomiting or diarrhoea meds.

To make this easier for your pet, turn it into a fun activity by not only giving them the medicine but allowing your puppy to play with the syringe for a little bit. Of course, make sure it is big enough for them to not swallow only for a short while.

Since these supplements are made for daily dosing there is an effort to make them palatable, so it actually helps avoid aversion to syringes etc. Try using fun and innovative ways to get your pet to take the supplement. This process will not only be fun for them but also way easier for you.

You can trick your pet into taking the supplement though a treat e.g., dog ice cream or yoghurt or normal vanilla ice cream, or any of their favourite treats. There are pill pockets available for hiding your pet’s pills in palatable treats which are easy to swallow and exciting for your pet.

Pills can either be placed at the back of the mouth in big dogs and then holding the mouth shut, or crushing and mixing in a tasty liquid or honey to then administer with a syringe. Cheese cubes, cocktail sausages and their favourite treat will work well to hide pills. You can hide the supplement in the treatment and make them have it. This way your pet will be extremely happy and healthy. But remember, do not exceed the limit of the threat that needs to be given to them.