Most dogs need to take tablets at some point in their life. Even if it’s just a worming tablet. Our advice can help make this process as hassle-free as possible!

If you’re wondering where to start, ask yourself if your dog is a big foodie. If the answer is yes (as we suspect), try sneaking their tablets into a small portion of their meal. Then let them get stuck into the rest of it!

Of course, the easiest way to get your dog to take their medication is by concealing it within a treat. Get something tasty that you can mould into a ball, like cheese, peanut butter (xylitol-free) or meat. Pop the tablet into the mix and hand the treat to your furry friend. They should – hopefully – eat it up without hesitation!

We suggest having four to five treats lined up, with the pill inside the third one. You can then give the treats in quick succession – one after the other. Your dog will very likely swallow the treat/pill quickly to get the next one. Bingo – the pill has gone!

It’s not always going to guarantee success, though. Some dogs are super suspicious, and this technique might not work with them. There’s also the issue of some pills not being able to be given with food. So keep these considerations in mind.

If you need to place the pill directly in your dogs’ mouth, here’s how you do it:

• Position yourself behind your dog and place them between your knees.

• Gently open your dog’s jaws. While their mouth is open, pop the pill as far into the back of their mouth as you can.

• Hold their mouth shut (gently!) and rub their throat to encourage them to swallow.

This can take practice, so you may want to ask a veterinary nurse to give you a lesson. They may also recommend the use of a ‘pill popper’. This is a handy tool which can help with placing the pill in your dog’s mouth.

If you really struggle to get your dog to swallow a pill, ask your vet if there’s an alternative. These could include liquid form or tasteless equivalents of a tablet.