CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Oldies (Over 9s) => Topic started by: daydreams on January 05, 2016, 05:18:18 PM
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Happy New Year to you all on COL
can you wise folk help out?
Bracken has been prescribed vivitonin, a she was beginning to struggle with just 'getting old' I think,
she also has metacam for her arthritis, and we started her on tramadol
she has always been a >:D when taking tabs, I can manage the metcam and the tramadol, as I can crush the latter and mix with the metacam and squirt this in to her mouth after food, although she does have to be held, as she just squirms and I am sure grows another 10 legs!
the problem is the vivitonin , trying to get this into her is causing her and me some anxiety and last night she cried out as I was trying to get her to take it, I try putting it into her mouth but she just squirms and spits it out, if I hold her she cries out
I am at a loss, any advice welcome
thx
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Assuming vivitonin is a tablet, have you tried cutting it into smaller pieces and hiding it in the middle of a peace of sausage. It has always worked for me as the sausage is swallowed whole by my greedy lot, so no chance of the tablet being spat out.
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I always hid tablets in a piece of cheese, Milo,loved cheese. Not crumbly cheese, but the more 'rubbery' kind will hold tablets nicely. If you have to give liquid, I would use a syringe and slide it between the cheek and gums and squirt it in slowly. Too quickly and it will come out again.
Good luck with your golden oldie
Lesley and Dylan
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With one of my past dogs we used cheese as the thing to hide medication in. It has a strong smell and can be formed into a coat for any pill.
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Another 'cheese coater' here :005:
If Bracken doesn't like cheese then any food she does like that can be wrapped around the tablet can be used. I was taught the 'three piece' trick and it never fails - it goes like this:
1. Make three identical lumps of cheese (or other much-liked coating)
2. Feed first lump to dog
3. Very quickly feed second lump - this is the one containing the tablet
4. When dog has just started to eat second lump, show them the third lump and swiftly let them take it - in order not to 'miss out' on the third lump the second lump is swallowed speedily - job done!
Not sure how to overcome the issue if it is a liquid medication other than mixing it with her food?
Good luck to you and Bracken :D
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The miracle that is squeeze cheese in a tube - works wonders for medication and grooming (when smeared on a surface takes ages to lick off ;))
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thank you so much for your replies
Bracken is a very clever old lady, I have tried the vivitonin hidden in her favourite treat liver cake, and also a bit of steak and hidden it in her food, everything is eaten except the piece of meat with the tablet in, I have watched her she takes the piece of meat into her mouth, out it comes, this is repeated several times until said tablet is revealed, she then leaves tablet and eats said piece of meat :005:
I have tried trying to fool her with first a good piece etc, but she just looks at me as if to say, ' I know what your up to'
and swallows the good and leaves the 'doctored ' piece
I truly am at a loss as to what else to try, I have tried crushing the vivtonin, and mixing it with water to syringe into her mouth but again she becomes distressed as the tablet seems to have a coating and gets stuck in syringe and any delay and she panics
love her to bits, I hate to see her upset,
thx
hiding in the food is something I have tried but she smells it out and seems to know
sorry, any other ideas?
just seen your post pearly on cream cheese, I will try that, but I have a funny feeling she will lick around it and leave me with the tablet, but I will give it a go
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My first Cocker was on Vivitonin when he was an old boy. We called it his go faster tablet!
He could be crafty with tablets and would take one in his mouth and then go behind the sofa or under a table and spit it out :005: so I had to be equally crafty. I varied the treats that I hid tablets in, things like bits of cheese, cooked cocktail sausage, squeezy cheese, peanut butter etc. and also fed him one or two of the treats at random times of the day so that he never knew for sure when there might be a tablet hidden inside it.
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thank you all for your replies
I will try the cream cheese, also vary her treats, thank you elaine
she is such a crafty little >:D ;)
but at least it shows that she still has life in her, and lives up to her other name as scally ;)
thx
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I always find a bit of cheddar or corned beef does the trick as you can mould it round the tablet to disguise it. As has been said, give a plain bit first - it even works with next door's cat and she is a proper >:D when taking her pills :005:
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can it be crushed at all - I know some tablets can't
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hi all
yes I do crush the vivitonin, I will try the corned beef and a really strong cheese, see if this helps
thanks for all your replies
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I have problems with Harry taking tablets and it's awful seeing them upset isn't it. I find peanut butter does the trick because it's so sticky and once the tablet is in the mouth almost impossible to spit back out ;) Hope you manage ok
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Whenever my girls need to take tablets, I purchase a tub of reduced fat pate. Smear a little on my fingers which is quickly licked off. Then get a lump of pate and hide the tablet in it and its also promptly licked off. Offer another lump of pate as a reward. Job done :luv:
A tub of pate costs less than a £1 and lasts ages ;)
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thank you so much for your replies
on shopping list is squeezy cheese, pate and peanut butter, I feel more confident now that one of these will offer the solution
I just want to do my best for my lovely girl
thanks for all your help :blink:
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Afraid I hide tablets in cheese, then tease until the dog dribbles, then I give it to them. Guaranteed to go down in one ;)
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The best advice I was given really works for Archie, who is a nightmare with pills! I use three pieces of cheese. One has the pill in it. Give the first, empty treat, immediately followed by the second, containing the pill and again immediately follow that with the third. The dog is not suspicious of he second because the first is fine and pays no attention to the second because they are focused on getting the third.
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Someone on here years ago told me to use cheese or ham, wrap the tablet and drop it on the floor, as most cockers are greedy and think there getting something there not ment to have. It worked for a while. Just make sure there are no more dogs around when you try it.
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Years ago (too many to admit) worked in vets and he always advised fish or meat paste, with Ollie it's a slice of sausage then another slice with pill in.
All the best Julie
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We had this problem with Rosie who sadly we had to say goodbye to a couple of weeks ago but what we found worked quite well was cut a cocktail sausage in half stuff tablet inside we then gave it to Rosie then followed with the other half straight away so she had to swallow the first so she could eat the 2nd piece
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Someone on here years ago told me to use cheese or ham, wrap the tablet and drop it on the floor, as most cockers are greedy and think there getting something there not ment to have. It worked for a while. Just make sure there are no more dogs around when you try it.
We used this method a few times with our old Cavalier. It even helped if we pretended to try and pick it up. The piece of sausage would be gobbled down in an instant.
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Hope I won't be jumped on for this, (!), but I was advises by a vet, many many years ago, to apply slight pressure either side of the jaw with finger and thumb and their mouths will automatically open, - drop the tablet on the back of the tongue and then rub the front of their necks gently to make them swallow. It sounds a bit hamfisted, but it always worked with both my previous dogs and neither of them seemed particularly bothered by it. (Although, admittedly, neither of them were cockers!!!! ;) )
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well,...... I think I got somewhere today, hid said vivitonin in soft liver cake, gave her un-doctored one, and put a few pieces on the floor with doctored one amongst them, she looked at me, ;)as if to say I know what your up to, BUT after her picking up the pieces, licking them and putting them down, way hay, she actually took it and swallowed it
( amazing how these little things mean so much :005:)
I have tried putting tablet in mouth and stroking her throat to help her swallow, but she does get distressed , I think it has got worse as she has got older, so I'm trying to be sneaky
still on shopping list is squishy cheese, pate and peanut butter. by hook or by crook, we'll get there so that she takes them without getting upset
on a positive note, she just shows me what a lot of strength and fight she still has despite being 14 yrs old!
thank you so much for all your replies
you really are a wonderful lot on COL
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Ah, bless her, she's sounds amazing. Best of luck and all the best to Bracken! 😊
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My sympathies to you...
I'm having to give Millie daily painkillers and was dreading the battle: she's previously had a monthly Trocoxil which isnt currently available.
Millie, I swear, is the worlds best spitter outer: however all seems to be well! I bought a small tub of Wainwrights from P@H and the tablets go into a wedge cut from it.
Probably the key for her is the wedge shape, with the fattest tablet containing end in first. She does munch, but not as much as if it was a cube...
One month on, not one reject, yet. :005:
Good luck to you and Bracken!
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The usual "Primula cheese" works for everything from coat grooming to tablet taking. :lol2:
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Have tried just a smear of Bovril on whatever you're offering the pill in? Obviously it's salty so wouldn't want more than a trace but it does have a very strong flavour. (I'm a veggie and can't stand to be near an open jar of the stuff!)
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cream cheese is good too - I use the low fat stuff either philadelphia or whatever supermarket version is
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update on continuing battle with tablets for Bracken
she is truly a suspicious little cocker ;)
I tried the tube cheese, at first on my finger, no way, she looked at me as if to say ' you're kidding, did eventually come and have a lick, but was undoubtedly cagey. tried said cheese on a little biscuit, put it down for her to take, again I get the look ;) I pick up said biscuits with cheese later that evening at place in bin :lol2:
pate, a little more success, she did have tablet hidden in pate and although suspicious, did take a piece, and I thought great, but next time, she gave me the look and pate is looked at with great suspicion , bin was the winner again
I haven't tried the peanut butter, I will try that later if pate doesn't succeed
she has given me so many laughs and smiles over the years, and with the looks and behaviour she shows when I try and give her a tablet she continues to do so
I have stopped putting tabs in mouth, as it distressed her so much, so I have to give by subterfuge, and I know its on a hit and miss basis but as long as she doesn't seem in pain or distressed, i'm happy
thanks for all your helpful tips and ideas, I do appreciate them