Many medicines are designed to be given by mouth - largely because this is a convenient route for home treatment. Oral medicines can be given as tablets, capsules, liquids and pastes. Most medicines given by mouth enter the stomach and pass through into the intestine where they are absorbed into the blood.
See how medications are absorbed by the intestines:
The presence of food in the stomach helps absorption of some drugs but hinders the absorption of others. It can therefore be important when you give oral medicines in relation to feeding and you should follow any specific instructions your vet gives you.
Direct oral administration of medication obviously involves dealing with the animal's mouth. This may be a real problem in aggressive patients and alternative routes of medicine administration (or mixing of medication with food) may be needed if there is a significant safety risk.
Tablets and capsules
Tablets are made from compacted, powdered drug (usually mixed with something like chalk to make the tablet the right size, and often with a flavour to make it more palatable). Capsules contain powdered drug inside a gelatine case - once inside the gastrointestinal tract the gelatine dissolves to release the drug. Some tablets have special coatings to protect the drug from the action of acid in the stomach - the coating is dissolved in the stomach and the drug released once the tablet is in the intestine.
Tablets are often crushed and put into food, but the fussy dog may refuse to eat the medicated food. Keeping the dog slightly hungry before tablet administration and offering the powdered tablet disguised in a small amount of especially tasty food, may get round this problem. The rest of the meal is given only once the medication has been taken. You can buy special treats to hide tablets in, or else you can improvise using, eg soft cheese. Many greedy dogs simply swallow the morsel whole and the tablet is easily given.
The most certain way is to give the tablet directly into the mouth (see below: "Oral administration"). If the tablet is swallowed you know the whole dose has been taken. This method is NOT suitable for aggressive dogs.
Many drug manufacturers make tablets designed to be tasty to dogs. Larger breed and greedy dogs such as Labradors usually take these well; smaller, fussier dogs may be more awkward.
See an example of how to give your dog pill or tablet medications:
Pastes
Drugs mixed into pastes can occasionally be useful in dogs. The sticky paste is smeared onto the tongue and the dog is unable to spit it out so has no alternative but to swallow. This method is NOT suitable for aggressive dogs. With an aggressive patient, it may be possible to smear the paste on to the forepaws and get the dog to lick it off.
Liquid formulation
Liquids can be given directly into the mouth or mixed with food. If they are mixed with food it is important to ensure that the medicine is thoroughly mixed in and that the patient eats all the food. Some liquid medications taste unpleasant so need to be mixed with strongly flavoured food to disguise the taste. Animals will often refuse to eat contaminated food and may eat around bits of food containing the drug if it has not been mixed in well.
Liquid medications are usually given directly into the mouth using a syringe. It is very easy for dogs to refuse to swallow liquid medications and to dribble it from their mouths. When giving liquids by mouth, great care must be taken to ensure that the patient swallows the medication and does not accidentally inhale it. Oily medications, eg liquid paraffin, can cause severe pneumonia if they enter the lungs. It is best to have a veterinary surgeon or nurse demonstrate the correct method of direct liquid administration and to assess whether your dog is likely to let you do this at home.
See an example of how to give your dog liquid medications::
Oral (mouth) administration
The assistant (second person) restrains the patient in a sitting position on a non-slip surface so that the dog feels secure (preferably with the hind quarters directed into a corner).
Small dogs may be easier to restrain on a table at waist level.
The person giving the medicine takes the correct dose of tablets in their dominant hand.
The patient should be approached from the side and the other hand used to grasp the top of the muzzle firmly but gently.
The upper jaw is grasped just behind the level of the canine teeth and the head pulled upwards until the mouth falls open naturally.
A finger of the dominant hand can be used to press down on the lower incisor teeth to open the mouth a little more.
The tablets are placed or dropped at the back of the tongue and the jaw is allowed to close.
The mouth should be held shut until the patient has swallowed. Gentle stroking of the throat area might encourage the patient to swallow. Licking of the nose indicates that swallowing has occurred.
The patient should be watched closely immediately after medicine administration to ensure the tablets are not spat out!
Give the dog lots of attention and a treat.
What happens if I miss a dose of treatment? When should I give the next one?
In many cases, a missed dose is corrected by giving the dose as soon as you remember and then giving the following one when it would have been due anyway. This applies to most ear and eye treatments, and to many tablets. However because some medication should not be repeated too soon, it is always best to check with your veterinary surgeon as to what to do. Note than intervals of 1-2 hours either side of the specified time are unlikely to make much difference. If it is not possible to contact the veterinary surgeon, then the safest course is to skip the missed dose and just give the next one when it would have been due.
Tablets I have been prescribed are making my dog sick. What should I do?
Always contact the veterinary practice for advice. Some tablets have a tendency to do this - the dosing may need altered or else an alternative drug may need to be found. Stop the tablets meantime.
My other dog has developed similar symptoms. Can I use the treatment already prescribed?
No, your other dog needs a veterinary check-up first. It could be a different condition that just looks the same, or your other dog could have inpidual problems that require a different approach. If you used the same product, you would not anyway have enough to complete the course of the first dog's treatment.
Can my dog go into boarding kennels when on treatment?
It depends on the problem and the policy of the boarding kennels. Most reputable kennels can cope with routine treatment for problems such as arthritis, heart conditions and skin conditions. Experienced kennels can also handle more complex medical conditions such as the daily injections and treatment for diabetic animals. Speak to both your veterinary surgeon and the boarding kennels in plenty of time.
If you want any other information on health issues concerning your dog please contact your vet who will be happy to advise you.
If you have questions and you'd like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (925) 744-6421, or you can email us at [email protected].