Tips for Dogs Who Hate Pills

Does your dog hate taking capsules, even small ones like we use for Apocaps? 

We have a couple of ideas to share about how to administer pills to your dog. Hopefully one of these will help.

  • First, it's important to be in the right mindset, in order to avoid tipping your dog off. Dogs are extremely conscious of our body language, and we often communicate to them our next steps without realizing it. So, one big tip is to think about something else while you are getting the pills out. Preferably something you love or your dog loves. For example, if your dog adores chasing balls, start thinking about going out for a game BEFORE you head to the kitchen. We aren't claiming that your dog can "read your mind," but it does seem as if they pick up on subtle cues and associations easily. So, if you think about something else while you are preparing the food/pills, it can help the dog relax and anticipate good things, rather than dreadful icky pills.
  • Some dogs who don't like pills don't mind them when wrapped in irresistible substances like peanut butter, cream cheese, their regular food, cheese, or pill pockets (the little treats that are hollowed out, and you just insert the pill and then squish the treat back together, completely encapsulating the pill).
  • If you've already tried treats like that, and your dog is still suspicious, you can open the Apocaps® CX or Apocaps® CXE capsules and dump the powder into a small amount of food and give it to your dog in powder form. (The capsule is used to dose the powder; it's not integral to the way the powder works.) MOST dogs do not object to the taste of the powder, but of course all dogs have their own likes and dislikes. Usually, this takes care of the pill problem. Just open up the capsules (they just pull apart), and empty the capsules into food, and discard the empty capsules. Since Apocaps® CX is best given with a small amount of food to buffer the stomach, on an empty stomach between meals, this usually works out great for dogs who don't like pills.

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