Why can't people just suck it up and learn to give a pill? I think it's important to find the method that works for your dog and they will be much easier to medicate (cats are another story entirely). Don't automatically assume they are going to be recalcitrant just because it's pill time. It could very well be that they object to how you are administering the medication, not necessarily the pill itself. A little politeness on your part can go a long way. And keep in mind that if you are using one of the nasty-flavored pills, they don't want to taste it any more than you would.

I had to give my Collie meds twice a day for years and we got to be very good at it. I discovered something about her along the way: she wouldn't fight about it if I showed it to her and followed the same procedure every time. A) She sits, B) I show her the pill, C) I open mouth wide, D) And toss pill to the very back of her tongue. My Corgi can be a right and proper little booger about it all, but I found what works for her: a little bit of butter smeared on those pills and she can't get them down fast enough. The Dobie is like the Collie - the same method works for him.

As for the fun, dog-loving flavors, I wouldn't spend the extra money. I don't generally leave medications laying about, but the very last thing I need is one of my guys sucking down a whole bottle and requiring a trip to our ER.

I noticed it helps if they start young. My GSD/Border Collie had to start on supplements because of early detection of hip dysplasia so now he is very enthusiastic about things like glucosamine and fish oil. Although I think cracking the fish oil cap and getting the disgusting contents are the incentive there.

I have noticed this recently as a result of a minor infection that he has an adversion to anti-biotics which I'm sure probably taste horrible. This is where I just gave in and switched to out right bribery,wrapping it up inside some chicken or turkey lunch meat. I imagine anti-biotics are probably pretty nasty things as I've had a few in my life that left the bad taste on the tongue so I'm gonna say I'm definitely in favor of flavored medication for pets, because the supplements he has are flavored and you'd think he was getting an awesome treat not a supplement from his reaction.

Perhaps if common sense could be prescribed there wouldn't have to be worries about pet drugs tasting good. Of course a prescription of common sense would solve many of the worlds problems.

I agree, most dogs will readily take medication hidden in a treat (pill pocket, crunchy Peanut Butter, Braunschweiger, cheese etc, especially when shown a similar treat without meds at the same time (they will gobble the pill dose while staring in anticipation at the "blank"), or the old "open mouth, stick pill in, close mouth and blow on nose/ rub throat".

As I learned the hard way, while attempting to demonstrate above methods to owners, some dogs instantly develope a case of "lockjaw" and just cannot be "pilled" by conventional means. Chewable medications have made owner compliance so much easier!

The idea is not new, just remember the old "Filaribits" vs "Styride Caricide". For the former the dog would practically sit in front of the cabinet, waiting, the latter made you chase the dog all over the house and spill half of it (been there, done that, got a taste of it and could not blame the dog, it tasted horrible).

If all else fails we can ask a local compounding pharmacy to flavor and/or liquefy meds for an individual patient. Worth every penny!

@ zanna

Tech of 8 years here:
I pride myself on being able to pill almost anything. I've medicated nasty birds, nasty cats, and even some aggressive dogs. But when my old Dane mix got older and his appetite waned, pilling sessions would end with a very stressed and exhausted old dog and me in tears.

In his younger days I could hide pills in food without a problem. But as he aged, (and as a result required pills more frequently) he turned his nose up at everything. Cheese, lunch meat, peanut butter, Pill Pockets, nothing worked. I for the life of me could NOT pry this 90 lb dogs mouth open, attempts often left me with bleeding fingers.

And then god made Clavaseptin and Convenia :) (In Canada) Clavaseptin, a flavoured Amoxi tablet that he would eat as a treat- saved him from euth (or hospitalization and IV antibiotics) when he got a UTI.

I started giving my dogs fish oil caplets last year and the one's at the petstore were so expensive. I started using the same capsules that I took and treated them like treats. I would hype up the dogs to make them think they were getting a treat and even put the pills right next to the treat jar. After a week or so the started taking their vitamins just like treats and now they beg for them every morning.

@ Meghan

Wow, what an ordeal with your old Dane! I'm glad you found something that worked for both of you. I have counter-surfers and if a bottle of something yummy were to be left out, down the hatch it would go. Everybody makes mistakes, and I try to keep mine to a minimum. I may at some point in my dog-owning life I may have to resort to flavored medications, but that time is not yet at hand.

Btw - you've won my admiration re: pilling a bird. I've never had an occasion to learn such a thing, but it sounds like it could be difficult and hazardous, depending on the bird.