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Getting Your Pet to Take Their Pills Giving medication to your pet can be a frustrating chore. For dogs, many medications can easily be hidden in a ball of canned food, peanut butter, a square of cheese, a marshmallow, or a small piece of hot dog. If all else fails tip their head back and push the pill as far back on the tongue as possible. Once it is at the gag point they have no choice but to swallow it. Cats can demand a little more finesse. Infrequently can medication be hidden in food; cats are not as easy to trick as dogs are. Often a pill rolled in butter will easily slide to the back of the tongue and down the throat. As often as possible we try to offer medication in liquid form. Some medications can be compounded into a transdermal gel that is readily absorbed through the skin. Greenies brand also makes a product called Pill Pockets, a hollowed out beef or chicken flavored pocket to hide pills or capsules in. Dogs and cats generally like these and don't notice the medication hidden inside.

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