We love our pets. They keep us active, they cheer us when we are blue and they provide unwavering companionship. If you have ever had the unfortunate task of caring for a sick pet you know how much of a hassle it can be to give your pet their medicine. It is almost like your canine or feline have a sixth sense the minute you bring back home those veterinary prescription bags. They know something unpleasant is going to happen and want no part of it. With smaller pets you may be able to coral them and use sheer force to administer their medicine, but depending on the instructions on the veterinary prescription label, you might need to be more crafty in helping your best friend recover. Below are some ideas for making medicine time less stressful for both you and your fine furry friend.
Make Sure to Follow the Instructions
Whether it is for humans or for pets the first step of any prescription administration regime is to follow the directions correctly. Sometimes the directions may be to small on the pill label so a good tip is to keep use blank mailing labels to write down all pertinent dosage information and post it like reminder cards on the prescription bags. This is especially helpful if your put has multiple medications that have several different directions.
Do Not Make Medicine Time A Stressful Event
Do remember your first cold as a child? When your parents gave you disgusting medicine did you try and run and hide or did you cry? There is nothing worse than feeling poorly and having to deal with additional stress. Keep this in mind when administering medicine to your pets. Medicine time doesn’t have to be synonymous with a battle of wills. Try to approach medicine time with a calm demeanor. Make you pet as comfortable as possible. If you are able to create a calming environment, it will almost seem like a treat for your pet or extra special together time.
Think of Innovative Ways to Administer the Medicine
As the old song says, a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down. If you have to orally administer medicine, masking it’s flavor using food or treats is the sure fire way to ensure that your pet is getting their dose. Once again it is important to consult your reminder mailing label stickers on your prescription bags. Some medicines can be taken with food and others have to be taken on an empty stomach. For those medications that have to be taken on an empty stomach and non oral medications like ear drops, the importance of creating a calming environment becomes much more important. If your pet gets defensive and tries to bite or scratch let them calm down and try again later. By exercising some patience you can prevent yourself from being bitten.
It so important to make sure that our pets stay healthy and active. With the proper preparations you can make the unfortunate situation of a sick pet go a lot more smoothly not just for you and you family, but for your pet as well.
Before trying any of the above tricks make sure to consult with a veterinary professional.
