Arthritis Care for Dogs

Does your dog mind taking tablets?

I don't know why it is, but medicines for both humans and our pets usually taste bitter or otherwise revolting. And dogs are notoriously suspicious when it comes to being asked to take tablets of any description.

And don't forget that your dog has an acute sense of smell!

It can be very difficult to persuade many dogs to swallow any medication, no matter how essential it is for your dog's health.

Your poor dog really doesn't understand that you're trying to make him better. No, he invariably views such medications with utter contempt.

My Rottweiler, Kara, is actually not too bad with tablets. Mostly I can easily prise her mouth open, drop the medication onto the back of her tongue, gently hold her mouth closed for a few seconds while stroking her throat area, and she'll generally swallow it without too much fuss. Or if it's a really nasty tasting one, a lump of peanut butter around the tablet will generally do the trick quite nicely.

But my Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Jet, is another matter entirely.

Fortunately Jet has been surprisingly illness-free during her 9 years. I can only hope this picture of health phenomenon will continue for the remainder of her days. Because on the odd occasion when I do need to have her swallow anything faintly resembling a tablet, oh my goodness, what a fuss.

I dread giving Jet tablets of any description. You'd think that she'd know by now that I wasn't trying to poison her. But she doesn't. She runs off and cowers in corner, slipping deftly away whenever I get close. And when I do catch her, and throw the tablet into her mouth you'd think Jet's life depended upon her making every conceivable attempt to spit the tablet out.

Peanut butter? Forget it - she just licks it all off and spits the tablet out. Tasty cheese? Same thing. Crushing it up and mixing it in with her raw meat/scrambled eggs/tinned tuna?

Not a chance. Up goes her nose and away she trots.

So the only option is to hold that mouth closed until the tablet disintegrates, because Jet is absolutely determined not to swallow. It can take several minutes of hanging on tight to her mouth and keeping it closed while I stroke her throat, and while she pushes her tongue out between the little gaps in her teeth over and over again making every possible attempt to disgorge the offending tablet, and when that fails, she simply froths at the mouth. And froths and froths and froths until I think she's almost going to suffocate. And when it's all over, she refuses to have anything to do with me (for at least 10 minutes until the terrible memory of it fades!)

I suppose I should count my lucky stars that one of my dogs is a pushover with the dreaded tablet taking scenario!

There is ONE type of tablet that my Jet LOVES to take, though - it's not a "tablet" kind of tablet - it's her delicious, chewable arthritis care tablet - Jet just loves them. She thinks they're treats! Jet hasn't actually shown any real signs of arthritis, but because she's getting on in years, I thought she'd benefit from some arthritis care as a preventative. Check out the ONLY tablet my Jet will take here! CLICK HERE.