Dog Pilling, and Urine Samples

 Here is my article on Dog Pilling, and Urine Samples.

Unfortunately, dogs will get sick during their lifetime- and may require oral medication to get better.  Quite often the dog will remain at home for the treatment.  There are several different ways pills can be administered, here are some helpful suggestions to make the procedure more successful and less stressful for both you, and your dog. 

PILLING A DOG 

Have the dog sitting on a stable elevated surface. Having an assistant help hold the dog may be beneficial.  Small dogs can be securely wrapped in a towel or blanket- some dogs find this “coddling” calming as well.  Firmly grasp the top of the dog’s muzzle with your left hand, and raise it upwards.  Lightly pinch right behind the dog’s canine teeth with your thumb and middle fingers. Take the pill in your right hand, between your thumb and forefinger.   

Take your right hand middle finger and apply downward pressure to the front of the dog’s lower teeth. As soon as the dog opens his mouth wide push the pill past his tongue and as far as possible down their throat.  

After removing your hand, continue to hold their head up, stroke their throat to encourage them to swallow. Tapping lightly on their nose may help as well.

As soon as they swallow release the dog’s muzzle and give them verbal praise, and a high quality food treat. 

Left handed people can use the same process just use your left instead of your right hand.  

* If your dog is a potential bite risk, I recommend using one of the other methods below instead of this one.

PILLING A DOG - HAND FEEDING

If the pill is a capsule, and cannot be mixed into food I found it works best if the dog doesn’t see you preparing the pill.  Make a small ball(s) with the chosen food, and insert capsule inside.

Wash your hands thoroughly after prepping the pill so there isn’t a medicine smell from the pill on them anymore. 

The list below mentions several appetizing foods that can be used to hide the capsule.

I prefer to use Liverwurst, three small pieces per pill. First piece no pill, give second piece which has the pill in it, immediately offer the third piece no pill. Generally dogs will gulp down the pill without even chewing it, or realizing it was in there.

“PAST THE NOSE, DOWN IT GOES!”

Many large solid pills can be made smaller with a pill crusher or splitter. Check with your Veterinarian to make sure it’s okay if the pills are split/powdered.  Now the pill can be mixed into cooked scrambled eggs, canned dog food ( fish flavored works best as it hides the pill smell), a small amount of canned cat food( often smellier and more appealing to dogs than canned dog food), or sharp cheddar spray cheese.  Cream cheese, a small amount of real butter, or a “NON Xylitol” brand of peanut butter also work.  Refrigerate items to make them more solid if needed.

There are also “Pill Pockets” available online- which are fairly expensive, I wasn’t happy with the ingredients, and it appears the meat used is “ pet grade” quality, so I don’t use nor recommend them.

Practice the pilling technique on a regular basis, using a favorite dog treat- so the dog will be used to it and accept it readily when it becomes necessary.

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COLLECTING A DOG URINE SAMPLE

Most dogs during their life time will need to have a urine sample taken, proactive yearly testing can catch an oncoming health issue long before the dog begins to show any signs of discomfort.   

Collecting a urine sample from your dog at home is often much easier and less stressful than trying to get one from your dog at the veterinarian clinic. 

Urine samples need to be as fresh as possible. If taken more than an hour before delivery to Veterinary clinic, place sample in the refrigerator.   

Urine more than 6 hours old may not give accurate results.  First thing in the morning urine sample collection is best, as it’s often the most concentrated at that time. It’s very important to make sure the holding containers, catchers, and utensils are extremely clean and dry, so there is no contamination to the urine sample. 

COLLECTING URINE

Male dogs who lift their leg are pretty easy- a clean container held or placed under them generally works well.  Here is a method for the rest.

Bring the dog outside on a very short lead to where they normally go. Pavement, dirt, or very short grass is preferable, as we can place the catcher under the dog - preferably without touching them.  Some dogs could care less, while others will immediately stop urinating and jump away if the catcher touches them.  

Most dogs can be desensitized by practicing the technique on a regular basis, so they will accept it when it really is needed. 

URINE CATCHER

A ladle or pie plate, placed or held under the dog works well for most larger dogs, while both large and smaller dogs can use the homemade catcher below that I designed .

I use a clean quart sized slider type storage baggie, a piece of stiff wire or metal coat hanger, and a bread twist tie.  Loop the end of the wire to itself, then bend the rest of the wire like a handle at an angle which is appropriate for the size dog- so it’s fits under the dog easily.  

Put the baggie inside the loop, with top edge of baggie fully over the wire. Put a twist tie securely around the end of baggie to attach it to the wire.  

Once collected, put urine into a clean leakproof container, and label it with the dog’s name, owners name, date, and time taken.

To help with a dogs overall desensitization and counter conditioning to being handled I highly recommend my article “Restraint Training For Dogs” which will lower the stress and anxiety that many dogs face when being handled, especially when they go to the Veterinarian clinic.

Many more dog training and care articles are available at the links below- which are open to the public, and free of charge.  ❤️🐺❤️

https://allbasics-dogtraining.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AllBasicsDogTrainingKimChappell/