As your pet ages, they are more likely to develop a health problem that requires medication administration, perhaps on a daily basis. Giving medications to your pet can be a hassle. And, your pet may begin to think of you only as the person who chases them down each day to shove a pill down their throat, which may fracture your trusting relationship. Knowing how to correctly administer medications can make this task easier for you and your pet, and preserve your precious bond.
When your pet is prescribed a new treatment, don’t hesitate to ask your veterinarian, or their staff, to demonstrate the correct administration of the medication. First, ensure you know the correct method—oral, topical, or into your pet’s ears or eyes. Pet owners often forget to ask this important question, and administering a topical medication orally, or vice-versa can cause a host of problems. Next, ask the veterinary staff to show you exactly how to administer the medication. Veterinary professionals do this multiple times each day and may have tips or tricks to make administration easier. However, if you forget to ask, or you become so flustered because of your senior pet’s diagnosis that you miss the demonstration, these tips should help.
How to administer a pill to your senior pet
Administering oral medication can be a challenge, particularly for cats. Before you resort to forcing your pet to take their medication, try disguising the pill in a tempting treat, such as:
- Cheese
- Meat-flavored baby food
- Hot dog
- * Canned pet food
- Pill pockets
It may help to give your pet the treat by holding the pill, and then quickly following up with a second treat. This will hopefully encourage your pet to quickly swallow the first treatment, so they don’t miss out on the second treat.
If your senior pet spits out the pill but eats the surrounding treat, or turns its nose up at your efforts, you may need to pill them. Knowing how to properly pill your pet can make this task less stressful for you both.
- Have a helper hold your small pet, or straddle your large dog.
- Open your pet’s mouth and place the pill as far back on their tongue as possible. If you are concerned your pet may bite, use a pet piller, and keep your fingers out of their mouth.
- Close your pet’s mouth and place your hand around their muzzle.
- Using a downward motion, massage your pet’s throat to encourage them to swallow the pill.
- You may also encourage them to swallow with a small amount of water from a syringe placed between the teeth on the side of their mouth.
- Reward your pet with a favorite treat and plenty of praise.
How to administer liquid oral medication to your senior pet
Some liquid medications can be measured and mixed into a spoonful of canned pet food. Ask your veterinarian if this is an acceptable method, or if the medication will be altered. If you must administer the liquid medication directly to your pet, follow these steps:
- Have a helper hold your pet as described above.
- Insert the dose syringe tip between the teeth on the side of your pet’s mouth.
- Depress the plunger slowly so your pet has adequate time to swallow the medication.
- Reward your pet with a favorite treat and praise.
How to administer eye medication to your senior pet
Eye medications come in liquid (i.e., drop) and ointment forms. If you feel your pet is more comfortable with one form, ask your veterinarian if the medication is available in that form. Administering your pet’s eye medication can be challenging, because pets naturally protect their eyes, and will likely turn their head, or run, at the first sign of a medication bottle coming toward them.
To administer an ointment-based eye medication, follow these steps:
- Have a helper hold your pet’s head.
- Pull down your pet’s lower eyelid to create a pocket between the eyelid and eye surface—this is called the conjunctival sac.
- Squeeze the correct amount of ointment into the conjunctival sac, taking care that you do not touch the tube tip to your pet’s eye or eyelid.
- Release your pet’s eyelid and allow them to blink to distribute the medication over their eye surface.
To administer eye drops, follow these steps:
- Have a helper hold your pet’s head.
- Use your non-dominant hand to hold your pet’s eyelids open.
- Holding the dropper bottle a few inches above your pet’s eye, squeeze the correct number of drops onto the eye surface. Take care that you don’t touch the tip of the bottle to your pet’s eye, which could contaminate the medication, or injure your pet.
- Release your pet’s eyelids and allow them to blink to distribute the medication over their eye surface.
Don’t forget to praise your pet for their cooperation and reward them with a treat.
How to administer ear medication to your senior pet
Administering ear medication is fairly straightforward, but your pet may resist if their ears are painful from an infection or chronic inflammation. If your pet is painful, you may need to place a muzzle to prevent them from biting you. To administer ear medication, follow these steps:
- Have a helper hold your pet.
- If your pet has floppy ears, lift their pinna to expose the ear canal.
- Squeeze the correct amount of medication into your pet’s ear canal, being careful that the bottle does not touch your pet’s skin or fur.
- Massage your pet’s ear canal to distribute the medication.
- Reward your pet for good behavior, and to encourage their future cooperation.