As a dog owner, there may be times when you will need to administer medicine to your pet. If your dog requires liquid medicine and your veterinarian tells you the medicine can be mixed with food, you can simply mix it with a small amount of canned food and give it to your dog. If the medicine cannot be mixed with food, however, you will need to dose your dog with a medical syringe or eyedropper.
Things You'll Need
- Plastic syringe (without the needle) or eyedropper
- Someone to help (optional)
Instructions
Draw the proper dosage of liquid medication into the syringe or dropper. Be sure to read the directions ahead of time and shake the bottle if necessary. Place the syringe in your back pocket or in a location where it can be easily reached.
Call your dog to you using using a calm, soothing voice. Gently place it in a spot where its hind end is against a wall. This will eliminate at least one escape route. Alternately, if you have a helper, he or she can gently hold the dog around the chest or shoulders.
If you are right-handed, grasp the dog's muzzle with your left hand and hold its upper jaw between your index finger and thumb. (Use the opposite hand for all directions if you are left-handed.)
Using your right hand, place the tip of the syringe or dropper into the pouch between the dog's cheek and back teeth.
Release the medication quickly into the pouch and immediately close the dog's mouth. Gently stroke the dog's neck to encourage it to swallow. You can also cause your dog to swallow by blowing a sharp burst of air into its nose. If the dog spits out some medication, don't worry. You should not attempt to give more medicine unless you're sure it has spit out the entire dose.