How to Administer Pill Medication to Your Dog

Frequently, medications are required for treatment for illness or injury and dogs are sent home with prescription medication. Once your dog is released from the veterinary hospital, administering these medications can be scary, confusing and, sometimes, difficult to do. With practice, giving pill form medications can be quick and easy.

Some medications can be hidden in a small amount of food such as marshmallows, peanut butter or cream cheese but you must make sure that the medication can be taken with food your dog actually swallows the medication. Some dogs will eat the food and spit out the pill. If hiding the pill in food is not working, try the following:

Gently grasp your dog's head using your non-dominant hand. If you are right-handed, use your left hand. Place your hand on top of the muzzle with your thumb on one side and your fingers on the other. Avoid holding the lower jaw,
and do not hold it so tight that it is uncomfortable or the dog cannot swallow. You may need someone to help hold the front legs and chest of the dog to hold him/her still. Wrapping the dog in a towel or blanket is a good restraint technique.

Once his head is held in place, raise his nose to point toward the ceiling and firmly squeeze in just behind the upper canine teeth. The mouth should then open.

Use your other hand to administer the pill. Place the pill between your thumb and forefinger. Use your little finger, ring finger or middle finger to lower the jaw by applying pressure to the teeth between the lower canine teeth.

After the mouth is fully open, place the pill as far back in the mouth as possible. Avoid placing your hand too far into
your dog's mouth. You may stimulate the "gag reflex" and this will make the experience unpleasant and make future medication administration attempts more difficult.

Close your dog's mouth and hold it closed. Gently and briefly rub your dog's nose or blow lightly on the nose. This should stimulate him to swallow.

The quicker you perform this procedure, the more cooperative your dog will be.

Always remember to praise your dog and offer a treat after receiving medication. This will help make future medicine times easier.

 By: Dr .Dawn Ruben

How Old is My Pet? Correctly Calculate Your Dog or Cat's Age!

By Gayle Hickman

Most people think that calculating the age of dogs and cats in "human years" is quite simple: multiply their age by seven. For example, a 4-year-old dog or cat would actually be 28 years old in human years.

But when you really begin weighing out the arithmetic, this method doesn't add up. Say a 1-year-old dog is the equivalent of a 7-year-old human -- get out of here! How many 7-year-old humans are sexually active and capable of reproducing? Dogs and cats are much more likely to have babies at 1 year old or even at 10 years old, than any person who is 7 or 70.

DOGS

Aging is much faster during a dog's first two years but varies among breeds. Large breeds, while they mature quicker, tend to live shorter lives. By the time they reach 5 they are considered "senior" dogs. Medium-sized breeds take around seven years to reach the senior stage, while small and toy breeds do not become seniors until around 10.

Related: Top 5 Ways to Improve Life for Your Senior Dog

Many veterinarians agree that a pretty good guess on the age of pets can be made using the following formula. Although still simple, it is much more accurate than the seven-year method.

Assume that a 1-year-old dog is equal to a 12-year-old human and a 2-year-old dog is equal to a 24-year old human. Then add four years for every year after that. (Example: A 4-year-old dog would be 32 in human years.)

Since this method takes into consideration the maturity rate at the beginning of a dog's life and also the slowing of the aging process in his later years, Martha Smith, director of veterinary services at Boston's Animal Rescue League, feels that this is the more accurate calculation formula. Here is a chart, for easy reference:

 

A dog's average lifespan is around 12 or 13 years, but again, this varies widely by breed. The larger your dog is, the less time it will live. Female dogs tend to live a little longer.

CATS

Now let's take a glimpse at a simple formula for calculating feline age in human years.

Assume that a 1-year-old cat is equal to a 15-year-old human and a 2-year-old cat is equal to a 24-year-old human. Then add four years for every year after that. (Example: A 4-year-old cat would be 32 in human years.)

The following chart shows this formula of calculation: