I use tiny ice cream cones to hide pills from my dog

[boingboing]

Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2024/04/14/i-use-tiny-ice-cream-cones-to-hide-pills-from-my-dog.html

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[danimagoo]

A lot of pet medicines these days are available in a flavored, chewable form. Not all, but many. If you have an especially pill-averse pooch, see if the medicine comes in a chewable version. The chewable ones often include liver or liver flavoring, and my dogs love them. I’m lucky, really. Both of my dogs will let me just shove the pills down their throat. Not that they’re happy about it, but they’ll let me do it. So if the chewable isn’t available, I’m still ok.

[SmilingDemon]

[capnjimbo]

Is there a human version of this where you can hide the bitter pill that a lot of life failings are probably due to one’s own actions? Asking for a friend, who would eat any cone filled with pistachio ice-cream.

[nosaj]

Ah, the magic of peanut butter. My dog like cones ok. But peanut butter rocks his world.

[HaroldHill]

Yeah, I have mostly pilled my pets manually. I got most accustomed to doing it to my medium-sized (35 pound / 16 kg) mutt. When I tried doing it with my current large (95 pound / 43 kg) mastiff-mix, it went fine, but, there was so. much. mouth!

[ikeOnABike]

I’ve had pretty good luck with wrapping pills in cream cheese; it seals pretty well and it gets so slippery in their slobbery mouths that it just slips on down.

Not that my pups are opposed to peanut butter, quite the opposite; it is just too sticky so they work it around and find the pill too often.

[sinless]

@capnjimbo

Is there a human version of this where you can hide the bitter pill that a lot of life failings are probably due to one’s own actions? Asking for a friend, who would eat any cone filled with pistachio ice-cream.

I don’t know about this kind of thing (although you could diy it with a box of sugar cones and a couple knives) but I’ve been known to resort to shoving a pill inside a gummy bear when it’s truly too repugnant to take. Actually it might have been half a gummy bear but yeah.

[PPK]

@HaroldHill

so. much. mouth!

Natural Habitat Shorts- Chipmunks have cheek pouches used to store food. 🐿🥜

[kmccrory]

My dogs will eat anything rolled in a little big of bacon grease.

[Kii]

I suspect the cone is merely an edible vehicle for the peanut butter.

Too bad cats won’t do this. I can’t get mine to eat a gabapentin pill before the vet no matter what I try. Have to force it

[nosaj]

@Kii

I suspect the cone is merely an edible vehicle for the peanut butter.

Me too. I just was amused that the headline didn’t mention the Secret Ingredient.

@Kii

Too bad cats won’t do this.

Obligs

How to give a cat a pill:

1. Pick up cat and cradle it in the crook of your left arm as if holding a baby. Position right forefinger and thumb on either side of cat’s mouth and gently apply pressure to cheeks while holding pill in right hand. As cat opens mouth, pop pill into mouth. Allow cat to close mouth and swallow.

2. Retrieve pill from floor and cat from behind sofa. Cradle cat in left arm and repeat process.

3. Retrieve cat from bedroom, and throw soggy pill away.

4. Take new pill from foil wrap, cradle cat in left arm, holding rear paws tightly with left hand. Force jaws open and push pill to back of mouth with right forefinger. Hold mouth shut for a count of ten.

5. Retrieve pill from goldfish bowl and cat from top of wardrobe. Call spouse from garden.

6. Kneel on floor with cat wedged firmly between knees, hold front and rear paws. Ignore low growls emitted by cat. Get spouse to hold head firmly with one hand while forcing wooden ruler into mouth. Drop pill down ruler and rub cat’s throat vigorously.

7. Retrieve cat from curtain rail, get another pill from foil wrap. Make note to buy new ruler and repair curtains. Carefully sweep shattered figurines and vases from hearth and set to one side for gluing later.

8. Wrap cat in large towel and get spouse to lie on cat with head just visible from below armpit. Put pill in end of drinking straw, force mouth open with pencil, and blow down drinking straw.

9. Check label to make sure pill not harmful to humans, drink 1 beer to take taste away. Apply Band-Aid to spouse’s forearm and remove blood from carpet with cold water and soap.

10. Retrieve cat from neighbor’s shed. Get another pill. Open another beer. Place cat in cupboard, and close door onto neck, to leave head showing. Force mouth open with dessert spoon. Flick pill down throat with elastic band.

11. Fetch screwdriver from garage and put cupboard door back on hinges. Drink beer. Fetch bottle of Scotch. Pour shot, drink. Apply cold compress to cheek and check records for date of last tetanus shot. Apply whiskey compress to cheek to disinfect. Toss back another shot. Throw T-shirt away and fetch new one from bedroom.

12. Call fire department to retrieve the damn cat from tree across the road. Apologize to neighbor who crashed into fence while swerving to avoid cat. Take last pill from foil-wrap.

13. Tie the little @!!@#@#$%'s front paws to rear paws with garden twine and bind tightly to leg of dining table, find heavy-duty pruning gloves from shed. Push pill into mouth followed by large piece of steak filet. Be rough about it. Hold head vertically and pour 2 pints of water down throat to wash pill down.

14. Consume remainder of Scotch. Get spouse to drive you to the emergency room, sit quietly while doctor stitches fingers and forearm and remove pill remnants from right eye. Call furniture shop on way home to order new table.

15. Arrange for SPCA to collect mutant cat from hell and call local pet shop to see if they have any hamsters.

How to give a dog a pill:

1. Wrap it in cheese.

(Submitted by Dr. John Delack, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan)

[OhHai]

I use the medicine cabinet to hide pills from my dog.