There are few things that taste worse than medicines. We humans know well how unpleasant it is to take syrups or tablets. Yes, it’s true that children’s rooms have been added. flavorings so that children do not refuse treatment. However, if we must have enough willpower to swallow something disgusting simply because it will benefit us, there is no need to sugarcoat it. What happens to our pets? Do I need to use fragrances for give pills to dogs and cats?
Anyone who has pets knows that there are two options for giving pills to dogs and cats. It must be disguised in the most sophisticated way or eaten directly as the greatest delicacy. The latter makes us ask ourselves an interesting question. ¿What do they taste like? medications for pets?
This is not a question with only one answer. Just like drugs for humans, drugs for veterinary use are usually made from active ingredients with bitter taste. This is because many of them come from substances that plants use as a defense against herbivores, so they don’t taste particularly good. If our pets reject the medicine, it will be because they have a taste for the active ingredients. However, if they enjoy eating them, it is usually because they have flavors.
As for dogs, they usually have meaty taste, although there are more options for cats and there are many funny things about this. This makes administration much easier, but sometimes there is no choice but to mask the drug, and there are many possible options for this.
How can you give tablets to dogs and cats?
Let’s say that the medicine we have to give to our pet doesn’t taste good. In this case there is no other choice but to resort to certain tricks; because, like children, they cannot be convinced that they should take this medicine to feel better.
The most typical thing, if it’s a tablet, is hide it in a piece of foodlike a sausage. But in these cases two things can happen. On the one hand, the animal may not have an appetite for treatment of the disease. In this case, you will not want to eat a piece of sausage. On the other hand, it is possible that when you start eating, you notice the tablet inside the food and spit it out. If this happens, you will have to resort to other tricks.
Open your dog’s jaw wide
To give pills to dogs, we can administer them ourselves. This is done by following several steps. First holds his muzzle with one hand from above and grabs his lower jaw with his palm, wrapping his fingers around it. After. Using both hands, gently press the dog’s lips against the teeth, pulling the jaw upward. This is done because dogs usually open your jawsince they usually do not cover it for fear of biting their cheeks.
Next, the lower jaw is released, but the upper jaw is still held and with the free hand, take the tablet and place it in the mouth, as close to the throat as possible. The only thing left to do is cover her mouth and hold her with one hand until he gently caresses his throat with another. This makes it easier to lower the tablet.
What should we do with cats?
It is advisable to immobilize cats first so that they cannot be scratched. This can be done using the so-called burrito technique. It consists of surrounding the animal with a towel, like a child, so that the legs are immobilized, but the head protrudes from the top of the towel.
Then, to give him a pill, the first thing you need to do is tilt his head up. Then you should clasp your head with your index finger and thumb, making an inverted U shape on your forehead. Thus, with light pressure, the jaw opens. To open it completely, place your index finger on the tip of the cat’s chin between the lower canines and apply gentle pressure. All that remains is to place the tablet on the back of your tongue and close your mouth.
After taking the tablets, it is important for dogs and cats provide pampering and some prizessince it is still a stressful situation for them.
Products for administering medications to pets
We may not be able or willing to put a pill into our furry friend’s mouth directly with our hand. For this reason, pet stores sell some products that make our lives easier.
This is the case of empty capsules. These are capsules no taste which mask the unpleasant taste of drugs and make them more pleasant to swallow. There are also trinkets with a hole intended to administer the pill. And even a type of syringe that goes to the back of a dog or cat’s mouth and makes it easier to administer the pill without having to carry it there yourself using your hand.
Favorite flavors of dogs and cats
As with children, our pets are most comfortable eating medicine. no need for tricks. And for this it is important that they have a pleasant taste.
For dogs, medications are usually prepared from meaty taste. Cats have more variety, from fish liver to chicken liver. In fact, it is thanks to this variety that in 2022 a team of veterinarians from University of Wisconsin-Madison conducted a study aimed at analyzing the favorite taste of our felines.
For this, various non-drug formulas were used. water or oil based to which 10 different flavors were added. It was not possible to find a winning taste, since it largely depended on each cat. But there were three interesting facts. Firstly, although the preferred tastes were very diverse, it is true that they all agreed that Reluctance to take capsules with a sweet taste.
If you’re curious, it’s because cats don’t have genes that allow you to taste sweetness. Consequently, they rejected what they could not perceive as we do. They also agreed that they liked oil-based formulas better than water-based ones. regardless of taste. Although, first of all, most of the participating cats really liked the chicken and fish.
People don’t know anything
Finally, something very striking about the study was that human friends of cats they had no idea What flavor would be your favorite? Before trying the different options, they were asked which flavor they thought they would choose. They answered based on what they usually like to eat. But most of them didn’t get it right. Of course cats very yours, even try medications. Therefore, sometimes it takes a lot of trial and error to find the ideal way to administer the medicine. The same thing happens when giving pills to dogs. There is always an easier way for every animal, but finding it is sometimes difficult. If you have any doubts, it is logical to consult your veterinarian.
Source: Hiper Textual
