Specifically, she has a sore on her leg that has become infected.
Sigh.
Betsey is around 10 years old…60 in human years…but she’s still puppyish as beagle-based dawgs tend to be. It’s easy to forget that she’s getting older…except for the random little bumps she’s got on her legs. There are three and the vet told me they happen, so I’ve learned not to fret about them. But last weekend I noticed that one of them was inflamed and that Betsey was dedicated to licking that sore out of existence.
But constant dawg bathing didn’t make the sore any better. Instead, it got red and then the area around it started to swell. So, I took her dawg ass to the vet where it was diagnosed as infected.
Translation – Betsey the sorta-beagle has a fucked up leg.
Now, a bitch has the pleasure of giving her pills twice a day.
She hates them.
She likes cheese…but she has mastered eating around pills.
She adores peanut butter…but separate pills from goo without wasting a spec of peanut butter like a master.
Now, we are at war…Betsey the sorta-beagle vs. this bitch.
She casting pathetic dawg glances up from a sober hound face that leave no doubt who she thinks is in the wrong.
Me frowning and fussing that she’s gonna lose that leg if she doesn’t eat her pills coupled with a stern mention that this bitch paid money for these meds and she’s going to damn well eat them!
So far I’m winning…
…but I suspect Betsey is plotting my demise with her sorta-beagle brother, Theo the Bay Master.
Lawd, have mercy...
18 comments:
We had a beagle who was a total carb freak. We'd get part of a slice of bread, tear it into little pieces, and mush the pill into one of the pieces. Then, we'd give her a couple of non-pilled pieces, getting her worked up, give her the pilled piece, then finish up with a few more non-pilled ones. This was done in pretty quick succession to reduce the probability she'd realize what was going on. The key is to work the feeding frenzy to your advantage.
Poor pup! I hope she gets better really soon, and doesn't drive you up a wall in the meantime.
If it's okay with the vet, maybe you could put 'em in a food processer with wet dog food? Poor pup.
try liverwurst
Ugh, pet meds are fun. Is it an option to chop up the pills into a powder and mix them with the peanut butter or some cream cheese? Something she can't separate?
My beagle is about 16, looking pretty bad with lumps and skin condition (requiring pills which, like yours, he doesn't want to take), smells bad (MUST be bathed once a week at least), and gets epileptic type seizures occasionally, but he's still really sweet, has a good appetite, gets around okay and sleeps most of the time.
Poor Betsy. Can you ground the pills and add them to her food? I'd bet that Betsy's not plotting anything and Theo is probably tired of hearing her moan and groan (though he may not tell her just yet). Good luck, Sharkfu, and rub Betsy behind the ear for me.
It's called a hot spot and our shih -tzu had an ugly one on her throat. We used braunschweiger to give her the pills. Be sure she gets all the meds if not you will have to go for round 2 of the anitbiotic.
Good Luck....we made a treat' for our other dog as well so no one was left.
I'm a master at giving a dog their pills with peanut butter. From my Rotti of 10yrs I tried everything to get her to swallow pills for 1 reason or another, but I eventually found out what works and with other dogs too. My girlfriend has a dog that she had trouble with to until I showed her. It's easy and it could be done without help. What you do take a hunk of peanut butter, just a spoonful. Place the pill in the peanut butter until completely covered and then stick the PB on the tip of your index finger. Open your dogs mouth then stick your finger all the way in the back of the tongue and "wipe" the PB there, pull finger out. What this does is force the dog to swallow as he/she can't push it out because the peanut butter is stuck at the back of the tongue. I promise you it'll work and the dog will not choke. Good luck.
I volunteer at an animal shelter/locally run pet shop on Friday's and they sell these cat and dog treats called "pill pockets" or something, that are hollowed out to sneak said nasty bits inside. Haven't had to try them myself, but if other methods of pill-subterfuge are failing, it might not hurt to seek this product out. I've got my fingers crossed for you and your sorta-beagle!
I'm picturing The Bride and Vernita Green in the house scene from Kill Bill. Equally matched, equally sassed.
I'll echo the first anonymous comment. Our dog was on antibiotics for a bit a few months ago, and somehow I became a bit more effective at administering his meds. I started by putting a dollop of peanut butter on my fingertips and letting him lick it off (somehow this worked MUCH better than offering him a spoon). Once that first dollop was gone, it was replaced with a medicated dollop, which went down just as quickly. It got to the point that he'd get VERY EXCITED whenever somebody went near the jar of peanut butter.
Y'all are a great dawg advice resource! Thank you so much!
Invisible Ink Bloke - you have no idea how accurate you are!
I have two old bassett hounds that are both around 14 years old. They have to take medicine everyday.
I wrap the pill in cheese, spread peanut butter on bread, put the pill in cheese inside a dough ball made from the peanut butter bread and then rub peanut butter all over the outside of the dough ball.
They still know a pill is in there but they can't resist the yumminess long enough to dislodge the pill anymore and usually just chomp it down after a minute or so.
I hope your dog gets better. I know I'll probably lose both of mine sometime this year. It's never easy but I love dogs so I always go get a couple more rescue dogs after the previous ones have passed about 6 months or so.
Joe
Shark-fu, I am sending healing thoughts to our Betsy. Coincidentally, I am also currently "pilling" my poor old pup because of a sore by her mouth. I won't tell you how much money has gone to the vet to determine that it is indeed an infection and not mouth cancer!
My sure-fire method is burying the pills in a ball of cream cheese. Daisy swallows it down!
You're a good dawg-mama, and I hope Betsy heals up soon.
Love, Laura
Aw Shark Fu..I have to medicate half a dozen animals twice a day. It's hell on earth sometimes.
I was gonna say peanut butter, but Betsy is a pro evidently.
Hotdogs? A small piece that you can shove the pill into yet she will just swallow it whole.
Good luck, persevere and all that! ;p
Cats are the worst, but people-tuna works wonders with those felines!
Poor cute little sorta Beagle. Good luck with the pills. Animals are sneaky, once I swore I'd finally got my cat to take a pill he needed and then I found it on the floor 20 mins later. Gotta love the fur babies
Do you have a good pill-popped-thingy from the vet's office? My long experience with cats (and short experience with one small dog) has told me that sometimes you just have to pop it down the back of the throat before the critter knows what's going on. [sigh] Then follow with love, kisses, and a treat.
Love your blog, ABB. Long-time reader, first-time commenting.
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