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Bailey's Tail of Woe!

Bailey's Mom

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
Hi, Bailey had a growth removed from her tail today. I stayed with her until they had her on the operating table. And that and the following 5 hours were difficult. Poor Baby, she didn't come out of the anesthetic well. She cried pathetically for two hours. All I could do was sit with her and tell her I was there.

Bailey is home recuperating and we had two more hours of whimpers. The neighbour and I tried to get her to eat, and finally she did...first cheese, then liver treats, and because she loves the liver so much, I snuck her Tramadol pills into her mouth. (they are very small.) She also managed some ground sirloin and brown rice.

Problem is, I have to get 6 horse pills in her a day, 3 am and 3 pm. They are Huge! And she has jaws of steel! AND, THIS DOG SNIFFS AND CHEWS EVERYTHING. NOTHING GETS IN HER MOUTH UNLESS SHE AGREES TO EAT IT.

Help Me! How do you get these blasted horse pills down her throat? Is there a trick whereby I don't get chewed on or I don't hurt her/me/or my helpful neighbour?

Bailey needs these antibiotics, I have to do this. HELP!!!!!
 

TylerDurden

Well-Known Member
Good to hear that the procedure went well. Does she like Peanut Butter? I usually cover all sorts of pills (regardless of size) in Peanut Butter and add them to the rest of his food. It might be worth a try...
 

Boxergirl

Well-Known Member
If peanut butter, hot dogs, cheese, or other tasty treats don't work I try cream cheese. Once it's in their mouth I make sure it stays there. Pill dosing is something that I will teach all of my future pups. Al took a lot of pills and I just opened his mouth and popped them in. I pretended to do the same to Roy and he's also a good pill popper. Ella isn't. I didn't work with her like I should have.
 

Bailey's Mom

Super Moderator
Super Moderator
Well, this has been a very trying couple of days. I was always grateful that Bailey was a grazer, it protected her from stomach issues, she wasn't likely to take food off the ground (stranger danger) or to get bloat, though, I'm aware gulping food is only one of the indications of why this happens. Still, I was happy that she wasn't a little pig and predictable around "found" edibles.

However, since she's so specialized in her eating issues, hiding pills in chunks of things doesn't work. I'm staring at a pain pill drowned in melted ice cream...yep, she found it and I think...based upon my translation of dog, she said "screw you, Mommy!"

So, stinky cheese, liver treats, Wendy's Frosties, yummy chicken and, tonight I'll try BBQ pork...maybe....just maybe. Oh, peanut butter, she totally licks every molecule, so, no way.

I guess, because the Metacam is liquid and I can squirt it past her teeth, and the pain pills don't seem particularly necessary, I will forego them in favour of the antibiotics, which she really needs.

Mastiffs.... you've got to love these wonderful and complex family members.
 

Nik

Well-Known Member
sharp cheddar cheese always works for us. It has to be sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese though. Mild cheeses will not work. And we make four cheese balls using our hands to warm up and mold the cheese. We don't let the dogs watch us make them. The pill gets hidden in one of the cheese balls. We make the dogs do a trick then we give them a cheese ball that has no pill in it.. OMG they are so happy... Best treat ever and they are eager to do more tricks for treats. Then we have them do another trick or two and they happily take the next empty cheese ball. By the third cheese ball they are so eager for that cheese ball that they swallow it without chewing because they see you still have one more cheese ball to give them. Make sure that they see there is another cheese ball still left after cheese ball #3. Cheese ball 3 should be the one with the pill hidden inside and if you do the build up right they are swallowing that thing whole because they want that last cheese ball so badly. Finally have them do the last trick and give them the last cheese ball. If we do this exact process they never have a clue that they gulped down a pill. But it must be sharp or extra sharp cheddar cheese and they must have pure cheese first and after and you must make the balls as uniform as possible and make sure they know there is still more coming. It is the only thing that works for us.
 

Jakesmum

Well-Known Member
Jake would be great at taking pills hidden in food as long as I changed the food every week or so and didn't go back to that food ever again to hide a pill, they are smart little buggers! In the end I ended up having to open his mouth and stick the pill at the back of his throat and hold his mouth closed until he swallowed which he tolerated. I only ever came away with a slimy hand.
 

Smokeycat

Well-Known Member
Jake would be great at taking pills hidden in food as long as I changed the food every week or so and didn't go back to that food ever again to hide a pill, they are smart little buggers! In the end I ended up having to open his mouth and stick the pill at the back of his throat and hold his mouth closed until he swallowed which he tolerated. I only ever came away with a slimy hand.
I had to do that with Kryten a couple of times. He disliked it so much that he will grudgingly take the treat with the pill because he knows if he doesn't he gets the pill without a treat.
 

Sheila Braund

Well-Known Member
I hide them in treats....cheese slices and have some for both dogs....their so eager to get their treats and not wanting their buddy next to them get it they gobble it up.
This only works if I have the dogs beside each other.

I hope Bailey mends quickly....glad the surgery went well.
 

DennasMom

Well-Known Member
How'd the pilling go? Is Bailey's tail on the mend?
Did you survive the thunderstorm??
You're not in that nasty line of tornadoes, are you??