I have a smallish Yorkie who was a rescue dog, abused and starved for god knows how long. He had fits before and is now on 2 Epifen tablets a day and 1/2 a Libromide (KBr) tablet once every evening. The KBr forms a basal or background level of "protection" so that the epifen could be reduced to the level its at now.

Trouble his, he is often reluctant to eat of a morning, and is not a big eater anyway, and will barely eat an evening meal one day out of two. some weeks he is perfectly ok, and others are a challenge. We've tried all manner of varying foods and treats to hide the pills in, but he continually varies. Some weeks he'll be into ham, some cheese, then crisps with Marmite, then he'll be off all of those.

Pill poppers are a big no-no, he really freaks out if we go anywhere near his mouth. We have successfully managed to use a pill popper once, but it took both of us and I really had to pin him down. He was really stressed by it. He has to be sedated at the vets for even the most basic of dental inspections.

Is there any other way to get him his medicines? Any other combination of drugs or maybe something just in the evening.
I've asked several times at our vets but they promise to get back and never do.They do say he can't have the full dose of Epifen in one go.

My concern is that, while its OK for me to spend an hour trying to get him to take his morning tablet in various bits of food for now, while I'm unemployed, if I get a job, I can't really spend an hour each morning just trying to get my dog to take one tiny tablet.

I can't leave it out in his food bowl all day as our other terrier will eat it.

if you are allowed to crush the pills, a little squirty cream might be the right thing to put the powder in.

I know you can get soluble Epiphen. The Libromide are tablets as well, aren't they? If he won't take them crushed in food, there's another drug called Epilease, which are capsules, it might be worth asking if you can move over to those. Unfortunately, there's a bit of a problem with the Epilease, so I think you (the practice) can only get them directly from the manufacturer, not the wholesaler.

But I would honestly keep badgering your vets until someone gives you an answer, because he'll need to have these forever, and it's so important her gets them all the time, at the correct times.

Good luck!!

Our little chiuahua/JR had to have epiphen and sometimes bromide tablets on a regular basis. I found the best way to know she had taken it was to open her mouth (I know its not easy with a small dog) and whilst holding her mouth open, pop it in as far to the back of her tongue as possible. Then just hold her mouth closed for a few seconds, massage her throat/neck....and usually it worked. Sometimes she had hidden in the side of her mouth and it would reappear on the floor, but in that case, we started all over again!

She got used to it in the end - didnt like it, but she had to have them....and I only got my fingers "dented" accidently by her teeth once or twice!

And she lived 16 years with frequent but mild fits ....and the fits never stopped her from enjoying herself

Maybe if you have soneone who can hold your little dog still while you try it??

good luck!

Peanut butter, just pop the tabs into a small amount and ours will take anything !

Pate or jam do the trick too.

i used to buy cocktail sausges and cut slits in them and put my dogs epiphen in them

That sounds a pretty good idea, he does have a sweet tooth, from whats left of them.

Peanut butter never worked with him before, which was a real disappointment. He must be the only dog in the world to not like it.

Tried those, some months he'll be fine, then he'll turn his nose up at them. The problem is that if he won't eat anything at all in the morning, then crushed tablets, or liquid, or different types of food are no good.

I was wondering whether injecting would be easier. I'll ask the vet if such a product even exists. I inject 4 times a day, so administering drugs that way is no problem for me.

(Insulin, btw, not heroin)

Grate cheddar cheese then form it around the tablet. Works everytime for me with all my dogs. After 14 years trying different methods like meat and peanut butter this is by far the best.

Have you tried him with a bit of tinnnes sardines? The one in the oil? My dogs literally go crazy when this comes out

Pure butter does the trick for my dogs - maybe not great for everyday though as he could become a little fatty!

Can't you just force his mouth open ? Its the only way to get tablets down my dal.

See above ^^ the OP.
He's spent the larger part of his life being abused and neglected, I'm not about to start torturing him every day.

I guessing the advice was given by someone with a dog with no baggage - until you have a dog like that it's hard to understand the problems. The food ideas are the best ones IMO as it's far less traumatic for the dog and yourself.

you will just have to chop and change it some times use sausage, cheese, liver sausage whatever he likes for treats, they do a meat spray for kongs, bak him some tuna cake, my dog was never that bad as long as it was something food like that did not resemble his normal dried food. I also would have had the option of forcing it down his throat apart from it hiding in his jowls and the foam around my hand not pleasant and not an option for you unless you really have to

We've always had rescue dogs. I sometimes wonder what its like to have a dog with normal teeth, that doesn't mind being brushed or doesn't cower in fear if I pick up a folded newspaper, or lift my foot sharply (for innocent reasons, I should add.)

Slice of cold sausage always worked with my old dog.

Alternatively, if you get the pill iin his mouth, massage his throat gently with two fingers and the thumb, as it forces the dog to swallow.

Oh I understand completely we even have to argue quietly as one of ours dissolves into fear if we raise our voices. I am sure it must be very different to have dogs that behave bravely and have had good starts in life but these special dogs seem to call to us when ever we decide to increase our family......

I give mine his tablets in a bit of cheese

I can't speak for dogs, but I do have an extremely nervous and elderly cat, who has to take tablets. The ONLY way I can do it is by wrapping him up very firmly in a large towel, so he can't wriggle, putting the pills in a pill dispenser syringe (obtainable at the vet), opening his mouth and just shoving them in. At first it did look very cruel, although I suspect this was my perception, as clearly the cat was just protesting and wasn't in the least traumatized - he'd toddle off for his food right afterwards! It took a couple of weeks, but we're now in a routine. He doesn't much like it, but he's got used to it, the pills go in, he swallows them, and gets a nice cuddle and breakfast as a reward.

Persevere and be firm. In the end, the pills have to be given, or the dog will suffer even more. You don't have to be cruel, but you have to take charge and get the job done, for the dog's sake, and you simply can't take an hour out of every day to do it!

That's easier said than done with already traumatised dogs and I would suggest cats too. Better the food option if you can find something the dog likes IMO.

I always wrap the tablets in a piece of sausage. That way my dog eats ANYTHING!

Yeah with a resce who is traumatised it's so hard. My Tillie wets herself if I go to put her collar o or brush her teeth!! Luckily she loves her food so I have no issues with that.

I wouldn't go with the towel idea that's just gonna make it worse

Mine have tablets in a marshmallow, you can tear it open, pop the pill in & because its sticky on the inside the pill stays in their.

Cream cheese works with The Combat Corgis. We roll the tablet up in cream cheese and they scoff it. We then of course have to watch them like a hawk incase they mange to eat the cheese and spit the tablet out.

Pixie is on anti-inflammatory's at the moment and the cream cheese is still working a treat. I do of course have to give Merlin a little ball of cream cheese when Pixie gets her tablet.

Good lord, as a late update to this, in case anyone's bothered. I started work a while back and with my wife working from home, she was unable to get him to eat anything of a morning, but it seems cutting back to one epifen a day has caused him no harm.
He's not "wobbley" and has had no fits in all this time.

Its still a pain in the *** to get him to eat this tablets in the evening meal, and somedays he goes without any medication for nearly 48 hours, but he seems to be getting by. He sleeps all the morning now I'm not there and spends the afternoon staring at the front door.

Thanks to all for replies and advice.