Great Danes: Administering Liquid Medication

Great Danes may not be prone to a lot of diseases but the possibility of quite few health problem is always present. Keep in mind that, at some point in your dog's life, you will be needing to administer medication in order to address a health problem and sustain his life. Though you may not know when will it happen, it is always a great idea to prepare not just for the good but also for the worst things to come.

Administering medicine to a dog is not always an easy task to do, especially if your dog is as mighty as a Great Dane and is not willing to take it. Just like medicine for humans, pet medications come in several forms - pills, liquids, injections and topical creams and ointments.

Liquid medication, along with pills and topical ointments and creams are usually administered at home. Administering medication at home can be confusing or dreadful especially to inexperienced dog owners. Below are some tips I laid out for you in the hope of helping you administer liquid medication easily.

Lucky for you if your dog is not on dietary restrictions, medication can be given with food. Mix the dose in a small amount of food, preferably canned food. Mixing the medication in an entire meal is not a good idea because the dog may not eat the whole meal, thus she will not get the exact dose of medication prescribed by the vet.

But if your vet specified that medication should not be mixed with food, you have no other choice but to follow. Liquid pet medications are usually given through dropper or oral syringe. Get the medication ready and fill the dropper or oral syringe with the amount of medicine prescribed by your veterinarian. Call your dog to you in a happy voice and take him to a convenient spot. Position yourself behind your pet or place him against something so he cannot back away from you. Hold the syringe or dropper with your right hand (if you are right handed) and use the other hand to open his mouth. Tilt your dog's head back and place the dropper or syringe on the rear middle of the tongue. Slowly empty the dropper taking slight pause between each portion. Do not try to give all the medication at once to prevent choking or vomiting. Hold your dog's mouth closed until he has swallowed all of the liquid.

Wipe your dog's face using a soft, moist cloth and remember to give a treat and praise... lots of praise.

By: Richard Cussons

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Richard Cussons is a dog enthusiast. His site about Great Danes is filled with information about this breed as well as effective tips in Great Dane training.