The reason why you should not split your dog's heartworm prevention pills is quite simple. Most heartworm prevention pills are formulated into some sort of tasty soft chew or flavored tablet. They are also mixed with the medicine that prevents heartworms or other parasites.
Place the medication in a small amount of wet food, if they like it. Use a bit of peanut butter or cream cheese to disguise the pill. Plain yogurt is another good food that can mask medication. A piece of cheese, hot dog or liverwurst can conceal the pill.
Because most dogs find HEARTGARD Chewables palatable, the product can be offered to the dog by hand. Alternatively, it may be added to a small amount of dog food. The chewable should be administered in a manner that encourages the dog to chew, rather than to swallow without chewing.
You can hide the taste with gel caps that you can find at your local pharmacy. This might help your dog finally be able to take the pills with food, or your dog might just be willing to take the pill on its own because it doesn't have any flavor at all.
Peanut butter: Hide a pill inside a sticky, fragrant dab of peanut butter (on a spoon) and let your pet lick it off. Or roll peanut butter into a small ball, insert the pill, and offer it to your pet as a treat. Make sure the peanut butter isn't made with xylitol, an artificial sweetener, which is toxic to dogs.
Cover your pet's nose with your mouth and exhale until you see the pet's chest rise. Give a second rescue breath. Continue giving CPR with a cycle of 30 chest compressions and 2 rescue breaths until your dog or cat begins breathing again on its own. Briefly check for breathing and a heartbeat every 2 minutes.
Iron is another supplement that can be fatal to pets if given at the wrong dosage. Iron can cause vomiting, stomach ulcers and liver failure. It is most commonly found in OTC prenatal or women's formula vitamins. The amounts will also vary depending on the supplement.
To make a slurry, place the pill in a small amount of water and dissolve. Once dissolved, you'd be able to administer it like a liquid.
Hide the Pills If you've ever spent time digging pills out of your dog's regular food because he won't eat, then it's time to tempt. Cottage cheese, cream cheese, liverwurst, peanut butter, and American cheese may all work for hiding the pills.
Most pills or capsules can be hidden in a small meatball of canned food or a hot dog. Other options that work well to sneak a pill past our furry companion include peanut butter, cream cheese, cheese whiz, bread or even lunchmeat and sliced cheese.
How to use a "pill popper"
Hold the pill pocket in one hand and place your dog's pill or capsule in the center pocket of the treat. Pinch it closed with your hand that hasn't touched the medication (to avoid transferring the pill scent and taste to the outside of the pocket) and feed the sealed pill pocket to your dog like it's a treat.
It is not recommended that you give your dog a benzodiazepine or any other sleep-inducing drug. The truth is that human-formulated sleeping pills can cause stomach pain, vomiting and even death.