How to Give First Aid to Your Dog

Whether you need to administer pain medication after a serious injury or it's just time for your pet's monthly heartworm pill, learning how to easily give oral medication to a dog is a helpful trick to know. Use the following tips to help you give either liquid or pill medication to your dog.

Liquids

Step 1: Restrain the dog. If the dog is hard to handle, you may need help restraining it.

Step 1a: Relieve the dog's apprehension by talking quietly and reassuringly.

Step 1b: Slip one arm under the dog's neck, holding its throat gently in the crook of your arm. Be sure the dog can breathe easily.

Step 1c: Pass the other arm over or under the middle of the dog, using gentle but firm pressure to hold its body against yours.

Step 1d: If necessary, apply a mouth-tie loosely so there is only slight jaw movement.

Step 2: Gently tip the dog's head slightly backward.

Step 3: Pull the dog's lower lip out at the corner to make a pouch.

Step 4: Using a plastic eyedropper or dose syringe, place the fluid a little at a time into the pouch, allowing each small amount to be swallowed before giving any more of the dose.

Step 5: Gently rub the dog's throat to stimulate swallowing.

Pills

Step 1: Restrain the dog. If the dog is hard to handle, you may need help restraining it.

Step 1a: Relieve the dog's apprehension by talking quietly and reassuringly.

Step 2: Grasp the dog's upper jaw with one hand over its muzzle.

Step 3: Press the dog's lips over the upper teeth by pressing your thumb on one side and your fingers on the other so the dog's lips are between its teeth and your fingers. Apply firm pressure to force its mouth open.

Step 4: Hold the pill between the thumb and index finger of your other hand, and place the pill as far back in the dog's mouth as possible.

Step 5: Gently rub the dog's throat to stimulate swallowing.

An alternate method is to hide the pill in cheese, peanut butter, or other yummy treat.

Blood on a dog can be a sign of a serious injury or just a slight nick to the paw. In the next section, we'll discuss how to spot the various signs and what to do to help a bleeding pet.