# Heartworm pills... ideas?



## Trinkabean (Jun 13, 2005)

So, I CANNOT get Higgins to eat his heartworm pill. The vet said that little dogs love those things. I've been trying for 4 days to get him to eat it and I've gone through two tablets already with all the methods I've tried. He doesn't like peanut butter or cheese... I broke it up into small pieces and put it in canned dog food because he LOVES that, and he ate all the dog food, sucked the food off the heartworm pill and spit them out. Then today I shred that into such fine pieces that he couldn't pick them out and tried the can dog food again, and he ate around them and now won't eat the rest of the food because it's got the heartworm in it. 

I had to give him a pill earlier in the week and had to manually put it down his throat. It wasn't fun for either of us. I am pulling my hair out!! I don't even think I could put this heartworm thing down his throat anyway,... I'd be WAY too scared of him choking. 

Any ideas on how to get him to take it? Or does it come in a liquid form?
Thanks


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## Cooper (Jun 15, 2005)

Cooper takes Heartgard chewables and he absolutely loves them. You may ask your vet if you can try those instead of the tablets. (I'm assuming you're using the tabs ... if not, I have no ideas.)


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## Trinkabean (Jun 13, 2005)

I'm using the chewables... and my mom's dog and my friend's dog love them too.. mine is just strange.


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## Yoshismom (Jul 6, 2005)

*heartworm*

Try finding a vet in your area that carries Interceptor. They have a pill for under 10 lbs that is tiny and you can put it down the throat if need be. Or hide it in something because it is a pill and not a treat type pill. You also could see if you can order it from PetMeds. Good Luck.


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## Rachael Polachek (Feb 19, 2005)

Lily used to be on the Heartgard chewables but they were not the least bit "chewable" for her. She hated them! I'd pulverize them and put them in her food over a 2 day period every month and I'd manage to get about 75% in her. 

Then came the day that changed my life and Lily's too. Someone on this board mentioned "a tiny pill" they give their dog. :shock: 

Turns out Interceptor makes these teensy brown pills for dogs 2-10 pounds. I wrap the pill in cheese and down it goes. I'm not sure what you'd use if your dog doesn't like cheese or peanut butter... maybe something like bologna? I mean, even if that's something you wouldn't normally give him, it would only take a smidgen of the stuff to conceal the pill.


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## chimommy (Jun 29, 2005)

We use Interceptor as well. Tiny little pill. I had to force feed it once but Angel happily eats it on her own now. It's the flea/tick treatments she hates. LOL

Other than forcing it down or maybe crushing it and mixing it in with something, I don't know what else to do.


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## Gadget's Mom (Jan 14, 2005)

Gadget has interceptor and I put it in a piece of cheese or peanut butter and he chows it..


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## betsykantro (Jun 29, 2005)

I got revolution from my vet for Pixel. It is a combination heartworm flea/tick control. You simply squeeze the liquid between their shoulder blades once a month ie. no pills.


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## JOLIE'SMOM (Jul 15, 2005)

I buy frozen italian meatballs when i have to give a pill. Just warm the meatball in the microwave, break off a bite sized piece, open it with your fingers just wide enough to slide the pill in and presto! If you have a suspicious eater (one who likes to sniff everything before they'll eat it), give a little piece or two before you give the one with the pill in it and as you give the one with the pill, show the baby the next piece you are about to give them,,,it usually makes them want to swallow the one piece so they can take then next one! :lol: Of course, with 6 grown chis, there is always the "competition factor" that helps get that pill down easier. They always think "If i don't hurry up and eat it, someone else will"! :lol:


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## chimom (Apr 1, 2005)

I use the Interceptor also. It is a very tiny pill so it is quite easy to hide in a piece of cheese, hot dog, bologna, etc.


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## my3angels (Apr 15, 2004)

Heartguard also comes in pill form. THey are very tiny and are very easy to hide in treats....if worse comes to worse they are also small enough where you can just stick it in the throat and they wont choke.

You might just need the pill version, not the chewable.


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## Trinkabean (Jun 13, 2005)

Thank you thank you thank you. I called the emergency vet clinic (not the one I regularly take him to) because my vet said if I had questions on the weekends to call them. Their only idea was force-feeding it to him. Not my first choice. I think I'm going to give my vet a call tomorrow and see about this interceptor pill... Pills aren't fun either, but they seem easier than this chewable tablet that he hates. 

Thanks again for everyone's suggestions


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## my3angels (Apr 15, 2004)

Pills are also much easier to hide in food. The chewable ones they can still smell and taste.

Interceptor or Heartguard...both come in pill form. I would reccommend Heartguard, but thats only because we reccomend that at work.


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## KB (Apr 13, 2004)

interceptor in liverwurst~~~~~~


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## luv4mygirls (Feb 20, 2005)

chiwi will not take any type of pill no matter how i try to hide it. whether it is interceptor or the heartguard. i gave up finally cause it's too much money to have and waste plus if it ends up in the garbage it isn't doing the baby any good so i now use revolution since it prevents fleas, ticks, intestinal parasites and heartworm.


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## SunnyFLMum (Apr 21, 2005)

Whats Revolution...???


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## my3angels (Apr 15, 2004)

Revolution is medication that is used just like Frontline or any other oil-based medication. It protects against some ticks, fleas, heartworm, and some other paracites. 

http://www.entirelypets.com/revhearandfl.html


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## luvmydogs (May 13, 2005)

Both of my babies are on Interceptor. I used to use Heartguard, but I had the same problem, they hated them no matter how I tried to hide them. Since using the Interceptor I have had no problems.

Leslie


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