Hi all,
The Vet said that my puppy got Giardia after checking his stool. The doctor gave me a vial of Flagyl that is to be given to him once a day for ten days. THe doctor was able to force his mouth open and give it to him. Now that I'm home he won't come near me when i want to give it to him. Any suggestions? I don't want to hurt him by forcing him to take it.

Fill the dropper when he isn't paying any attention. Hide it where he can't see it. Put your hand around the back of his neck (fingers holding his head still) so that he can't twist and turn. Poke the syringe in his mouth towards the side, push meds in. : ) You won't hurt him.

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You won't hurt him if you hold him strongly without squeezing him. Open up the medicine and load the dropper. Set it aside. Wait for the puppy to come to you, give a treat like a piece of cheese or a tiny bit of meat, something to really entice him to you. Pick him up onto your lap. Lift his head up a bit. Put your one hand behind his head, holding it steady. Insert the dropper on the side of his mouth and dispense the medicine into his cheek area. It will still get down his throat and you won't run the risk of him breathing the medicine in. Once it's done, praise and give another high quality treat. He will soon learn getting medicine gets him a yummy treat and he shouldn't fight you so much. At least, that is the idea. lol

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Thank you Jan for the wonderful siggy!

Thanks for all the suggestions. I will give it a try and hopefully it works. I heard that prong treatment with Flagyl is actually bad for the dog.

The ladies have given you great advice (naturally).

None of mine willingly take medication. I do just as they have described. It is something like trying to administer medication to a small octopus.

One exception is that last time Hope needed antibiotics I opted for chewable. She begged for them. They looked and smelled similar to Interceptor heart work medication.

Hope was on Flagyl (metronidazole) repeatedly. She actually did fine. Since she was on it so long I got her a vet grade probiotic and gave it to her for a few months at the end of and after she was on treatment. A week of it is fine. If for some reason it gets extended you may want to consider that. She throws up yogurt so I could not do that but you could try.

Hope tummy issues get sorted for you soon!!

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photos-Jennifer Hague, fixyourimages.com

He wouldn't stay still and i couldn't force it in his mouth without a lot of squealing and crying. I used the dropper to add the med to a teaspoon and sprinkled crushed up baby carrot (his favorite treat) and he reluctantly ate it up.

Whatever works for you is fantastic. I'm glad you got it in him and its not stressful for him. win-win.

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Thank you Jan for the wonderful siggy!

How much is the dose? My puppy is on antibiotics at the moment and she has about 4 drops on a teaspoon full of scrambled egg and she scarfs it down and looks for more. If it's only a few drops use bribery in the form of food.