Give the dog a bone pill!

SOME DOGS will eat anything and everything, including their medications. However, most dogs are reluctant patients. The ASPCA (www.aspcabehavior.org) offers some good tips and directions about humane pilling techniques.

Try these tricks first

• When available, request chewable medications. They’re flavored and taste just like treats.

• Mix the dog’s medication into a meal; it may go unnoticed. If you feed the dog kibble, add a small amount of canned food or a soft treat, such as a cube of cheese or hot-dog chunk with the pill pushed inside. Wrapping the pill inside a slice of cheese or meat might also be a successful disguise.

• If your dog tends to chew treats rather than swallow them whole, make them small. Give him a few unloaded treats first, followed by one with the pill inside and a final unloaded treat.

• Dogs who enjoy catching treats