Comet's Recovery After Surgery To Remove His Oral Mass

Celebrating Christmas With Comet

( Never Thought He'd Make It)

Comet is my thirteen-and-a-half year old male Lhasa Apso who delights me round the clock!
He had surgery to remove an oral mass on the 23rd of October, 2018.

The Day After The Surgery 

24th October, 2018

We took him to the hospital for a check up and his drip. He had not even tried to eat or drink water. He was given 300 ml of saline again, with B-Complex, pain killers and antibiotics. He had no interest in going for his walk either. He walked around with his tail between his legs and a confused look in his eyes. The vet said that he would have a certain amount of pain in spite of being on pain killers. So that was understandable. He was sedated for ten minutes and his mouth was examined and cleaned thoroughly. The sedation was a scary experience for me because of the way he became unconscious in a second. 

Back home, he still kept whimpering when the cone was on so we kept it off as much as possible, and watched him. We noticed that he became restless about four to five hours after the painkiller injection was given. The effect was probably wearing off. As soon as the next injection was given, he would calm down and go into a deep sleep for a few hours. He did not eat all day. He did go to his water bowl and stand there, put his head down as if he wanted to drink some, but then lifted his head again.

 The vet informed us that he would need to get used to his new mouth. Now that the oral mass was removed, and he had lost half his lower jaw in the process, his mouth probably felt very different. He had also lost about ten teeth. 

The grogginess from the anesthesia wore off by the evening. He looked a little more alert and less disoriented. 

Again, we took turns watching him while he slept because he didn't want the cone on. 

Comet Has Not Started Eating and Drinking Yet

25th October, 2018

Comet had his regular drip session in the morning. He kept whimpering all the time. Even if the hospital waiting room, he would cry softly, non-stop. The vet examined his suture line from the outside and said it seemed to be healing well. Comet should start eating and drinking by this evening. I was asked to grind his food from now on because his teeth were not aligned properly any more so he would not be able to bite and chew.

However, Comet is not like any other dog. His recovery is taking longer than it would in any other dog. He did try to drink a little water but ran miles from food. He still did not feel like walking. But he looked more alert. The vet said that by now the pain would have gone completely so we were to give the injection only if required. But we gave it because he seemed to need it. He kept whimpering when the previous dose wore off. 

Comet Finally Drank Some Water and Ate a Little

26th October, 2018

Comet had his regular drip again. He was still whimpering the entire time. The only time he would be calm and not crying would be when he was at home. He would sleep peacefully until the pain killer wore off. Then he would become restless.

The vet was now concerned that Comet had not yet started eating and drinking on his own. He did a blood test to check if there was anything else wrong and preventing him from eating and drinking. His blood work was normal so that was ruled out. He was given a shot of prednisolone (a steroid) to stimulate his appetite.

By evening, Comet was much calmer and happier. He did not whimper at all and did not need the pain killers. He showed more interest in his walk.

At night, he began to drink water on his own and even ate some food. We were very happy but just hoped that it would continue after the effect of the steroid wore off.

Comet Is Eating and Drinking Again

27th October, 2018

The vet was not satisfied with the amount that Comet had eaten the previous day so he was given drip again, with all his medication. No more pain killers were given. The suture line was cleaned from the outside, without sedation.

Comet was more himself today. The whimpering stopped completely. He drank water in excess and ate very well

He's back to his old self, wagging his tail, running around the house, eating and drinking very well, walking well. 

Comet Is More Himself

28th October, 2018

Now that Comet is eating and drinking normally, he was given only 100 ml of drip and his last dose of antibiotics. His sutures were examined and he was sent home quickly.

Comet took time adjusting to his new mouth and non-aligned set of teeth and I took time adjusting to how best to feed him.

Apart from that, he's back to normal but hasn't asked for his normal long half a kilometer walk around the block in the morning. 

Comet's Checkup

November 1st, 2018

Comet went for his checkup. Everything seems fine and the sutures will come off in two days time. The vet is happy with Comet's recovery. 

Time To Get The Sutures Removed

November 3rd, 2018

Since Comet would be given anesthesia, he had to be fasting again since the previous night. Again he went looking for his water bowl all over. It was so sad. We reached the hospital at 8.30 am. He was put on drip and wheeled off into the operation theater. This time he was angry and wanted to kill everyone around him. We had to wait for about fifteen minutes.

We were allowed to see him in the recovery room so we were with him when he came around. He had the cone on and an oxygen mask on, which he wanted to push off. Within half an hour, he had recovered from anesthesia and the nurse told us to take him home as being in the hospital would just raise his stress levels.

His next checkup will be in a month's time. That would be the 3rd of December. 

At Last, Comet is His Old Self

November 6th, 2018

Comet demanded for his favourite long walk around the block. He walked well and didn't get tired.

He is eating and drinking very well. He's alert, active and happy again.

Comet has made an excellent recovery!

Surgery To Remove A Nasty Oral Mass

Comet is my thirteen- and- a- half year old male Lhasa Apso. We noticed an oral mass in his mouth in May 2018. It was probably there for quite a while before that.

The Much Dreaded Event 

Comet's oral mass had grown too big by the end of September. It used to bleed almost every day. It was probably infected too, because he had a mild fever. It also prevented him from eating. Comet had to be fed at this stage. The food had to pushed into his mouth from the side. 

And even though I had hated the idea of putting him through surgery, there seemed no other option left. I had also tried homeopathy, to no avail. 

I dreaded having to put him through the surgery, for the simple reason that he is almost fourteen years old. Apart from that, he's sensitive, delicate, temperamental, nervous, and high-strung. Also, I knew that he would probably lose half his lower jaw and there were no guarantees that the tumour would not grow again. But what option did I have? 

Comet's doctor also convinced me that I had no option but to get the surgery done. He said that they would run all the necessary tests to check if Comet was fit for surgery first. During the surgery, he would be treated as a geriatric patient and given special care. After the surgery, he would receive drip for about three days. He would be given pain killers, but would not be completely pain-free for the first two days after surgery. He would start eating and drinking by the second day, even with part of his jaw missing. Well, my consolation was that Comet would be in good hands. They were being thorough. Everything was explained well to me, in detail, with diagrams. 

A comprehensive blood test was done to ensure that Comet's liver and kidneys were functioning well, and that his hemoglobin was fine, besides other things. An X-ray of his chest was done to see if his lungs were fine since the vet suspected that the tumour in his mouth was cancerous and the cancer might have already spread to his lungs. An X-ray of the skull and throat was also done to see the extent of the tumour and to check how bad his collapsed trachea was. ( An x-ray done a year ago had revealed a collapsed trachea.) Miraculously the collapsed trachea was not collapsed any longer. (The joint supplements must have helped to rectify the problem.) The results of all the tests were obtained in the next two days time. Everything was fine and Comet was cleared for surgery.

The surgery was scheduled for the 23rd morning. I had to keep him fasting for twelve hours before that. Phew!!!!!

The Day Before The Surgery

This was a day full of apprehensions and anxiety for me. I could barely concentrate on anything else. Of course, Comet was oblivious of what was to come. I was on pins because I had to make sure he ate his dinner and drank water before 8 pm, since the surgery was scheduled for 9 am the following morning and we had to take him there by 8 am. I managed that. Then I hid his water bowl. He woke up as usual in the middle of the night and went looking for his water. It broke my heart to watch him search for it. Then, confused, he went back to sleep.

The Nerve-Racking Day of The Surgery

I took Comet for his usual walk at 5.30 am. When he got back home, he went in search of his water bowl again. When he couldn't find it, he pushed his nose into the fan which is always close to where his water bowl is kept. (Maybe the fan took the water away!) He sat down with a sigh, then followed me to the kitchen, and asked for tea since water was not available. He looked for water everywhere. It was so sad to watch him do that.

We reached the hospital at 8.30 am. He was put on drip immediately. He was his normal cheerful self. I had read all about these kinds of surgeries so I expected Comet to be given a sleeping dose first and then wheeled into the operation theater. I didn't mind that. He would fall asleep with us near him. But that is not what happened.

The procedure was explained to me again. I asked the surgeon all the questions that I had written down so carefully, and got all my answers. I was asked to read and sign the consent form.

 In no time, the Elizabethan collar was put around Comet's neck and he was wheeled into the prep room, where he stood on the table and wagged his tail at the attendants. I couldn't bear that for some reason. That's when I began to cry. I stood outside the glass doors of the room and wept. I was asked to go downstairs and sit in the waiting room. The surgery would last about an hour. I didn't want to leave but the nurse convinced me that it would upset him if I stayed close by and he could smell me. So, I reluctantly went downstairs. I looked at every sick dog and cat, and even a sick duck, and cried. I just kept crying till the surgery was done and Comet was in recovery. Then I crept upstairs and peeped at him and ran downstairs again. He was sitting quietly in his cage with the cone around his neck.

The surgery was a success. The surgeon brought the tumor out and stuck it in my face to see. The huge mass with the teeth, was in his hand. He's lucky I didn't faint from the shock. He said he had managed to make a clean cut and take off extra tissue from around the mass. And of course, Comet had lost the front part of his lower jaw bone. The surgeon had inserted screws to keep the two parts of the jaw bone in place. He said it was needed to make Comet's jaw look presentable. He had decided to do a bit of reconstructive surgery for aesthetic purposes. He had also cleaned all the rest of Comet's teeth while he was under anesthesia.
The oral mass was sent for a biopsy.

After about half an hour we were allowed to meet Comet. He sat in his cage with a clean white towel under him and the cone around his neck. He eyes were half closed and he couldn't keep his head up. We were told that the anesthesia would take another 24 hours to wear off completely. His face and neck area was shaved clean. It would take some time to get used to his new look. When he saw us he began to cry weakly. So the doctor asked us to leave again. It was another hour before he was discharged. He cried that entire hour. We then took him to the terrace and sat there with him. It was around 12 noon. He was to get another session of drip and pain killers at 4 pm. He was groggy from the anesthesia but wanted to get up and walk. He just wanted to go home. He whimpered non-stop.

At 4 pm, he received another 300 ml of saline with B-Complex, pain killers and antibiotics. By 6pm, we were ready to take him home. He was supposed to wear the cone all the time to prevent any damage to the stitches.  He hated it so much. He would walk around with his head bent, whimpering continuously. We were given the pain killers and the injection syringes, and taught how to administer them every eight hours.

That night, Comet would not go to sleep because the cone was on so we took it off him and took turns to stay awake and watch him while he slept.

                                          

                                                   COMET- AFTER SURGERY 

Goodbye Oral Mass

Well, it was such a relief not to see that ugly, horrid oral mass in Comet's mouth any more. 

And now we're hoping he will recover from the surgery quickly. 

On Oral Tumors - Making The Big Decision-

Comet is my thirteen-and-a-half year old male Lhasa Apso, the most adorable creature in the whole wide world!

June 2018- Detecting the Oral Tumor

We noticed a small growth in the front lower portion of Comet's mouth.

                                                                       COMET

July 2018- Investigating the Oral Tumor

The growth seemed much larger in a few weeks so we took him to the hospital for a check up.

The vet wasn't sure what it was.  He asked if we wanted to do a biopsy.  I refused.  He said every growth needs to be removed surgically. Again, I didn't want to put him through any unnecessary procedures in his old age. He is almost fourteen years old.  He is also very sensitive and gets upset easily. 

I asked the vet what would happen if I ignored it.  He said it would keep growing until it filled his whole mouth.  He would not be able to eat any more.
 I thought I could take a chance.  What if the oral tumor stopped growing?  How sure could the vet be that it would keep growing?  And it was not interfering with his normal life activities in any way,  so I decided not to disturb him by doing any surgery.  I also really didn't want to know if it was cancerous. It would be too upsetting. So we left the growth as it was. The vet prescribed Dologel, just in case it was an abscess. 

August 2018-Trying Homeopathy

The Dologel was used for ten days but had no effect so I was convinced that it was not an abscess. The lump just kept growing bigger and bigger. In my desperation, I sought homeopathic treatment. The homeopathic doctor was confident that his medicines would work. So I tried them for two weeks but there seemed to be no improvement. I ran back to the homeopathic doctor. He changed the medicines and asked me to try them for another two weeks. There was still no improvement. 

September 2018-Things Take A Bad Turn

By now I was quite desperate. The oral mass in Comet's mouth had turned so big that he could not close his mouth and eating had become difficult at this stage. I was so upset about it. I hated the thought of putting him through surgery. Yet, it seemed like I was left with no option. I sat and stared at him for hours, wondering what to do. By the end of September, the oral mass began to bleed very often because it kept rubbing against things. His front teeth had lifted with the tumor as it grew upwards. He got fever. I realized that things had taken a bad turn now. The growth was probably infected. I had to act soon.

October 2018-Making The Decision To Remove The Oral Mass
I visited the vet again. He said I had no option but to get the surgery done, even if the growth was cancerous, even if it would reappear soon, the surgery would give him a few months of solace at least. Right now he had begun to suffer due to the oral mass. He would probably lose a part of his lower jaw in the process but it didn't matter as he could not use that part even with the tumor. That was another horrible thought. I was afraid that Comet may not be fit for surgery. He also had a collapsed trachea. The vet said that they would perform all the necessary tests on him first to ensure that he was fit for surgery and only then would they go ahead with the surgery. I was also apprehensive about how fast Comet would recover. The vet convinced me that they would take care of all that.

And so, with no options left, I decided to let Comet have the surgery to remove the disgusting oral mass that had invaded his mouth and our lives!

Some Tips To Make Travelling With Your Dog Easier

Introduction

Well, my little one is now thirteen years old. I have had him since he was only two weeks old and he has been a part of my family since then. So, it is no surprise that I have taken him everywhere we went. I just could not leave him behind for others to look after him or put him in a dog boarding facility. I felt that he may not be looked after well by anyone other than myself. I also could never bear the thought that he would miss me. And of course, I would miss him. 

The Background

My husband and I used to work at a boarding school in the Himalayas so we had a two-month winter vacation every year. It got very cold there so we always came down south to Bangalore and Goa where our parents lived. 

The First Long Journey

   PART 1               (Mussoorie to Delhi)

1.Traveling By Car

My thirteen-year-old, whose name is Comet, made his first long journey when he was six month's old. We had to travel down from Mussoorie to Delhi. We chose to travel by taxi the whole way so that we would not have to book him into a train at Dehradun and we could be with him longer. The travel time is about six hours. He was very excited about the journey, and also very restless. He would not sit still. He went from one person's lap to another. We stopped several times for him to ease himself and drink water. Halfway through the journey, he started vomiting and we had a lot of cleaning up to do.

    PART 2            (Delhi to Bangalore)

2.Traveling By Train

At the Booking Office

On reaching Delhi, we had to go to the railway booking office and book him into the luggage van with the guard. My heart was breaking to part with him. At the booking office, he was weighed and charged as extra luggage. 

In The Train 

We put him in the cage in the guard's van at the back of the train. He is a small dog so he was able to move around in it quite easily. However, a big dog will have a problem and be very uncomfortable. The cage was dirty and claustrophobic. It had a tiny window towards the outside of the train and bars towards the inside. We had to lock it and take the key with us.

 Railway Rules

Dogs are booked in a 'first come, first serve' basis. So if another dog has been booked before yours, you will have to find another train. Hence, we always went to the station many hours ahead of time. 

You are allowed to come and see the dog during halts. However, in long-distance trains, the long halts are few and far between, and not really long halts. The train would stop for about five or ten minutes only.

image from Pixabay

Read the rules for taking dogs in trains in the Indian Railways here:
https://canine-thoughts.blogspot.com/2018/08/indian-railway-rules-for-taking-dogs.html


Our Woes

We were in the A.C. compartment towards the front of the train. We would ask the T.C. when the long halts would come and then, minutes before that, we would walk through the entire train right till we reached the unreserved compartments. There were usually two or three of them. The compartments are not connected further. Then, when the train stopped, we would jump off, run to the guard's van, take him out of the cage, and walk him, try and give him some water, etc., push him back into the cage and lock him up, run back to our compartment, our hearts breaking because he would not drink water or eat anything, he would just cry constantly. He hated to be in that cage away from us. 

Since taking him out of the cage, was such a tedious process, we did it just once a day during our horrible three-day-journeys. He was miserable, and so were we. By the time we reached our destination, he would be all weak and trembling. 

My Thoughts

Train journeys for a dog in the guard's van are horrible and I would not recommend it unless you have no other option at all. 

We did the journeys this way for a few more times until we could bear it no longer. 

We then decided it was better to book a first class coupe since you are allowed to take your dog with you. It is much more expensive, but he loved it and so did we. 

Traveling In A First Class Coupe

When you book your dog in a first class coupe, you still need to go to the luggage office and weigh him and get a ticket for him. They allow you to take a dog in a first class compartment with you, only if you book a coupe or all four tickets in the compartment with four travelers. Basically, there should be no other travelers with you. 

Comet loved traveling this way. He would perch himself up on the table and look out through the window for hours, then he would curl up in bed with us when he was tired. When he wanted to eat or drink, he would get down and go to his bowl. He was at home and relaxed. When a stop came, we took him out on his leash. He walked around, eased himself and we came back in. There was no need to run around. 

I highly recommend traveling by the first A.C.

The first A.C.compartment               

                                                      Inside the first A.C. compartment

3. Traveling In A Plane

Once, we decided to fly with him. We wanted to see if that was better since it was faster. We were asked to sedate him and we had to produce his vaccination records and a health certificate signed by his vet. Also, we had to buy our own cage for him. Then, we booked him in as luggage. At the airport, he stayed in the cage. The only consolation was that he was with us. Half an hour before the flight took off, we had to hand him over. He went in as luggage. I never heard him cry at all. He was probably very upset. 

When we reached our destination, he came out as luggage on the conveyor belt. I did not like putting him in a cage and leaving him in the luggage part of the plane. I kept harassing the pilot to check if he was okay before we took off and if there was an oxygen supply there. He was the only pet traveling on that flight. 

It was a bad experience for us all. So, we never took him on a plane again.

Image from Pixabay

Other Short Trips We Made

Initially, we would take him with us everywhere, when we went to the beach, or when we went shopping or visiting. Slowly, we realized that it was better to leave him back home, even if he was lonely and we missed him. He would get very agitated on these trips. He would get tired, thirsty and restless.

Some Tips

• Visit a vet before you travel and ask him if your dog is fit for travel. Also, ask the vet if he will be able to manage at the place you are going to. Some dogs are over sensitive to heat or cold and will have a hard time adjusting to the climate of the place. He might become ill. That won't be much of a vacation for him or you.
• If you intend to travel in a plane, it would be a good idea to buy the cage about a month in advance, place his favorite toys in it and let him get used to the idea of using it. Don't force him. Just coax him to spend time in it by showing him that it's a nice thing. Give him treats for using the cage. 
• Get a name tag made, with your dog's name on it, your name, address, and phone number. Make sure your dog is wearing the name tag on the day of your travel, (With his name, owner's name and address and phone numbers) just in case he gets lost.
• Take his own bowls. Travel itself will make him anxious. At least he can have the bowls he's used to. 
• Carry fresh drinking water and food. You may not find these for hours during your travel. Dogs get thirsty fast.
• Take some of his favorite treats along. It will help him relax.
• Carry some old clothes that have the familiar smell of home and his family members.
• Take a favorite toy along.
• Keep small towels and tissue handy.

1. If you plan to take your dog by car

•  Keep a lot of towels, tissue, fresh drinking water, and some food (although he may not feel like eating) handy. 
• Make frequent stops.

2. If you plan to take your dog in a train

• Go to the station many hours in advance. 
• Carry a big lock and key.
• If you are using the guard's van, check the cage carefully. Sometimes, they are damaged. The dog might be able to come out of a broken cage and run onto some platform and be lost. The guard is not always around to watch. 

You also need to bear in mind that the Rajdhani and all other super fast trains don't take dogs. 

3. If you plan to travel in a plane

• Buy a comfortable cage
• Carry all his  medical records with you. The vaccinations should be up- to -date.
• Don't forget to give him a mild sedation.
• Ask the pilot to check if he is okay before you take off and ask him to ensure that there is an oxygen supply in the luggage compartment below.

Read more about dogs at:
https://hubpages.com/animals/morefromadog

Indian Railway Rules for Travelling With Your Dog

Travelling With Your Dog
Travelling with your dog is not easy. It needs a great deal of planning.

Here are some ideas:
https://hubpages.com/animals/The-Way-To-Give-Your-Pet-A-Treat

Are You Allowed To Take your Dog in a Train?

A passenger can take a dog with him if he books a two or four berth compartment in the first A.C. carriage of the train. No other passengers should be travelling with him in that compartment. If, however, there are fellow passengers, they should not object to the presence of the dog. If there is any objection, the dog will be removed to the brake van during the journey and the passenger will not get a refund for the amount he paid when the dog was booked in the A.C. compartment.

In all other compartments, dogs are not allowed to be with the passengers. However, a dog can be booked as luggage in the brake van, depending on the train. All trains do not carry pets in the guard vans. The super-fast trains do not carry dogs.

The Initial Procedure

• If you want to travel with your dog in a train, you need to reach the station well ahead of time, especially if you are booking the dog in the guard's van. If another dog has been booked before yours, you will not be able to take your dog in the train.
• Dogs have to be taken to the parcel office, weighed, and a fee paid. The passenger will then obtain a receipt which has to be shown to the Ticket Collector. This booking slip should be kept safely and produced at the time when you need to collect your dog from the guard's van at the end of your journey.

When travelling in the guard's van, a dog weighing up to 30 kg is allowed. In the first A.C. compartment, a dog weighing 60 kg is allowed. 

A woman travelling alone, with children who are less than twelve years of age, can take the dog with her in the first A.C. compartment by paying the charges for the dog's travel in the guard's van. If another lady passenger joins her later, the dog can only stay there with her consent. If the lady objects to the dog's presence, the dog is moved to the guard's van.

Charges

Dogs are charged just like luggage. The minimum fee is Rs. 10 per dog. So, if your dog weighs about 10 kg, you will have to pay about Rs 100. 

Dogs travelling in the guards van are charged less than those travelling in the first A.C. compartments of the train, except in the case of a 'seeing-eye' dog who is accompanying his blind master in a first class carriage. In that case, the dog is charged as per the rates of the guard's van. Dogs that are found without a booking slip, will be charged six times the amount.

Picture courtesy: www.freeimages.com 

When The Train Arrives

• Your dog will have to be placed in the built-in coop in the guard's van at the end of the train. They allow two dogs in it at one given time, but both dogs should belong to the same owner.  There is usually one such coop in a train, placed in the guard's van at the back. Some long distance trains may have a second guard's van in the front of the train, with another coop there.
• Your dog must have a collar and chain. It is safer to tie the dog inside the coop.

During The Journey

.

• You have to make your own arrangements for your dog's food and water. So, you will have to go to the guard's van several times during your journey to feed your dog. 
• You will need to find out when the train will make a long halt so that you can take your dog out to ease himself.

The Pros of Taking Your Dog In A Train

• Travelling with your dog in a train is definitely cheaper than flying with him.
• If your dog is travelling in a first class compartment with you, he will be very comfortable. 

The Cons of Taking Your Dog In A Train

Based on my own personal experiences, I do not recommend taking your dog in the guard's van. 

• The cages in the guard's van are dirty, cramped up and claustrophobic. I have heard stories of dogs that have managed to escape from broken cages when the train has halted at a station, and disappeared. 

           Some dogs have not made it to the end of the journey due to the excessive heat or cold.

• Visiting your dog in the guard's van several times during the journey to feed him or walk him  is not a feasible option.

          My own dog used to be so upset when he was put in the cage that he never ate or drank while he was there, he would be very upset and cry the whole time. To add to that, the guard would complain about him and indirectly demand money because he had to put up with a cranky dog that had been separated from his family and was in a strange, scary place that was all dark, smelly, cramped up, and made loud, terrible sound as it moved along. 

Travelling with your dog by train by the Indian Railways is a cumbersome process.

Read my personal experiences here:
https://canine-thoughts.blogspot.com/2018/08/introduction-well-my-little-one-is-now.html

References:
https://www.dogspot.in/travel-your-dog-indian-railways/
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/gurgaon/Travelling-with-pets-in-train-cheap-but-complicated/articleshow/19748554.cms

How To Give Your Stubborn Dog His Medication

How Some People Give Their Dogs Medication
I marvel at the way some people can give their dogs medication so easily. they just call the dog, push the tablet into his mouth, close the dog's mouth and wait for him to swallow it. After that, the dog is rewarded with a treat.

How I Struggle

Things are not that easy for me. I have a dog who is fussy and temperamental. He has a temper. He's stubborn. 

Giving him his medication is a herculean task. He needs to be cheated into taking his medication. No amount of coaxing can ever help.

Finding Out About The Prescribed Medication

When your dog has been prescribed medication, the first thing to do is to ask the vet if it can be taken with food. Also, find out if there is any food that needs to be avoided while he's on that medication. I know that my dog was on Doxycycline several times and we were asked to avoid milk and other dairy products within a few hours of giving the tablet. Another thing to ask the vet is whether the pill can be crushed or not.

Ways In Which You Can Give Your Dog His Medication

• I have crushed his pills and mixed them with chicken. He loves chicken but he would get the smell of the tablet and then refuse to eat. I then discovered that he took the pills only if they were mixed with fried chicken. The chicken had to be tasty. 
• He also loves butter. If I wrapped the crushed pills in a piece of fresh bread smeared with butter, he would take it willingly. Of course, it had to be fresh bread and only Amul butter. 
• Another thing that worked for me was cow's liver. My dog loves cow's liver but will only eat it if it's cooked the way he likes it. It has to be almost raw. If it's cooked extra, he will turn away from it. 
• People say that wrapping the pills in cheese works wonders. You could try that. It never worked for me. 
• You could also try wrapping the pills in a treat. This never worked for me either, as my dog does not believe in dog treats. A treat for him would mean being able to eat what we are eating. 
• Salami and ham are known to work wonders at disguising the taste of medicines. 
• I was advised by the vet to try giving him his medication in a piece of sweet like gulab jamun. I have never tried that. 

My Own Ingenious Plan

There was no way I could ever give my dog the pill, wrapped in his favourite foodstuff, easily. He had to be cheated into eating it. The first few bites would be without the pill. Then, when he began to enjoy it, I would suddenly slip the piece with the pill into his mouth. He would swallow it without thinking. After that, I would continue giving him his favourite foodstuff without the pill. This would work only until he learned how I was cheating him into taking his medication. Then the fussing would become worse and I would need to figure out a new way to cheat him into taking his medication.

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It's Hard But Possible!

Giving your dog medication is by no means an easy task for most people. You will have to try all kinds of things to see what works best for you. If your dog is as stubborn as mine is, things will be much worse and you will have to struggle more to come up with an ingenious plan.