If you are the owner of a beloved four-legged friend, then you know their well-being are of the utmost importance.
Unfortunately, there are times when your dog may not seem interested in the food or flavorful medication you put in its bowl.
If you have noticed your dog won’t eat Interceptor Plus, you are probably wondering why.
The answer can help you know why and seek a solution to have things done easily. This post is worth reading.
From there, you will know how to incentivize the pet to chew this heartworm medication.
Dog Won’t Eat Interceptor Plus: Why?
Why your dog won’t eat Interceptor?
If the furry friend is heavily impacted by their past fears and encountering adverse reactions relating to Interceptor Plus or something lookalike, he may form a negative association between taking this chewable tablet and experiencing stress.
As such, seeing a medication forms extreme anxiety in dogs. The dog won’t eat heartworm pill as it warns them that difficult times are ahead, which is undesirable.
Giving your dog medication may be unpleasant for you, but it’s even more so for them.
You- the dog’s owner – is forcing them to eat medication they despise.
You keep attempting to slip it into their meal, but your dog keeps spitting it out. Your dog may sense your growing anger and feel dreadful for you.
Lucky you! While the sight of pills causes your dog distress, you may train them to become desensitized to this sight and make pill time more pleasant for both of you.
How Do I Get My Dog To Eat Interceptor Plus?
What do you do if your dog won’t eat heartworm medicine? Here are 5 measures to help the dog.
Use A Pill Pusher (Pill Gun Or Pill Popper)
Maintaining your dog’s health requires using oral medications like Interceptor Plus. Still, the pet is unwilling to swallow it as he is unaware of their role.
So how do I get my dog to eat heartworm pills? Make use of a pill pusher or pill popper.
This simple method does the trick for tiny dogs and is commonly accessible from vets.
A pill pusher helps the pet parents to deliver the tablet or capsule of medication down the pet’s throat without risking injuring the fingers.
Put the tablet to the back of the dog’s throat, wherein it is more likely to be swallowed than spit back out.
Afterward, close its mouth to encourage the pet to swallow the pill utterly. You should let it be home free before the next dose (if required).
The “Bait And Switch” Method
Most vets turn to this method quickly after trying other therapies in vain. This way halts a dog from spitting the tablets out effectively.
To simplify the process, stick to these steps:
- Insert the pill into a snack or meal.
- Washing your hands. It’s easy for the pharmaceutical scent on your hands to ruin the overall process. A dog possesses a 10,000-time better sense of smell than you.
- Obtain 2 extra treats that are the same as the ones you used to conceal the medicine. For instance, let’s say you use hot dog pieces. Approach your canine holding three hot dogs and smiling with him.
- Give the first dose without any tablets.
- Feed him the tablet-containing treat on the second go.
- Give the third portion out (with no medicines).
Use Trick And Treat
You must put the medicines inside the goodies, such as lamb dog food (especially dogs with allergies), when the dog is preoccupied with another thing. Keep the pill bottle out of your pet’s sight.
There are a few ways to follow:
- Let the pet perform a trick or two, for which he often earns a treat. But this time, that treat contains the pill inside (somewhat lookalike the above method).
- The dog must devour the treat rapidly without first chewing it.
Some medications, including metronidazole and tramadol, have such a bitter aftertaste that if the dog bites on the tablets, they might even start to foam in their mouth. - You may stop this by throwing the treats to them and having him catch them.
Build up eagerness for the upcoming rewards by using a friendly, enticing voice when talking to the pet so that he will grasp them gladly and seek more.
“JAWS” Method
This technique helps the dog get the complete dose better, yet you must make some attempts.
Your palm should be on top of its snout, and your first two fingers and thumb should be on either side of both the canine teeth, which are the massive fang teeth just on the upper jaw.
Similar movements should be made on the lower jaw beneath the canines.
Your fingertips should be secure before you pull its jaws wide. As dogs have sharp teeth, take care.
When the mouth expands to a width of 2-3 inches, swiftly slide the tablet down the throat with your dominant hand until it sits at its tongue’s base (back).
When you pull back your hand, the animal begins to swallow. There and then, your task is accomplished.
Does Interceptor Plus Need To Be Given With Food?
Giving it with or without food is OK. Behaviorists advise keeping a reward for your pet when giving Interceptor Plus as a positive reinforcement training.
To acquire the treat, your animal should concentrate on it and start eating everything in their dish.
Additionally, some pet owners bury medicines in foods that their animals adore, like peanut butter, eggs and bacon.
Yogurt and peanut butter, both denser solids, assist in hiding the tablet. The dog can’t separate the pill from the reward if any peanut butter is involved.
To best serve, the chewable may be split apart. If your dog took a chew but did not finish it, you can try again with a different one.
How Long Does Interceptor Plus Stay In Dog’s System?
The heartworm preventatives’ active components stay in the animal’s bloodstream for around 24 hours.
This tablet eliminates all juvenile heartworms, truly hindering worms from infecting your dog and damaging his body. You should give it to your dog every month.
Heartworms do not enter the bloodstream of your dog by themselves. Most frequently, mosquitoes transmit them as larvae.
Your dog may continue to contract larvae throughout the next month. Granted, Interceptor Plus will kill those larvae before they can develop, ultimately ending the entire life cycle of heartworms.
What Not To Do With A Dog Who Hates Interceptor Plus?
Pet owners had better be composed and upbeat around their canines.
Maintaining a good attitude during the monthly dosing is an excellent strategy to lessen your pet’s fear of the medication.
Dogs are extremely perceptive creatures; they can sense your feelings and actions.
Becoming upset and yelling at them because they won’t take the medication just makes your dog frightened and withdrawn.
They start to link taking their monthly prescription with fret. They could even begin to react to this habit aggressively accordingly.
Physical punishment is also ineffective and unacceptable. Such punishment pushes the pet to be hostile and fearful.
Should You Comfort A Dog That Hates Interceptor Plus?
Absolutely! It’s a handy tactic, notably when that drug triggers anxiety and tension in your pet.
Make an effort to soothe your dog as pleasantly as possible by forcing her to take that medication.
The animal would feel relief with their favorite snacks or toys surrounding them. As such, it engages in activities, is occupied with its joyful stuff, and ignores the medications’ discomfort.
Can Interceptor Plus Be Cut In Half?
Yes. But it’s up to the dog’s preferences and conditions. As a chewable, Interceptor Plus can be broken and crushed into pieces to feed the animal effectively.
At all costs, ensuring a sufficient dose for the pet is a must. Encourage it to chew rather than to normally swallow without chewing.
Try to adjust the pills’ sizes to fit the dog’s mouth. In some cases, your pet could cope with a whole tablet without crushing.
What Best Alternatives To Interceptor Plus That Dogs Do Not Hate?
If no ways are acceptable, no matter how hard you try with the Interceptor Plus, go for other preventatives.
ProHeart 6 is an injection providing great heartworm prevention. This injection could save you the trouble of pleading with them to do it!
Tri-Heart Plus is another chewable tablet that is well-received by animals. Plus, it’s budget-friendly!
Still, it consists of ivermectin. Talk to the vet when the pet gets a sensitivity to this component.
What’s more, Advantage Multi and Heartgard Plus may do wonders with the pet. Anyway, consult the vet before applying any dose.
Final Thoughts
Interceptor Plus is specially formulated to help protect your pup from heartworms, roundworms, hookworms, and whipworms. It is meant for all dogs, regardless of their size, age, or activity level.
Still, have you ever had a picky pet and your dog won’t eat Interceptor Plus? It can be a frustrating experience, notably if you’ve already tried various brands in vain.
Worry not. We’ve offered some solutions and substitutes for Interceptor Plus.
Go for the best care with routine testing and high-end medications for dogs!
It sounds great to forward this excellent read to other pet owners, too.
