Tips to get your pet to take its medication

With a keen sense of smell, dogs and cats will quickly notice when something is different about their food - say a bit of medicine. Photo: dpa

Your dog or cat may be the smartest in the world, but good luck trying to convince your pet that swallowing a nasty-tasting pill will make it better.

One time-tested trick is to simply hide the medication in the pet’s favourite food or a specially prepared treat. This works nearly every time for dogs, who tend to be voracious eaters and swallow their food in large pieces. A tasty bit of pate is a surefire delivery method.