Getting Yoda to take his pills is just becoming more and more of a struggle and I'm starting to worry I might end up hurting him in the process.  At the least, I'm sure I'm perpetuating his resistance, by not finding a stress-free way to get him to take them.

He's not eating full meals, so maybe he still feels naseaous from the problems caused by the Piroxicam he was on (but there hasn't been any more vomiting since he's been on Cerenia in addition to Pepcid), but he is eating.  And he likes the stuff I'm putting his pills in as long as there are no pills in them (though sometimes he's suspicious).  I don't get it because he had no problem with taking many of these same pills before – before his amputation.  He used to gulp them down whole if covered with peanut butter or wet food, but now he keeps licking and chewing until he can find the pill and spit it out.  So I'm worried his refusal isn't about his stomach upset, or isn't anymore.   I try opening his mouth to put it down his throat, and have to hold it closed, but he struggles and thrashes to the point that now I'm afraid he's going to get hurt.

Jake's Mom, I think it was, has suggested I ask the vets or vet techs for advice on how to get it down his throat, and I will try, but I don't know if I'll be able to get this info from them this weekend without paying for an emergency visit (which is a pretty big hardship for me right now) and this situation is getting out of hand fast.  Thus far, when I've mentioned Yoda is refusing his pills, his vet has advised covering the pill in food, which I have been doing, or just popping it down his throat (like it's that easy). 

So, please, any and all tips for taking pills are welcome here!  Even if you've posted them recently, and even if you've posted them to me before, this thread may come in handy to others later on.

I'm going to try searching the web for tips too, and will share what I find.

Hi Yoda's mom,

Sounds like Yoda's being a pistol when it comes to taking his pills.

Well I'm going to give you my two cents, and I hope you don't take this the wrong way. It comes out of concern for you and Yoda. 

When our dogs first get diagnosed with cancer, we realize that out time together is now limited. So we do everything we can to make the last weeks/months together happy ones for our dogs. In doing so, they sometimes start to get a bit spoiled, and they begin to take advantage of this.

Dogs are like kids, they are actually happier and feel more secure when they have boundaries and rules. The number one rule of being a dog owner, is that you are leader of the pack – not the dog. And because of that, you are responsible to show your dog what behavior is acceptable, and what is not. That way your dog knows what is expected of him. I sort of forgot this for awhile after Rocky's amputation, and he took full advantage of this. He would rip off his bandages, and get up on furniture he wasn't supposed to be on. And he didn't get in trouble, because I felt so sad and sorry for him, that I couldn't bring myself to stop him. Boy was I wrong! I might as well have been encouraging his behavior!

I know it's hard to discipline a dog who's time on this earth has been shortened because of this horrible disease, but if Yoda is acting in a way that he shouldn't be, you have to let him know who's boss. There should be no chasing him around the house, no thrashing around, and no spitting out pills.

Believe me, I've been there too. At one point I was giving Rocky 6 pills twice a day. And at first I would try hiding them in food, but of course he quickly learned to eat the food and spit out the pill. I would then try to put them directly in his mouth, but he would clamp this jaws together so tight, I was afraid I would hurt him trying to pry his mouth open. Then I thought, "wait a minute, why am I fighting with him to get him to take his pills? Who's the boss here?"

 I began to just throw his pills in his bowl of kibble and he would eat some of them, and spit out others. The ones he spit out, had to be put down his throat. Once he was done eating I told him to sit, gave him a good ear scratching and then proceed to open his mouth. If he clamped his jaws together, I scolded "ROCKY NO!" and eventually he would let me open his mouth. If he tried to spit out the pill, I scolded "ROCKY NO!" and put the pill right back in his mouth. He needed to know this was not acceptable behavior and I was not going to put up with it. After he swallowed the pill(s), I would reward with more ear scratchings and "good boys". Rocky is a dog who doesn't like to be scolded and quickly he learned that I was going to give him his pills whether he liked it or not. He also learned that the more pills he ate from his kibble, meant the less pills he had to have put down his throat. 

Obviously I don't know you or Yoda , but I just wonder if he's acting this way because you're letting him. Are you getting on to him when he misbehaves? Because that is what he is doing – misbehaving. Be alpha dog and take a no nonsense approach to this. You both will be happier.

Ok, so I'm done being an armchair animal behaviorist now. I really do wish you and Yoda the best .

Michelle