It sounds like your biggest challenge is getting Yoda to hold still.  What sometimes works for me when doing something unpleasant to the dog is to do it when he's been sleeping.  And the trick of blowing on his nose to get him to swallow is a good one, or rubbing the cream cheese or whatever ends up on your fingers on his nose while holding his head up, assuming he's quit thrashing around.

Cemil is pretty good about taking pills, and I always sit and explain to him that even though it might taste bad, it's for his good.  But one of my other dogs, who has been great at taking pills her whole life, has now decided she's had enough and does all the clever things about hiding it in her mouth until I ease up, then spitting it out.  I haven't found a way to convince her that this is a good thing, so I understand your frustration.  And she's too old to thrash around.

Maybe try giving it a little break and just talking to Yoda to get him (and you) calmed down, like Jerry said.  It is frustrating when their stubbornness wins.  Wish I could offer more.

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

Have you tried Pill Pockets from Persmart  We all try food so this may trick him!  (They may have them other places, too.)  Yesterday I tried for 45 minutes to get Emily to take her pills so I feel your pain!

I've had this problem with Mac ever since the amputation.  Good lord is it frustrating!  When he was eating better, hiding the pills in food worked sometimes but the particular food would have to be switched out every couple days.  The longest running food was warm chicken skin and fatty pieces with the pill stuck inside.  The slimier it was the better since it would slide down his throat and he would rarely try to chew it--the chewier the food the worse because there's a higher chance he'll bite down on a pill and discover it.  For a few days sticking a pill in soft white bread, pinching it around, and dipping it in sauce (like gravy, bean juice, meat drippings, etc) would work.  One day chevre (creamy goat cheese) worked. 

Since Mac has stopped eating pretty much I have had to stick the pills down his throat manually.  For a while I would pry open his mouth and stick it as far back on his tongue as possible while my mom squirted water in his mouth with a syringe and I'd massage his throat and blow in his nose.  My hands were pretty sore from doing that twice a day.  Right now Mac takes over 10 pills at a time so I bought one of those pill dispensers and I wish I had gotten it sooner.  It really has worked, although we still have to squirt the water in to encourage him to swallow.  It only costs a couple of bucks --this is the one we got http://www.amaz.....  I'm glad that Yoda has been still eating though--that's encouraging. 

Good luck and I hope this helps.