Not many people know this.
I used to really hate having to give my pets medication. I would tense up at the mere thought of it, even just holding the medication would make my heart sink ever so slightly as my mind turned to having to administer it.
Truth be known, I really was pretty rubbish when I had to give them tablets (yes, even though I was a pet healer, a calm person and really ‘good’ with animals). It used to really stress me out. If you’ve ever tried to hold a squirmy cat in a towel and then administer meds you’ll know exactly what I mean. I didn’t even like clipping their nails (actually I still don’t and so I get someone else to do it for me now).
I know they felt my tension and that just made things worse as they got stressed too. I actually had quite a reputaion at home and my partner was the one to ‘do all that’ – he found it easier to do it himself than have me pussy foot around nervously (and ineffectively). He was right too, my stress wasn’t helping any of us.
Even the pet ducks were wise to me. I swear they used to laugh if I was the one to have to catch them (which we have to do very rarely) and they really gave me the run around. (Have you ever heard a duck laugh? They REALLY do laugh – I must record it sometime).
The turnaround.
While I can’t say that I’m a complete ninja pet medicator today, I am a lot less stressed about it.
How? I worked on my mindset about it, on my dislike of doing it. I let go of that tension using techniques such as EFT* and meditation. By cultivating a sense of inner calm beforehand it made the world of difference. I also consciously built my confidence around giving medication to my pets and I kept imagining myself as being better at it.
As I relaxed about it, so did my pets. They picked up on my energy, so as I changed the signals I sent out they, in turn, became more relaxed and less stressed when they had to have medication.
Try this.
I have made a quick tapping video, to help you if you get stresed out when YOU have to medicate your pet. Follow along, it takes less than 4 minutes to watch, and see if you feel more confident afterwards. To watch it, simply click here or on the image below.
If you have a particularly nervous pet (that is easily traumatised by having to take medication) you can do tapping to soothe them too (see my free video series for more details about how to do this for both them and you).
Practical tips.
Of course, there are some practical ways to make the process go smoother.
- Tablets can often be hidden in tasty treats. This is best for occasional use. For best results give some of the unadulterated treat first, then some with the medication afterwards. (Check with your vet if it’s suitable to mix the meds with food)
- For liquids a plastic syringe can be used to ensure the liquid gets in the mouth. Be sure to squeeze it gently and not too fast, so there is no risk of the animal choking.
- Some tablets can be crushed and added to food (again check suitability with your vet, as some tablets have slow release coatings or can have a bitter taste).
- Pill syringes are another option to help administer tablets orally.
- If you still struggle, ask your vet for advice or even enlist the help of family members to gently but firmly hold and re-assure your pet … and be sure to try the tapping.
You are welcome to share this post with your friends and I would love to hear about how you got on with the tapping or indeed, how you handle medicating your pets. Just leave your comment below.
Thank you for reading,
Ferris.
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