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I bought Nuvet vitamins for my dog, but she won't eat them. She is a Yorkie, about 4 months old. She has had her first round of boosters, almost due for the second.

I have tried:

  • Putting it in her bowl - Ignored.
  • Putting it on my hand - Ignored.
  • Mixing it with Nutrical - Ignored.
  • Mixing it with Peanut Butter - She eats it, but very slowly..and it's very messy and she misses a lot of it.
  • Can't force it down, because it's too big, and she's too small. I don't want to hurt her.

Is there a way I can get her to eat the entire vitamin?

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    Are the vitamins the correct dose for a the size, weight and age of your dog?
    – James Jenkins
    Commented Oct 11, 2014 at 15:33
  • Related question: pets.stackexchange.com/q/6543/2459
    – CodeGnome
    Commented Oct 12, 2014 at 15:00
  • I had same problem, I think they changed formula. I crush up vitamin and add on a slice of prosciutto and roll up and squeeze tight. Cut in pieces
    – Sandra Berman
    Commented Mar 17, 2023 at 13:34

1 Answer 1

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The Problem

Can't force it down, because it's too big, and she's too small.

This is the key. It sounds like the vitamins are simply too big, and your dog finds chewing them to be unpalatable. You don't say whether or not they're chewables, but even if they are some dogs simply don't like the taste or texture of certain items.

Some Solutions

You have three basic options:

  1. Get a different brand, preferably in a smaller size and in a flavor your dog likes better.
  2. Use a pill crusher, and mix the crushed pill in with something strong enough to overcome the gritty texture and unpalatable flavor of the vitamin. I've had good success with canned green tripe, but your mileage may vary.
  3. Use a pill splitter and some small Pill Pockets to give her pill portions that she can swallow whole. If you don't want to use commercial pill pockets, wrapping a split pill in cheese or meat might work, too, but the pieces have to be small enough to avoid chewing and releasing the taste of the pill.

As an alternative to vitamins, you might also consider a palatable nutritional supplement like Wysong Add-Life. I've certainly met dogs that don't like the powdered texture of the Add-Life, but most have found it delicious, especially when mixed with a little water or chicken broth. Your mileage may vary, of course.

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  • As written this answer is problematic as it does not address dosage. vitamin toxicity which can cause serious and fatal outcomes
    – James Jenkins
    Commented Oct 12, 2014 at 9:34
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    @JamesJenkins You're assuming information not in evidence. The OP's question isn't about dosage; it's about about delivery. You've already asked for clarification about dosage in your comments to the OP, which is a reasonable question, but if the site is going to allow non-canonical questions, I don't see how you can reasonably expect exhaustive answers that cover every conceivable circumstance beyond the scope of the original question. This strays into "This coffee may be hot!" territory.
    – CodeGnome
    Commented Oct 12, 2014 at 14:48
  • If a pill is physical to large for a small dog to comfortably swallow it is safe to assume that the dosage is not appropriate for a small dog. Your point 2 ignores dosage completely, it seems to imply that all dogs can have the same dosage of vitamin, if they are 4 pounds or 150 pounds.
    – James Jenkins
    Commented Oct 12, 2014 at 20:41
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    @JamesJenkins Please cite a reference showing a direct and invariable correlation between the size of a pill and correct dosage. I'm sure this will be welcome news to the veterinary and pharmaceutical industries, and I can also let my grandmother know that she can immediately stop using pill splitters to make her own medications easier to swallow. I'm sure she'll appreciate your canonical references on the subject, as will my own dogs who are often prescribed dosages like "one and a quarter pills" or off-label human medications that aren't sized for specific dog breeds.
    – CodeGnome
    Commented Oct 12, 2014 at 22:12

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