Hello. Our puggle Zoey was diagnosed this past weekend with acute IVDD, likely from a jump gone wrong. Our vet has given us a great deal of hope that she will recover with support from us. Our vet loaded us up with medication to help with her pain and start the healing process with strict kennel rest. At first, she was taking the pills in pill pockets, but she must have finally tasted the medication in them so I switched to turkey breast and that only lasted two does. Now she absolutely refuses to take the medication, locks her jaws, and makes a huge fuss about the whole situation. I am having to hold her still while my husband opens her mouth and put the pills down her throat. I am worried that we are causing more pressure on her back from having to hold her still to get the medication down. She has not eaten since Monday morning, aside from a few milk bones (also concerned about this but understand that with the pain and medication she could just not have an appetite but she is drinking from her water when offered), so we can't even slip it into her food. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to help her ease the process of taking the medications?
P.S. - We ordered a pill popper on Tuesday evening but it will not be here until Friday.
Newly diagnosed IVDD
Re: Newly diagnosed IVDD
My dog was the same way about Milk Bones. Thank goodness for Milk Bones. 
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=12492&p=64874#p64874
My favorite way to give pills is cheese. I buy a little pack of 8 American cheese slices, tear off a corner of the slice and wrap it around the pill and squeeze it so it kind of molds itself into a little cheese ball. Probably better to do one pill per cheese ball. May work to give a couple of cheese balls with no pill in the center, then give the cheese balls with pills.
You might also try wafered ham from the lunch meat section, like Budig. Not a lot, you don't want her getting an upset stomach, but just enough to hide the pill.
If you are having one person hold the dog and the other person open the mouth, I would think the dog is less likely to strain herself if she is held in the air (support her back) where she can't try to push off of anything, rather than sitting on the floor or kitchen counter. Hopefully you won't strain her back. I'd be more worried if it was a neck problem.
If she continues to resist, you might ask the vet about Valium (diazepam). It really helps when a dog is high strung.
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=12492&p=64874#p64874
My favorite way to give pills is cheese. I buy a little pack of 8 American cheese slices, tear off a corner of the slice and wrap it around the pill and squeeze it so it kind of molds itself into a little cheese ball. Probably better to do one pill per cheese ball. May work to give a couple of cheese balls with no pill in the center, then give the cheese balls with pills.
You might also try wafered ham from the lunch meat section, like Budig. Not a lot, you don't want her getting an upset stomach, but just enough to hide the pill.
If you are having one person hold the dog and the other person open the mouth, I would think the dog is less likely to strain herself if she is held in the air (support her back) where she can't try to push off of anything, rather than sitting on the floor or kitchen counter. Hopefully you won't strain her back. I'd be more worried if it was a neck problem.
If she continues to resist, you might ask the vet about Valium (diazepam). It really helps when a dog is high strung.
Re: Newly diagnosed IVDD
Hmm. I wonder if a dab of canned cat food or meat baby food would work? Cheese? Peanut butter? I've found butter or margarine to make it worse--easier to spit pills out. If all else fails you can get the pills compounded to a liquid, or do it yourself. With small pills I've put them in the barrel of the syringe with a bit of liquid, then wait. You can also get a heavy mortar and pestle and easily crush them as long as they're not time released or anything.