An Australian shepherd dog has left the internet in hysterics after refusing to eat a sandwich containing his medication but, instead, using it as a pillow.
The viral TikTok clip, shared by @apccvet, sees Bandit the dog receiving medical care. It has been viewed 2.7 million times and racked up more than 443,000 likes.
In the video, Bandit immediately sniffs the turkey sandwich before turning his head. In the next clip, the food is beneath his head while he relaxes; it is likely he could smell the pills before tasting the sandwich. The caption reads: “Bandit is everything I aspire to be.”
Matthew Wheaton is an experienced vet at the Alicia Pet Care Center (APCC) in Orange County, California, where Bandit was treated. He told Newsweek of three tips on how to administer medication without your pet knowing.
How to Give Pills to a Dog
Wheaton, who is chief of staff at APCC, with more than 25 years of experience in veterinary medicine, has shared three ways to help your sick dog:
- Hide the pill in a tantalizing treat that is sticky and malleable (peanut butter, cream cheese.)
- Act naturally (so, don’t show your dog the pill or let them watch you make the pill “meatball”.)
- If giving them pills manually, make sure to push the pill past the base of the tongue and immediately blow in the dog’s face to encourage the swallowing reflex.
Why Do Dogs Sniff Everything?
It is important to mask the medication as well as you can because dogs don’t mess around when it comes to using their sense of smell.
“Humans have only around five million scent receptors in our noses, but some breeds have more than 100 million,” according to the American Kennel Club.
The AKC added that dogs “can detect some smells in parts per trillion.” This means they don’t just smell one ingredient in foods. For example, when a chocolate chip cookie is present, they can smell the chocolate chips, flour and eggs, along with other ingredients.
And if that isn’t impressive enough, they can use their noses to detect the gender of another dog, along with its age and health status.
What Do the Comments Say?
More than 1,300 TikTokers have commented on the clip since January 12.
One comment, which has been liked 15,700 times, read: “My dog will eat the treat and spit out the pills.”
“You got played, good boi was angling to get them perfect bread pillows from the start AND THE OWNER WAS IN ON IT,” wrote another TikToker.
Many dog owners have shared their own tips, too, with one user posting: “I disguise it, pretend to drop it on the floor, and act like I want it back. Gets him every time.”
Another comment, which received more than 10,000 likes, read: “I’m so lucky. My boy would take radioactive isotopes if I put it in peanut butter.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
The post Dog Hilariously Uses Sandwiches As Pillow: ‘Everything I aspire to be’ appeared first on Newsweek.
