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Dogs on medication
Do you take dogs on medication for board and train?
Medication questions come in three kinds: the daily pill for a lasting condition, the behavior medication your vet prescribed, and the dose given only before a known trigger. Each raises a different question for a training stay, and this page takes them in turn.
Three kinds
Each kind of medicine raises a different question for a training stay
A daily medicine for a lasting condition, such as a thyroid tablet or a joint medicine, mostly raises questions of timing: before or after food, at fixed hours, and how it fits around training blocks and meals. A behavior medication taken every day raises questions about where your dog is in its treatment and what your vet is watching for. A situational medicine, given only before a trigger such as travel or a vet visit, raises the sharpest question of all: whether and when it should be given during a stay.
The table sets out the common kinds, the question each raises and what to bring. It is a guide to the conversation rather than a list of what Dogtown can or cannot give, because that is decided at the consult for your dog. Add everything else your dog receives, including supplements, ear or eye drops and any preventive that falls due during the stay, because only a complete list is a safe one.
| Kind of medicine | Question it raises in a stay | What to bring |
|---|---|---|
| Daily medicine for a lasting condition | Timing around meals and training | Labeled containers and the vet's instructions |
| Daily behavior medication | Stage of treatment and side effects to watch | The prescriber's plan and the start date |
| Situational medicine before triggers | Whether, when and by whom it is given | Your vet's written instructions for its use |
| Drops, creams or injections | Storage, and how your dog tolerates handling | Supplies, storage needs and how you do it at home |
| Flea, tick or heartworm preventive | A dose falling due mid-stay | The product and the due date |
Behavior medications
Behavior medications follow your vet's plan, and the stay is timed around it
Some behavior medications are given daily and, as our page on medication and behavior explains, can take weeks to reach full effect, so a stay booked during that window meets a dog in transition. Others are situational. VCA's veterinary guide to trazodone, one commonly prescribed example, says it is used in dogs for anxiety- and phobia-related problems, including travel, vet visits and hospital stays, and that a short-term dose takes effect in about one to two hours and should stop working within 24 hours.
VCA lists sedation and lethargy among trazodone's possible side effects, along with vomiting, unsteadiness and, in some dogs, increased anxiety, and warns about serotonin syndrome when it is combined with other drugs that act on serotonin. Two practical points follow for a stay. A drowsy dog is not a dog to push through a hard skill, so dose times matter to the training plan. And no situational dose should be given for the stay itself unless your vet has said so in writing.
- When a daily behavior medication was started or last changed
- What your vet has asked you to watch for
- Exactly when a situational dose may be given, in writing
- Every supplement, so your vet can check for interactions
The written sheet
The written sheet lists each medicine, copied from its label, with how your dog takes it
Copy each line from the pharmacy label rather than from memory: the name and strength, the dose, the times, with or without food, and how it is stored. Then add the part a label never says, which is how your dog actually takes it. VCA's advice on giving pills is to hide them in a special treat, such as canned food, a soft treat or a pill pocket, to offer them when the dog is hungry and to reward straight afterward. Write down which of those works for your dog.
That last line matters in a training stay, because a pill hidden in a soft treat is also a treat, and it counts toward the day's food. If your dog refuses pills, say so, and ask your vet whether a flavored liquid or another form is possible; VCA notes that some medicines can be compounded. Hand the sheet to the front desk at drop-off with the medicines in their original containers, and keep a photo of it on your phone.
- 01
Copy the name, strength and dose from each pharmacy label
- 02
Add the times, and whether each is given with or without food
- 03
Note storage: room temperature or the fridge
- 04
Write how your dog takes it: pill pocket, soft treat or by hand
- 05
Add what your vet says to do if a dose is refused or vomited
- 06
List your vet, its after-hours number and a backup contact
Complex routines
If the routine is complex, a program that keeps your dog home may suit it better
Some medical routines fit a training day easily. Others, such as several medicines at fixed hours, a condition your vet wants watched closely, or a new behavior medication still being adjusted, may sit better with training that keeps your dog sleeping at home. Canine Campus runs 2, 4 or 6 weeks of day training with pick-up and drop-off, Dogtown Academy days cost $89 for a full day or $69 for a half, and private sessions start from $94.
Plan for the bad day as well. Put your vet's after-hours number on the sheet, and know the local options: Gloucester publishes a list of emergency veterinary offices, and Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital in Woburn is open 24 hours. If a prescription changes during the stay, send the updated label or the vet's note to the front desk through the Dogtown app or to info@dogtowndaycare.com, then call 978 491-5922 so the change is not missed.
- Several medicines at fixed hours: ask about day training
- A new behavior medication still being adjusted: let it settle first
- A prescription change mid-stay: send it in writing, then call
- An emergency: your vet, or the 24-hour hospital in Woburn
At Dogtown
Programs that fit around medicine
Board and train combines Dogtown's training with overnight stays, while day programs keep a dog on medication sleeping at home.
Asked and answered
Questions people ask about this
Short, complete answers you can act on today. More in the full FAQ.
Can you give my dog a pill hidden in food?
My dog takes trazodone before stressful events. Should I give it before drop-off?
Will medication affect my dog's training?
Do supplements and preventives count?
What if my dog's prescription changes during the stay?
More questions? Read the full FAQ
Sources
- VCA Animal Hospitals: trazodone
- VCA Animal Hospitals: giving pills to dogs
- City of Gloucester: local emergency veterinary offices
- Massachusetts Veterinary Referral Hospital
Rules and dates change. We re-check every beach, licensing and ordinance page each spring and fall; the source above is the current word.
Keep reading
Next step
Bring the full medication list
Send the training form and list every medicine. We confirm how it would be handled at the consult, before any dates are set.
- 01Free evaluationWeekdays 6:30 – 9:30 AM
- 02Book a dayOnline, in the app or by phone
- 03Play, rest, repeatReport card at pick-up
