Can a pet sitter give my dog medication?

Yes. Professional pet sitters are trained to give medications. And that includes all the typical types of medications including pills, liquids, insulin injections, eye drops, topical treatments, and even subcutaneous fluids. It’s a typical part of the service, and not a special request.

This question usually comes from a place of worry, and it’s an entirely understandable one. You might have a dog who needs antibiotics twice a day, or a senior pup with a heart condition. It feels like a big risk leaving your sick dog in someone else’s hands.

So naturally, the worries start to pile up. Will they forget? Give the wrong dose? What if your dog refuses to take it because the sitter didn’t do the “peanut butter trick” that you’ve learned is the only way to get pills taken?

Completely understandable, legitimate concerns. You don’t want to wing it with meds, after all. Dogs on insulin can't skip a dose. Pills that need to be given with food won't work if they're just tossed in an empty bowl. And some dogs are professional pill-spitters who can eat an entire cheese cube and somehow leave the pill sitting on the floor.

A really good pet sitter will handle this by asking important questions upfront. They’re going to want to know the names of the medications, as well as their dosages and when they need to be given. They’ll want to know if meds go with food or an empty stomach, and they’ll ask you what to do if the dog just won’t cooperate.

And when they’re there watching your dog, they’ll give you peace of mind by confirming they've successfully given the medication, often with a photo or text update. And if something seems off—your dog is lethargic, won't eat, or shows any sign of a reaction—they contact you immediately and follow your backup plan.

The difference between hoping it gets done and knowing it gets done comes down to whether the sitter treats medication administration as part of the routine or as a favor they're willing to try. Professional sitters document what was given and when, the same way a vet tech would. They know how to give a pill to a reluctant dog without stressing them out. And they recognize the signs that something isn't right so they can escalate quickly if needed.

Leaving a dog who needs medication shouldn't mean canceling your trip or begging a neighbor to stop by twice a day and figure it out. And this is true whether that involves pills, injections, eye drops, or something else. Woofie's sitters are trained to handle medications as part of their standard pet sitting service.