Pill Pockets

[Guest masa]

I found this and it really worked well for us. Swirl hates taking pills and wouldn't take them in anything else but pill pockets, and always managed to eat around what ever I had the pills in, if it wasn't in a pill pocket . At the vets the pill pockets are like 10 dollars for 30 of them and with her taking 3 to 5 pills a day it just was getting to much cost wise, so I went looking a little and found this.

 

http://malibupetcare...n-pill-pockets/

 

I had to differ a little, I only used half a packet of cream cheese and a small tube of braunschweiger, and added in some of the shredded wheat in cereal form. The store didn't have the liverwurst or normal shredded wheat

I really expected Swirl to turn her nose up at this, but she ate it, pill and all! I was shocked, and in the bag, if I make small balls I can probably make about 45 or more 'pill pockets'

Sorry for the kind of rambling post, but hopefully this can help someone out like it did Swirl and I.

Edited September 9, 2012 by masa

[mychip1]

Wow!!! I am always suprised but what they consider tasty!!!

[4My2Greys]

Thank you for sharing that. Bruiser has to take 11 pills twice a day and I'm sure that amount will be increasing. I've been wrapping his pills in cheese which has worked really good, but this may be even easier.

[ShebasMom]

That's a cool thing to try! I have a small hand so can just stick any pill down Sheba's throat, but that doesn't work for everyone, so this "pill pocket" idea sounds like a thing to try.

[Neighsayer]

There are several places online where you can get pill pockets for much less than that. You can also put more than one pill in a pocket.

Let us know if she continues to take these. Meeka would try anything once, but then go back to pill pockets. Hope that doesn't happen with your pup!

[Guest kess]

the pill pockets look good, I usually give medication to dogs in a bit of fritz, bread or cheese

[Remolacha]

I am going to try this, Fletcher takes a ton of pills. He likes the pill pockets just fine, but I had some trouble finding them recently at PetSmart, and the clerk told me there had been a "problem at the plant" and they had had to stop production for awhile. Rut Roh, sound familiar? She assured me everything was fine and they had started production again, but I like the idea of knowing what I am giving him, plus saving money is always good

[brandimom]

Greyt information and I am going to do the receipe. Right now I have been doing the pill pockets. Thank you very much for sharing!!!!!!!!!!!

[jshell]

I am going to try this, Fletcher takes a ton of pills. He likes the pill pockets just fine, but I had some trouble finding them recently at PetSmart, and the clerk told me there had been a "problem at the plant" and they had had to stop production for awhile. Rut Roh, sound familiar? She assured me everything was fine and they had started production again, but I like the idea of knowing what I am giving him, plus saving money is always good

 

I tried re-ordering some on Amazon and noticed that I couldn't get them via Amazon Prime. Amazon has a listing that's $5 per bag, but also $5 shipping per bag - so $15 shipping for 3 bags! This must be why they're scarce. Maybe I'll try making some.

[Laur]

Mini ravioli by chef boy ardee works great too...just make a micro incision, insert pill, and the pasta almost closes right over, the tomato sauce flavouring hides any pill taste.

[Guest greyhoundgirl1]

There are several places online where you can get pill pockets for much less than that. You can also put more than one pill in a pocket.

Let us know if she continues to take these. Meeka would try anything once, but then go back to pill pockets. Hope that doesn't happen with your pup!

Although I am going to try to make my own, I would appreciate you posting the sites that have Pill pockets cheaper. Thanks.

[kronckew]

millie eats around pills too, even the meat flavoured ones. i use the little mini-cocktail sausages as after-walkies treats. (40 for £1.50 +/-). they also can be stabbed in the middle and pills inserted. works like a charm.

[Walliered]

My dogs do not like pill pockets, but do like the Canine Prime (made in the US) They are moist dog treats that you can slip a little grove in and insert the pills. They mostly just swallow the whole thing. I got water in Lady's ear while bathing her and now she is on meds. Plus the vet thinks she has Addisons and wants her on 5 mg of Pred a day. Da Vid is down from his 21 pills a day to 6 (Gabapentin) I am leaving for Scooby next week, so the people that are taking care of them will be doing the pilling.

[PatricksMom]

Cream cheese also works well--I find it easier to buy the kind in the tub, which Costco has really cheap for anyone with a membership.

[MarcR]

Nadia was on heart meds twice a day for eight years. I had the most success with pill pockets.

 

You can get them online for less than the vet charges. I used to order from Allivet. Shipping is free for orders over $100. One other suggestion. Pill Pockets come in two sizes: pill and capsule. The capsule size is nearly three times larger than the pill size yet costs the same for a bag of 30 ( ) If you dog needs to take multiple pills, like Nadia did, a single capsule size will likely accommodate them all. If only a single pill 1/2 of capsule size may be large enough.

Edited September 29, 2012 by MarcR

[Remolacha]

I buy the "capsule" size, I can cram about 5 of Fletcher's pills in one I tried the homemade stuff, and it worked OK, but it still tended to stick to my fingers, which the pill pockets don't, so I went back to them. I may investigate the tiny sausages, tho, it they work out to be cheaper. With as many pills as he takes, they may not.

[TINMANPDX]

When I have to give pills to my two, I use one the following methods:

- shove it into a 1" slice of hot dog

- wrap it in a coldcut

- make a ball of cream cheese and insert

I throw their salmon oil pills into their food bowl - they never seem to notice them there, or maybe they like the taste of those.

[Guest ladyhound]

Some great ideas here! Thanks to all of you for the suggestions. My dog Flirty, nearly 13, is so darn clever about detecting pills that it's nearly sent me into insanity . I have to switch up the pill hiders frequently or she figures it out.

She acts like she's eating it but then when I see a certain look on her face as she chews .... I know I'm about to see little white pills on the floor

[calif_chaz]

I use tiny cubes of 2% velveeta (cheese glue!) and stick the thyrozine point down into it and it is impossible to separate it from the "cheese".

[duncan41]

There are a lot of dogs with other health issues that prevent a lot of the recommended "doggie crack"from being used to disguise pills. I found this recipe that works well for those restrictions:

 

1 can plain pumpkin

1/2 cup powdered milk

1/2 cup organic flax seed meal

1/2 cup no sugar added applesauce

1 cup organic oat flour

 

Preheat oven to 300 degrees if your oven is accurate or 325 degrees if it's a cold oven like mine. Mix all ingredients (an electric mixer is best but by hand works, too) until well combined. Drop as closely as possible on a lightly greased or non-stick cookie sheet in pill pocket size. (I use about 3/4 of a 1 tablespoon cookie scoop.) The treats won't spread because there is no fat added.

Bake for 20 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. When dispensing pills, take a treat and punch a hold in the center with your thumb, insert the pill(s) and form the remainder around the pill(s).

 

Hints: For those tough cases, (read: super slueth pill hater hounds) use tweezers to handle the pills - finger contact will transfer the odor of the pill which is what dogs find objectionable. The odor can be disguised even more by smearing the "pill pocket" with a bit of organic peanut butter.

 

This recipe is very forgiving and can be doubled or tripled. If you choose to use organic pumpkin, add 1/4 to 1/2 cup more organic oat flour per can. Organic pumpkin contains much more moisture.

[Guest OPointyDog]

I take a slice of lean roast beef from the deli and cut part of it into a strip, then smear peanut butter on it. Put the pill in the peanut butter, and roll it up into a roast beef and PB burrito. I'm not even sure Zoe chews it - goes straight down. Particularly good for things that taste nasty (like tramadol, which is really bitter).

[PatricksMom]

Particularly good for things that taste nasty (like tramadol, which is really bitter).

 

A good solution for bitter pills like tramadol is to pop them in a gel cap before hiding them in a treat--leftover glucosamine sprinkle capsules work great.

[Guest d0ggiem0mma]

I still like Pill Pockets better than anything else. Costco is the cheapest place to buy them (that I have found) at $7/bag. I get the capsule size ones as it's a better price per ounce. There is NO reason to use a whole one for just 1 pill. I split them in thirds usually for small pills like Tramadol and in half for a large capsule like Gabapentin. They are the consistency of playdough so you can make them into whatever size you need!

[Remolacha]

I still like Pill Pockets better than anything else. Costco is the cheapest place to buy them (that I have found) at $7/bag. I get the capsule size ones as it's a better price per ounce. There is NO reason to use a whole one for just 1 pill. I split them in thirds usually for small pills like Tramadol and in half for a large capsule like Gabapentin. They are the consistency of playdough so you can make them into whatever size you need!

 

I just discovered Pill Pockets at Costco yesterday, when I was picking up meds! $6.90 is the best price I've seen, and yes, the capsule size is good for lots of pills per pocket, I think 5 is the most I've gotten in one, and that included two capsules

[Guest greytone]

Mini ravioli by chef boy ardee works great too...just make a micro incision, insert pill, and the pasta almost closes right over, the tomato sauce flavouring hides any pill taste.

 

That is an awesome idea! I will have to remember that! My greyhound is almost 12 and is finally catching on that I put his pills in peanut butter.