Top 5 Pill Pockets To Make Giving Dogs Medication Easier
Sonja Henrikseen
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If you’ve ever tried to convince a stubborn dog to take medication, you know it usually ends in frustration! Even if you wrap a pill in a piece of cheese, break it up in their food, or try to hide the medicine in human foods like peanut butter or cheese, dogs always seem to find them and spit them out.
Pill pockets for dogs are dog treats made specifically for giving your canine companion medicine without stress or negative associations for you or your dog. Made in the shape of a pouch, you simply pop the pill into the pouch, pinch the top closed, and give the delicious treat to your pup. Even if your dog bites into their medicine, pill pockets dog treats mask the flavor of most medications, so your dog will only smell and taste the pocket.
Packed with intense and irresistible flavor, pill pockets will make your dog feel like they are getting a reward, turning pill time into treat time and medicine a positive experience for your dog!
5. Presidio Pillbuddy Naturals Pill Hiding Treats
Buy On Amazon | $27.99
One of the most unique things about Presidio Pillbuddy Naturals is that they are individually wrapped in sets of two instead of all being loose in the bag. By coming in individual wrappers, these treats stay fresh far longer so you don’t have to worry about opening a bag of dried-out treats when your dog needs to take their medication.
The duck recipe is especially popular and contains real duck, but you can also get other flavors like chicken, hickory smoked beef, peanut butter and apple, peanut butter and banana, and more. Each of the formulas is free from corn, soy, and wheat, but does contain protein and flavor-rich ingredients that your dog will go nuts for.
4. Peanut Butter & Pumpkin Pill Wraps by Riley’s
Buy On Amazon | $13.99
If your dog takes extra-large or extra-small pills, a pill wrap like this one from Riley’s can be a helpful way to get just the right amount of treat to cover the flavor. Instead of being pre-shaped, these pill wraps come in a single tub of paste so you can roll your own pill pockets in any size you want. Pumpkin and peanut butter is one of Riley’s most popular pill wrap flavors, but they also carry bacon, cheese and bacon, and plain peanut butter options.
If you are struggling to convince your dog to take pills, even with pill wraps or pockets, this product can be a good way to get them used to the flavor of pill wraps or pockets first, before you add the medicine. To help create positive associations for your dog, start by pinching off a tiny amount of pill wrap to give them daily, around the time they need their pills. Gradually pinch off larger and larger pieces until you have a large enough piece to fit a pill. Hopefully, by then, your dog will already be in a routine and happy to take their “treat.”
3. Pet MD Wrap-A-Pill Cheese & Bacon Pill Paste
Buy On Amazon | $13.99
If you’re on the hunt for chicken-free pill pockets for dogs that still taste savory and meaty, I think you’ll love this option from Pet MD. Instead of being pre-formed into pill pockets, this “pill paste” comes in a tub so you can pinch off pieces that perfectly fit your dog’s medication. Just pinch off a piece, roll it into a ball, poke the pill into it, and roll or pinch to hide the pill.
Made with dried spray cheese powder and natural bacon flavor, dogs fall in love with the taste of this paste—just be sure to screw the lid on tight to prevent it from drying out. While the jar contains approximately 59 servings, you can make pill paste into pockets as big or small as you want, so how long a jar lasts can vary.
2. Milk-Bone Pill Pouches Dog Treats
Buy On Amazon | $22.45 for 5
If you have a pup that will spit out peanut butter pill pockets for dogs because they just don’t have enough flavor, try a chicken version instead. Made with real chicken to give these pill pockets an extra meaty flavor, these pill pockets are so popular with dogs—and their owners—that they have more than 13K reviews on Amazon and 4.7 stars!
Need even more flavor? Check out Milk-Bone’s hickory smoked bacon flavor pill pockets that will distract even the pickiest dog from the flavor of their medication.
1. Greenies Pill Pockets Dog Treats
Buy On Amazon | $15.98
Designed by veterinarians, Greenies Pill Pockets for dogs are considered by many the gold standard and the number one best pill pockets for dogs. Because they are formulated—and used frequently—by veterinarians, Greenies Pill Pockets contain only natural real ingredients plus trace nutrients, so you can feel good when you give your dog this healthy, all-natural dog treat.
The texture is soft and slightly chewy, easy to mold around the medication without becoming sticky or messy. Greenies Pill Pockets come in four flavors—chicken, cheese, peanut butter, and hickory smoke—but be aware that all flavors contain chicken, and aren’t safe for dogs with chicken or poultry allergies.
Bonus: How To Make DIY Pill Pockets for Dogs
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 12 pockets
If you can’t find a commercially made pill pocket for dogs that fit your dog’s dietary needs, homemade will do in a pinch! When you learn how to make pill pockets for dogs yourself, you can have full control over ingredient content, texture, size, etc. I recommend using this simple recipe as a jumping off point when you make pill pockets for dogs homemade, then making changes to suit the needs of your pup.
Featuring just three simple ingredients that dogs are rarely allergic to, these are also the best option for hypoallergenic pill pockets for dogs—particularly because you can customize them for your furry friend.
Ingredients
- 1 TBSP water
- 1 TBSP creamy peanut butter (xylitol and birch sugar free)
- 2 TBSP quick oats
Instructions
- Add the quick oats to a blender and process until ground fine, but not powdered.
- Combine the water, peanut butter, and ground oats in a small bowl, and mix using a rubber spatula or your hands until combined into a pliable dough that holds together easily,
- Divide the dough into 12 small balls.
- Use the tip of a toothpick, skewer or similar item to make and enlarge a hole on one side of the ball where the pills will be placed.
- Store pill pockets in a plastic bag at room temperature for 1–3 days, or in the fridge for up to a week.
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