You have no idea how glad I was to find this. The other thing you could try is for your son to wear gloves and a mask, if that's something that might help. For example, this amount makes about 30 pockets: I give the homemade pill pockets 5 buttons up! The main concern with this information is that if tablets and capsules sit in the esophagus for a prolonged period of time, this can cause damage to the tissues in this area. Tried this tonight and it was a success! This is something that I commonly see people do. Great recipe. Several days later I had suffered so much that I took myself to the ER. It's the hassle-free way to give your cat … Cats are notoriously picky eaters and are suspicious of anything out of the ordinary in their food and it would be very rare to have a cat eat a whole pill when mixed into cat food. Thank you for sharing this recipe! I know that tramadol (for pain) is SUPER bitter, and one taste of it and dogs will be wary of whatever they associate that taste with, even meat. And while suggies eat everything, it's the exact opposite when they are sick. SUCH a great trick!! This is an easy volume to administer to a cat. I recommend not feeding your dog any human food until you research the effects they have on dogs. My poor service dog, River, has terrible allergies. Great if pet has allergies to wheat. The following is a summary of a very interesting article that appeared in a veterinary journal entitled Evaluation of the Passage of Tablets and Capsules Through the Esophagus of the Cat. The goal of this article is to prevent the silent suffering that our pets often go through when medications are administered without appropriate precautions. He's been miserable! That way they would probably have longer shelf life, If your dog is allergic to wheat, you can use any kind of other flour you ... petsmartstepsdogs.blogspot.com. I was eager to try the PB recipe but had no flour in the house so I experimented with 2 different kinds of oatmeal and with chunky and plain PB. Yay! My dog Petey is on a maintenance dog of a mild chemotherapy in pill form which is costly enough without adding in the expense of store-bought pill pockets. I have 2 very spoiled Basset Hounds. I doubled the recipe (1 C p/b, 1 C milk, 2 C wheat flour). We too were spending a fortune on pill pockets and needed an alternative. I gave him a couple with no meds, and didn't think he would take them. It is from a paper presented at the 2001 American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine Forum. (Moldy grossness ensues. So sorry. I do not have any hot spot solutions, and since I'm not a DVM, I couldn't give it to you anyhow. I figured out 1/2 tablespoon of dough is a little more than each large pill pocket. Well, here is what I discovered. I just wanted to let you know that my vet did lazer therapy on her for arthritis in her neck and she moves like a new dog. I'll be trying it today. Becky, thank you so much for this great recipe! This is the first report of suspected clindamycin-associated oesophageal injury in cats. Hmm, maybe this should be a post all on its own :). Think about the last time you swallowed a pill or a capsule. The third I give to her slowly so she actually chews it. Something like hazelnut butter, just make sure there's no chocolate in it. I found this, went next door and borrowed flour, and just made a batch. If the patient will not eat Pill Pockets, try rolling them in parmesan cheese, FortiFlora, or crushed Temptations or Pounce Treats. You most likely took it with several swallows of something liquid to help move the pill along its journey through the esophagus and into the stomach. The soft texture pill pouches are completely moldable to conceal capsules and tablets. I was on Amazon about ready to order a 6 pack of Pill Pockets and just decided to search for an alternative. I just got home from spending $8.99 on Greenie Pill Pockets at Petsmart. If you're looking for a low cal treat try green beans or carrots. ;-). Dysphagia, regurgitation, choking or gagging were seen 3–9 days after starting clindamycin. I break the Pill Pocket into 4 – 5 pieces. They're dynamite human taste-tested! :). At times, the esophagus can also respond by developing an ulcer or stricture. The dose of one of the meds requires 2 pills, so this is a total of 13 pills a day (it's been like this for years). (the other dog had to have one, just because. urinated on the bed for the past 8 months. She loves pb so hopefully this will work. Just recently though, she's started to catch on to the pills in her food and won't even touch meat! As long as she is eating ALL the cat food, or wet food or whatever, the pill is still in there, crushed up or not. I rolled them into small balls and packaged them into 9 zip lock backs (9 weeks worth). Thank you!! Given how humans take their medications and vitamins (with a liquid in some form),  we need to stop asking our cats and dogs to do something we would never do. Ingredients. This post of yours gave me an excelent idea on how to face any future problem when it comes to giving medicine to sick pets. If your cat is fussy, you can try and mix in the pill pocket along with some of her other favorite treats. I think that cost is only a part of the reason people use this recipe. Wheat Flour, Corn Syrup, Glycerin, Vegetable Oil, Stabilized Rice Bran, Spray Dried Liver Powder (stabilized with BHA, Propyl Gallate, Citric Acid), Dried Corn Syrup, Lecithin, Dried Cheese, Fish … Some drugs such as Clavamox tablets and Baytril TasteTabs are formulated to be fairly palatable and can be crushed and put in canned food and this is a great way to go….if the cat will eat it. Mash it up and let it sit for ~10-15 minutes. For the wet swallows: (i.e., the pill was followed by 6 cc of water) Great idea! It would be nice if cats and dogs reacted this way, but they don’t. Banana chunk. Tried hiding in bread, but he tends to chew it and find tablet. I rolled the "dough" between my hands (it doesn't stick to skin at all!) Personally, I have dealt with 3 cats that have died post-pilling with clindamycin (Antirobe) tablets. I've been using your recipe for over a year and it saves me so much money! Always, when in doubt, ask your vet! So I am crossing my fingers. A cat is going to be much less apt to bite down on ~1/4 of a Pill Pocket than he will be if offered a whole Pill Pocket. When a pill is in contact with this tissue for a prolonged period of time, a painful irritation or ulcer has the potential to develop. I have had to force the pills down, alone or with lean turkey. I roll them out and cut small bits, keeping them in the freezer and taking out what I need weekly and storing them in the fridge for use. Take the stress and the mess out of giving your cat medicine: Vet-recommended* FELINE GREENIES PILL POCKETS Treats for Cats in Chicken Flavour easily hide medicine from your cat in a tasty little pill built-in pouch treat. These cat treats are made with natural ingredients plus minerals and trace nutrients and are a healthy alternative to using human foods to disguise … Love this!-Honey's Mom. Our … We'll see how this goes. Most peanut butters are safe and your dog will love the pill pockets! My dog has seizures and gets 4 different anti-seizure meds (Phenobarbital, Keppra, Zonisamide, Gabapentin) at 4 different times during the day (all 4 at breakfast, 3 mid-afternoon, 1 at dinner, and 3 at bedtime). Hopefully, after looking through my website, you will be convinced to get your cat on a better diet than dry food. So anyway, I did a Google search for pill pockets, because I decided a long time ago to boycott Greenies because their products are way overpriced. My dog needs medication twice a day. Most dogs LOVE peanut butter. I do think Greenies is a good product, however, they have raised their prices so quickly & high, it makes it sort of a hardship for owners who have multiple ill pets especially when we find a copy so inexpensive & satisfactory. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~. Thanks so much for figuring out an inexpensive alternative to Pill Pockets. For this article, a “dry swallow” refers to the administration of a pill or capsule to a cat or dog without the patient immediately (within 1-2 minutes): 1) consuming some food or liquid (milk, tuna water, meat broth, etc.) Thanks again for the recipe! Also, you do not want to administer any more than 3/4 – 1 cc at a time. Good luck! I asked my vet about this recipe today, just to be safe. Hi. Pilling a sick cat/kitten who is feral or traumatized/frightened/painful, or has severe upper respiratory disease and can hardly breathe as it is, does not exactly make for a fast friendship and development of trust. If so, up to how many. Or, much better would be to use Pill Pockets. You can always cut size 4 smaller to match a size 5; Size 5 is about 3 times the price per capsule of sizes 3 and 4; Size 4 is generally large enough to accommodate all of your pill fragments in a single dose All of our dogs started spitting out their Tramadol, which is really bitter, even when encased in pill pockets. Our 10 year old Great Dane is now taking meds for heart arrhythmia and hates them! my cousin had a small ankle bitter, was using hot dogs/bologna for medicine and it cause major issues. Wheat Flour, Corn Syrup, Glycerin, Vegetable Oil, Stabilized Rice Bran, Spray Dried Liver Powder (Stabilized with BHA, Propyl Gallate, Citric Acid), Dried Corn Syrup, Lecithin, Dried Cheese, Fish Oil, Natural Flavors, Salt, Sorbic Acid, Calcium Propionate (To Preserve Freshness), Brewers Dried Yeast, Sodium Acid Pyrophosphate, and Rosemary Extract. Slip the syringe into the side of the mouth at about a 45-degree angle being careful not to insert the syringe too far down the back of the throat. Barrs BVSc(hons), MVetClinStud, FACVSc (Feline Medicine). Wonderful suggestions. This presents a bit of a problem and the hope is that they will eat some canned food or drink some tuna juice or meat broth after being pilled. I clean the spot by pouring Hydrogen Peroxide all over the area- don't rub, and then blot dry. She is the WORST at eating things she doesn't like. Since a spit out pill means a reduced dose, which can then lead to cluster seizures, I thank you for a homemade recipe that will help to ensure her pills are completely encased in "people food" thereby increasing our success.Diane in Northern Calif. Any questions about your animal's health should be directed to your veterinarian. It is quite frustrating to win the battle to get the pill or capsule down a cat and then have it vomited up several minutes later. My pup was diagnosed with extreme allergies at 6 months of age. Great alternative to pockets-doesn’t dry out when wrapping pills. I'd hate to lose him now to infection. Once I found your recipe in the following 6 months she's only spit one pill out, I didn't coat it well enough. I think I love you, and I know my puppy does. I lost 10+ lbs in less than 2 weeks. Beware, tramadol is very bitter and if it gets broken up into the pocket or she bites down on it, she's stop wanting the pockets. Hello Becky, and thank you so much for this recipe. If it looks like a lot (in proportion to your dog), then cut back on treats, handouts, and possibly switch to a "light" dog food. My dogs gobble it all down lickety-split, even with the dreaded Tramadol. I hope to be able to use this, but to find a way to vary it somehow. And you're right, you're going to need cheap pill pockets for 3 doxies. I also have senior dog that gets all kinds of supplements. Not back to normal but close. Unfortunately, many veterinarians are under the mistaken impression that other medications like steroids, antibiotics, and behavior-altering drugs are adequately absorbed through the skin when they are not. Dry food or dry treats can also be used but a higher moisture ‘chaser’ is preferred. I, too, used to have a giant breed dog who was on many medications daily and so used many pill pockets so I completely understand the need for some savings, but perhaps if we all still continue to support Greenies as well as supplementing it might be a good idea? I think if your dog hasn't eaten for 6 days, but will eat the pill pockets, I'd say hooray that she's eating something! That said, some people state that their cat is not good about swallowing liquids and these people prefer to use pills. He re-started the steroid/antihistamine yesterday, but has worked himself into a frenzy licking and chewing. Even those HUGE fish oil capsules are scarfed down whole if coated (my guys turn up their noses if I prick to give in liquid form). My oldest takes the most and she is very experienced in avoiding the pills. I just made them now with creamy jiff, whole wheat flour and water. 98 (94.8 ¢/oz) NextDay eligible. She recently totally quit eating for 6 days and only last night started eating a tiny amount of food. Store in the fridge a week or two, or in the freezer for longer. Whole wheat flour is also better for dogs. I didn't think about freezing them - I'm going to make a big batch! Please be aware that compounded medications may be more expensive than medications dispensed by your veterinarian, but the use of these liquid medications can alleviate a great deal of stress for both the pet and the human. All but yours were really complicated and called for weird stuff. Please let me know if you come up with any improvements to them. I got thru 2 days disguising the pills before he caught on, and two more days wiping them bacon grease but not trying to hide them. My dogs medication for Cushings Disease is so expensive, I was thrilled to find a money saving recipe that my dog loves! :), Thanks for this... going to try it today. He just swallows them whole, so creamy peanut butter did the trick. As an alternative to using pills and capsules to administer medications, certain pharmacies can compound the medications into flavored liquids. According to another one of my readers, the water works fine as well. He loved licking the spoon, so I'm pretty sure these will get a paws up:) I love the pill pockets, but the cost adds up when you have a sick pet, so this is great. I had half a jar of peanut butter in fridge, so I added soy milk, and microwaved it in 20 second increments, stirring after each time period. They come in two flavors which mask the smell of the medicine. If it works (probably will from the other comments), not only will you have saved me $50 a month, but also the stress of whether or not they are getting their meds since they all three need all of them in their full doses to get through daily life. The fridge will work for a week or two, but the freezer will make them last a long time. We have tried plain PB or cheese, neither worked, he would simply spit out the pill after the food was gone. Don't hide medicine in human foods, use PILL POCKETS™ for cats. I just made these pill pockets and first formed them into balls then used the end of a small wooden spoon and made small pockets into them, will use them like the original pockets and put the pills in them close the end. )I make a big batch at a time. I shaped the pockets using the end of a chopstick, shaping the mixture around the end to form a capsule-shaped pouch. Pill Pockets® work well for most cats, especially cats that like treats. The latter is a very serious complication requiring aggressive therapy, preferably with balloon dilatation. Thank you for the recipe. Weight gain would be my only concern, but again, she's big enough to tolerate more of them than other dogs. The allergy formula without milk is hard to find. Between them, they take 8-10 pills twice daily. Just watch how she tolerates them. I didn't read the comments but physical therapy is available for dogs (look for canine rehabilitation practitioner) and there are 3 programs that certify. I don't know if this is something you could look into it not. I still had to add a little liquid milk the form a smooth enough dough to work with.I made enough pill pockets for a month. Vinny just loves these things and actually likes taking his pill and getting a "treat" at the same time. One of our dogs who needs it the most just wouldn't take it. Those store pill pockets are ridiculously high priced and this is a blessing for those that have dogs that like peanut butter, unfortunately my dog doesn't care for it.I'm going to do a search for something else, but if you or a reader have an alternate recipe, that would be nice. I can't wait to try one with the next dose. Peanut Butter Cheese Whiz A Ball of cat food... this works the best, that shit is like crack for dogs. My dogs look forward to their daily fish oil pills. I've added that link to this post. Please note this excerpt from the study quoted below: After 5 minutes 84% of capsules and 64% of tablets are still sitting in the esophagus.”. Also, don’t worry if the product is outdated because we don’t care if the probiotic bacteria have died since we are only using it for a flavor enhancer. With her eyes on the third one she scarfs down the pill. We didn't have a laser at the facility where I was, but I have had laser done on my own neck. She ate them right up!! Even with my amazing discount at work, I am still paying $50 a month for Pill Wrap ( like pill pockets but in a putty form). This may make swallowing the pill easier but it is not going to ensure rapid passage into the stomach. The following is an anecdotal report from a person who ended up with a very painful case of an ulcerated esophagus after a capsule became lodged in her esophagus: I know the pain of an ulcerated esophagus personally and it is a living hell. Just the other day I thought SOMEONE must have a recipe online for these. 5) Use transdermal preparations. I am very involved in rescue work and often deal with extremely frightened and painful animals whose trust I am trying to gain. I hope y'all don't make Greenies go out of business ;). The reason why I love this product is because the probiotics are contained in a very enticing animal digest powder. In avoiding that dreadful task I found your blog. Since we all know that every cat is different, I will mention again that some people state that they have much better luck pilling their cats than trying to get liquids into them. This recipe is not only saving my sanity getting the dogs their meds, but a ton of $ too! So far so good on keeping them at room temp in the pillbox.My version:2 cups peanut butter2 cups dry milk2 cups of vegetable oilPut all ingredients in mixer with dough hook until it looks combined. So quick and easy! If the amount of food looks normal to you, talk to your vet about it. He wanted me to bake them into cookies! This technique and recipe has helped me out immensely in terms of time and headaches. (How long do they last?). Fuji is no longer with us :(. Sam has to take 3 different pills for 2 weeks, and this is genius. Thanks for the tip! Thank you so much for the post! Have you though about laser therapy or acupuncture? Just made these tonight. Followed your recipe and just coated the spoon with EVOO then rolled it up in my hands. Then I bagged them up, putting some back in the freezer for later use, and keeping a few days' supply in the fridge. They freeze beautifully. I'm also sorry to hear about your pup's back problems. You'll get so much more for your money this way and cats have an easier time with it as the entire pill pocket is quite big for a cats mouth. Another flavor that is used is chicken and some cats do better with this milder flavor than the very strong triple fish. I have a beagle bulldog mix with congenital joint problems and possible hip dysplasia, and she requires glucosamine pills daily. Lord knows after yet another infection which results in a very big vet bill it's nice to save money on the pill pockets. We even tried the Greenies Pill Pockets, but she'd spit them out. Add to cart. I haven been buying the Greenie Pill Pockets for awhile now. I leave one ball in the fridge, and freeze the rest. @Anonymous (1/12/15): I love the idea of feeding them to everyone so that they all think it's a treat! The pill pocket is soft so you just break it up and pull enough off to wrap the pill with the pill pocket treat. With three dogs ALL on medications for everything from allergies to anxiety, joint issues, and thyroid, Pill pockets get expensive very quickly (not to mention I just discovered that they are 9 calories each! Greenies dog treats are a delicious reward for and a simple way for to care for your pet's oral health. Tip:  You can make your own tuna water by mixing a can of tuna with ~3 cups of water. I always keep this product in my home as a flavor enhancer to be used if my cats don’t want to eat for any reason or if I am trying to get them to eat a new food. Sophie H, I could swear I put in the directions how to store them. when I came upon your blog. Work dough into balls about 1/2 tablespoon. I'm glad that it's not more serious like paralysis. I'm so glad they work well for you and your dog! Baking soda is harmful to humans in large amounts as well. Thanks so much for posting- this works great! Thank you so much for this recipe! I had the Greenie pill pockets on my shopping list today and was thinking I really need to find an cheaper alternative, the price is ridiculous when your dog take medication twice a day all summer for allergies. Using pill pockets can help owners administer oral cat medicine easily and quickly. I had to go on antidepressants over the loss of our Rusty. They're in the freezer. Who has time to go to a health food store to get ingredients for dog food?Thank you again in advance. I think I'm blushing. Note:  When I use the word “pill,” I am also referring to capsules which can cause even more problems than pills, as shown in the study below. Feeding my dog Charlie his allergy pills has always been a struggle in my household. I know beagles love to eat! It is now resting in the fridge. 4) Administer the pill or capsule and follow up immediately with a chaser of a 4-5 cc of a liquid using a syringe. Nuts 'N More peanut butter is soooooo good! I bought some milk recently for some reason (I never buy it), and I have peanut butter because my 2 beagles, Sam & Sophie love it. Make medicine more enjoyable for your cat with PILL POCKETS™ cat treats from GREENIES. I made these this afternoon and the dogs love them for a fraction of the cost. Thank you also to MagnoliaSouth for the info about the baking powder - I didn't know that and only have all purpose flour at home; I don't want to take any chances so I'll head to the store before making them. Was running out of options. Works for all the cats I've had to pill, even the heavy droolers. I also substituted Gerber's baby multi-grain cereal for the white flour. She lives up to her name "Priss" - she has to see me take a bite (or pretend to) and then she gobbles them down. My son takes care of the dogs meds but can't handle peanuts (super allergic). Please speak to The Pet Experts at Elmhurst Animal Care Center before deviating from your pet’s dosage instructions. Lift your chin up and note that it is impossible to swallow. I've updated the directions with storage info. Thank you! Our beagle takes seizure meds every eight hours and we go through pill pockets like crazy! )I have a 19 year old Persian male kitty who gets homeopathic and blood pressure rx pills daily that I've been using this recipe for and he LOVES THEM! With fewer calories and less fat and sodium, these cat treats are made with natural ingredients plus trace nutrients, which make them a healthier alternative … Lost and found. My Great Pyrenees is allergic to chicken and every flavor of Pill Pockets has chicken as the first ingredient. Thank you. They ARE soooo much cheaper! Another option is to see if the cat or dog will consume the pill if it is hidden in canned food. Thanks for the recipe!!!!! (They do note at the end of the paper that the principles outlined also make good sense for dogs.) Some cats may be allergic to such synthetics. Thanks! I finally find your recipe and its working! I'm a vet tech and have never given so many poillas before... Is your dog that large? I stock up when they go on sale for $1 and freeze them. Capsules were administered without food or a water bolus. 3) Administer the pill or capsule and follow up with the feeding of their regular food, baby food, tuna juice, a meat broth, or milk. Took him to the vet, and he has a disk that is giving him pain. The lining of the esophagus is very delicate and it is not designed to have irritating medications in contact with it for more than the short amount of time it should take for the pill to pass from the mouth to the stomach when swallowed with an adequate amount of liquid or food. When I needed to give pills to either of my dogs-- I would give a plain peanut dough ball to the healthy one and then give a medicated ball to the ailing one; and since neither dog wants the other to have something she didn't get, the medication gets scarfed down. You may want to just put that one in something else. With the addition of a new puppy and while both dogs are currently taking medications for kennel cough I was going through the pill pockets like crazy. (The first batch I kept all in a glass baby food jar the fridge and they got moldy in little over a week. After 5 minutes 84% of capsules and 64% of tablets are still sitting in the esophagus. Gobbled em straight down without chewing! I have had better luck with cats eating crushed Clavamox tablets (tasteless) in food than I have with the Baytril TasteTabs. Thank you for this recipe! You can hold his head level or his mouth slightly down, but never raise his head upward. Most important, I cover the spot with a product called NeoPredef - an antibiotic powder. Our 3 year old pit bull came home after 5 days in the hospital. I had a hard time trying to get him to take them. Thank you very much! You recipe is saving me nearly $100 per month. My huge yellow lab (120 lbs. has had hip dysplasia for over 6 years, but has done pretty well with periodic Adaquain injections. We don't usually have milk in the house but I substituted soy milk in its place and it worked great! Thank you, so very much, for sharing!!! Phoebe had to take these capsules that were huge. I tried ever1wything over the years to get them to swallow medication. I always make peanut butter "cookies" for Sam and that's all this is, just not baked :) I like to add cinnamon too. wow this is some thing really impressive. Occasionally you may run across a drug that can’t be compounded but I have yet to run into this situation. I happened to have a small amount of Trader Joe's Buckwheat Pancake Mix that I used instead of plain flour (added a little extra, too). The most common flavor used for cats is ‘triple fish’ and if dealing with a very bitter medication, this flavor is the best one to use. I put them in the fridge to harden a little. I think the coconut oil slides down even easier but just barely covering the other works too so there's no chewing. This is referring to pills and capsules that were dry swallowed. Product Image . I am making them as I speak. This site is not intended to replace professional advice from your own veterinarian and nothing on this site is intended as a medical diagnosis or treatment. Information on this site is for general informational purposes only and is provided without warranty or guarantee of any kind. This paper was submitted to one of the lesser-read journals so a lot of veterinarians may not have seen it. Cats tend to get worried when approached head on. My little Pekingese keeps trying to take the older ones food that I put the medicine in. (maybe not as much as if I use water...)I will also ask about the hot spot powder next time we go to the vet. Thanks so much for this awesome recipe. Study results: The goal of the study was to determine the length of time that it took for pills or capsules to enter the stomach after 1) dry pilling and 2) pilling and then giving a 6 cc water chaser immediately following the administration of the pill or capsule – referred to as a “wet swallow.”. I have 1000 tramadol pills for him for his arthritis, hot dogs no longer working. No wonder my dogs gain weight when we use them!). Unless maybe the water were distilled, but even then, not sure. An example of this type of drug is amitriptyline which is often used for anxiety and inappropriate elimination (not using a litter box) problems. Gift eligible. twice a day until who knows. My wife found this recipe and we are excited to try thanks! Thank you so much for this post. Practical outcome: