# Homemade Pill Pockets



## ecbreed (Jun 13, 2006)

Does anyone have a reciepe ofr homemade pill pockets or some soft type of dog treats. My lab has been a very sick girl and is currently on 10 pills a day. The pill pockets by greenies are great, but at $7 for 30 it is going to become a REALLY expensive quickly.


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## GoldenMom (Jan 2, 2005)

Can you use canned dog or cat food, cheese, peanut butter, bread, hot dogs? One trick for smart ones is to give them a couple of pieces of the pill hider with no pill in them, then when the juices are flowing slip them the prepared laced treat, then a couple more unlaced ones. Hope your lab feels better soon.


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## ecbreed (Jun 13, 2006)

She has bilateral ear infections, osteoarthritis and found out last weekend she is diabetic. But since seeing the vet last weekend, she is feeling much better.


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## fishhead (Jul 19, 2006)

Glad to hear she's feeling better.

I've coated pills with peanut butter, real butter, squeezed fresh bread into balls around pills and slipped them in short chunks of hot dogs. They all worked. My dogs are used to catching treats so I just toss a few without pills and then sneak in one with the pill. They swallow them without tasting.


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## ecbreed (Jun 13, 2006)

Well, I think hot dogs are going to be the pocket of choice for now.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

The foster I have now will eat anything, except her last round of pills. When I feed her kibble I always add a little water. I found that if I added the pill to the watered kibble, the pill would break down and she gobbled it up with the rest. Your Lab might not notice a couple of pills this way, especially the larger ones that might be noticable in a hot dog (good dog!).


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

Mini marshmellows work here. Just Peel them open and the pill sticks nice to the gooeyness and smush back together


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## where I want to (Oct 28, 2008)

I have a lab of many pills too- I just take those softer jerky treats and break them into pill size pieces. Then I place the pill between two pieces of jerky and offer it, holding onto it until it is taken. Costsco has those bucket of jerky treats for $8 or so. One jerky strip gets 4 pills into her.
Lucky for me, no amount of illness (serious arthirtis, cushings, thyroid problems) has dampened her desire for FOOD!


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## ecbreed (Jun 13, 2006)

No, the Pooh hasn't lost her appetite that is for sure, expecially now that she is starting to feel better.


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## PulpFaction (Jul 23, 2009)

I've found just about anything the dog likes will work if:

You cover the pill in as little of it as possible and be sure to dangle a larger chunk near-by as the dog eats that bit. Most have been so greedy for the bigger piece that they swallow the small bit whole. 

If you do happen to have a dog that just isn't food motivated or is very picky, pilling a dog without food really doesn't have to be that traumatic if you have a good relationship with the dog. Open the mouth, place the pill as far back on the tongue as you can, close and hold the mouth shut while you blow gently into their nose (just a little to distract them,) and massage the throat until you feel them swallow. It can take a little practice but it really isn't hard unless your dog is a psycho aggressive type with a tendency to bite.:walk:


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## Ravenlost (Jul 20, 2004)

We use nasty Velveeta cheese here. I wouldn't buy the stuff if it weren't for the dogs! It's moldable and they swallow it without chewing, thus never knowing about the pill hidden in the middle!


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## ErinP (Aug 23, 2007)

Minelson said:


> Mini marshmellows work here. Just Peel them open and the pill sticks nice to the gooeyness and smush back together


Oooh... That's a good idea, too. This is the reason we choose peanut butter; because it's sticky and hard to get off the pill. But a marshmallow would be easier to deal with!


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## Minelson (Oct 16, 2007)

ErinP said:


> Oooh... That's a good idea, too. This is the reason we choose peanut butter; because it's sticky and hard to get off the pill. But a marshmallow would be easier to deal with!


A whole bag only costs .99 cents too!!  And the dogs don't care if they get stale. The goats and horses like them too :happy:


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## longshadowfarms (Nov 27, 2002)

Ravenlost said:


> We use nasty Velveeta cheese here. I wouldn't buy the stuff if it weren't for the dogs! It's moldable and they swallow it without chewing, thus never knowing about the pill hidden in the middle!


Exactly what I use. It drives DH nuts how many pills I can fold into one slice!  I get the store brand individual slices so I can keep using the slice for a couple of days. That said, I have Labs who will eat ANYTHING! Rarely get a pill back with them. With fussy eaters it is another story.


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## ecbreed (Jun 13, 2006)

I didn't want to use marshmallows becuase of her diabetes. Hot dogs are a winner tho, now I just need to keep DD out of them.


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## Cindy in NY (May 10, 2002)

Sasha gets her pills on an open-faced peanut butter cracker. In fact, when we get back from her morning walk, she will wait for a dog treat until I say "Cracker". Then she'll go and sit by the counter where the crackers are!


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