Cheap and Easy Pill Pockets for Dogs

I learned this trick as a pet sitter - it is cheap and easy and works for very finicky dogs who love to spit out pills.  If you need to give your dog pills on a daily basis it is great because it takes the hassle out of giving pills to your dog.

I decided to post this Instructable because lately I have noticed the Greenies Pill Pockets that are sold in pet stores.  I love Greenies, but I wanted people to know that there is a very inexpensive way to make your own pill pocket.

All you need to make your cheap and easy pill pockets is:

* hot dogs (vienna sausages are a great choice for smaller dogs)
* a pill
* chopsticks
* knife to cut hot dog

Step 1: Cut a piece of hot dog off

This is pretty self explanatory.  Cut a piece of your hot dog off.  You are going to use this to put the pill in, so it should be large enough to hide the pill in, but small enough so your dog can eat it in one gulp.

Comments

[nmacmoragh]

yay a hot dog!!

[slipperchair]

It would be great if someone would just make a less expensive Pill Pocket. Maybe I've just found my calling in life.

Greenies ARE expensive. Are they kidding?

[susanrm]

I wouldn't feed my dog or cat commercial hot dogs - almost as nasty as commercial pet food. I'm looking to find a good substitute for my cat's pill pockets. He devours the Greenies ones now, and he's very finicky.

[fraugefahr]

To each his own. Our dog is pretty finicky, so I use whatever works, and figure, in small amounts, the greater good of getting her meds outweighs the bad.

If you find a good solution for your cat, I'd love to know. One idea might be to get some fresh chicken or meat from a butcher and use that.

[susanrm]

I've tried meat. The only pill I need to "pocket" is a little round black one that is impossible to crush in the mortar and pestle (which I do with his other supplements) and tastes terrible if I let it dissolve in his food. If I try to wrap food around it, he eats the food and spits out the pill. The pocket is the only thing he will inhale straight down without chewing... oh well!

[fraugefahr]

Yeah, I think cats would be a little bit harder to pill than dogs. A lot of dogs will gulp down anything, whereas cats, well, not so much! :) How big is the pill? Maybe wrapping the pill in a little piece of cheese would work, that way he wouldn't be able to separate it from the pill and spit it out.

-Kristen

[susanrm]

Dairy isn't good for cats, unfortunately. I found a recipe online that I will try. It's a lot of work. Oh well!

[cherishcherub]

 heres a good tip:

get c0cktail sausages and cut in half, then insert the chopstick down half the length of the pill, do the same for the other sidethen stick the pill half in one side and the other in the other side

[baudeagle]

We just baste the pills in peanut butter.  The dogs love peanut butter!

[fraugefahr]

Yes, peanut butter is great for most dogs - but unfortunately for us, our dog doesn't like peanut butter :(  Thus the hot dog pill pocket :)

[sr1sws]

Nice, Greenies are expensive (IMHO).  My dog likes whole wheat bread, which works for *some* meds ;-)

[fraugefahr]

Thanks!  Never thought about the bread - that's a good one!