Pill pockets for dogs are actually very easy to make. This post will show you how!
As our dogs are getting older, there are more occasions where they have to take medicines. Does giving medicines to your dog every day seem like a battle? Is it stressful for both you and your dog?
If your dog has to take medicines every day, it most likely means that your dog is suffering from some kind of health issue, which can be very stressful to say the least. And I am sure you don’t want to add more stress to him every day by forcing pills down his throat.
Of course, you can get something like Greenies® Pill Pocket Treats to hide the pills in the treats, but for some dog parents, the price of such pill pockets may be a deterrent.
Also, if you look at the ingredient list of Greenies®, you will find ingredients such as wheat flour, wheat gluten, and corn syrup. Wheat and corn are known allergens that may cause allergic reactions in dogs sensitive to these common grains. (They do have an allergy formula, which does not contain wheat and corn at a slightly higher price.)
But my main concern is that, the Greenies® Pill Pockets contain sodium bisulfate, which is an acid salt used as an additive in pet foods to control Salmonella contamination.
The thing is, sodium bisulfate is not without controversy when it comes to safety.
To be fair, sodium bisulfate is produced in a “pet grade” as well as a “technical grade”. It is not clear whether the pet grade product is entirely safe for our dogs. But, a look at the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on the technical grade product reveals that:
sodium bisulfate is “corrosive and ingesting it can cause burns to the mouth, throat, and stomach.”
Call me paranoid, but I always want to be absolutely sure that my dog’s food and treats are free from harmful ingredients, and I will be hesitant to give my dog any treats or food that contain a chemical that may be hazardous to her health!
Making Pill Pockets for Dogs
Luckily, to every problem there is a solution. Making pill pockets for dogs at home is extremely easy and economical.
Most importantly, we can use ingredients that are safe and beneficial to dogs.
Recipe: Healthy Pill Pockets for Dogs
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup unsweetened all natural peanut butter (or almond butter)
- 1/3 cup rolled oats
- 1/8 cup water
- 1/8 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions:
- Add cinnamon to the peanut butter.
- Slowly add water to the peanut butter and stir vigorously to mix well.
- Depending on the type of butter, you may need to adjust the water (it should be a thick paste).
- Slowly add the oats, stir to mix well.
- Divide the dough into small balls (size depends on the size of the pills and your dog, but obviously the ball has to be big enough to hide the pill!). This batch makes 10 small balls.
- Use a chopstick (or the tip of a pen, or your finger) to poke a hole in the center, rotate to enlarge the hole.
- Place them in an airtight container and store in refrigerator.
Tips
Even if your dog does not have to take any pills, you can still make this easy but yummy treat for him – just make balls without holes.
You can also add chia seeds, crushed pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, etc. to the oats for added nutrients and yummy-ness.