I'm happy to help! You can hold his head level or his mouth slightly down, but never raise his head upward. 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. And at 5 minutes only 36% of the pills were in the stomach. Have you though about laser therapy or acupuncture? More power to your blog! I made these tonight. So glad they can help you. Some medications are worse than others. Kayla is too smart and knows when a pill is in her cheese, she'll spit out the pill and eat the cheese til we're forced to give her more cheese to take her meds. Vet says he's the biggest he's ever seen!) You should know I used your recipe and then added TUG to it. It is my hope that the information will help to save some of our non-speaking friends from a painful esophagitis and their caretakers from the stress of pilling some hard-to-pill cats. You may be able to find some sort of potted meat :P, or a semi-soft tofu that your dogs might like. 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 … My Great Pyrenees is allergic to chicken and every flavor of Pill Pockets has chicken as the first ingredient. Great alternative to pockets-doesn’t dry out when wrapping pills. I haven been buying the Greenie Pill Pockets for awhile now. I just know keeping it clean and trying not to let them lick them will help them to not get infected, which is difficult to do. All of our dogs started spitting out their Tramadol, which is really bitter, even when encased in pill pockets. @Anonymous, I have not tried any other flavors because the peanut butter is part of what gives the pill pockets their consistency. Or is it that hard to control? 3. Sorry if this has already been asked and I missed it in the thread- how long will these keep in the refrigerator? But I do hope they never get sick again. Was running out of options. This may make swallowing the pill easier but it is not going to ensure rapid passage into the stomach. Thank you so much for sharing. Be careful not to let the pills dissolve a little in the pocket or the dogs will associate the pockets with the bitter taste :P. Thanks so much for the recipe. I was just about to sign up for Amazon subscribe and save for Greenies when I came across your recipe. Think about the last time you swallowed a pill or a capsule. Please pass this information on to anyone whose pets may benefit from the information. These were great! Then pour the water off into ice cube trays to prolong the freshness then store the cubes in a ziplock bag. It was the only way to get her to take her allergy meds! Thank you! She is the WORST at eating things she doesn't like. :). It cost me $140 for five sessions. Sorry so long... this got his medicine in no problem, plus fish oil, and it will save a ton of money! Although, with Fuji, not a problem since he didn't chew it. Some pets, both cats and dogs will readily accept a tablet disguised in a small piece of bread … )I make a big batch at a time. Wish doggies lived longer lives. Please dont stop blogging!! I am glad that everyone is able to customize this recipe to meet their dogs' dietary needs. My little Pekingese keeps trying to take the older ones food that I put the medicine in. Updated November, 2016 But I will try to in the near future. My huge yellow lab (120 lbs. I wouldn't overthink this I were you. It is now resting in the fridge. Good luck! I also brush my dogs' teeth with baking soda. I have 2 very spoiled Basset Hounds. Petey and my 2 other dogs, Max and Roxy, taste tested and gave them 4 paws up (or rather 12 paws up)! See my Tips for Transitioning Dry Food Addicts to Canned Food. See this video showing how I broke a Pill Pocket into 5 pieces and then rolled them into little balls. I'd hate to lose him now to infection. Lift your chin up and note that it is impossible to swallow. Thank you, thank you!! On oesophagoscopy, three cats had oesophagitis, one of which progressed to stricture formation. Hi Stacy, you'll see in some of my other blog posts that I am a (no longer practicing) Certified Canine Physical Rehabilitation Practitioner. They ARE soooo much cheaper! I was on doxycycline capsules (due to a cat bite) last year and one got stuck in my esophagus. (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. Also, I just wanted to say that I'm really proud of everyone in the comments who takes SUCH good care of their pets. I think it would be that way regardless of using milk or not. I set her meds up in a planner box for the week when I set mine up. I asked my vet about this recipe today, just to be safe. It would be nice if cats and dogs reacted this way, but they don’t. That said, some people state that their cat is not good about swallowing liquids and these people prefer to use pills. SO EXCITED to find your recipe! Great recipe. Available for Tablets or Capsules in 4 different flavors: Hickory Smoke 30 Ct, Peanut Butter 30 Ct, Chicken 30 Ct, Duck and Pea (Allergy Formula) 25 Ct Sam has to take 3 different pills for 2 weeks, and this is genius. Thankfully, the morning after I wrote my first post she started eating again. Not to mention that they are a yummy alternative to the usual doggie favorites with a significantly less calories. Works for all the cats I've had to pill, even the heavy droolers. wow this is some thing really impressive. I did call her vet and they said "whatever works" to get her meds down. The first two pieces have 1/2 of Andy’s pill in each of them. We spent more in a week on one 'almost-a-dog" than we have in 42 years on all our other dogs combined! My dog was glued to me the whole time. Most people would never dream of ‘dry swallowing’ pills, having felt that awful sensation of a pill not ‘going down’ very smoothly so why are we subjecting our animals to this illogical procedure? If in doubt always check with your vet before trying a new product on your cat. The third I give to her slowly so she actually chews it. If you have chosen the option to pill your cat, I would suggest that before you get ready to administer the pill, have a bowl of water (or tuna juice or broth or milk) readily available. This is an interesting study that has considerable practical impact. I had a hard time trying to get him to take them. Both this abstract as well as the study published by Graham et al., clearly point to the need to administer either water or food after a cat has been pilled with a tablet or a capsule. If your cat has no allergies to any Greenies ingredients, Greenies should present no problems and might prove to be beneficial to the health of your feline friend. Thanks so much for posting- this works great! I've tried just about everything possible to hide the pills in. We even tried the Greenies Pill Pockets, but she'd spit them out. Thank you SO MUCH for this recipe! Two days ago Dummy Dog tangled with (we think) a coyote, bit his back end and snagged a tooth in his rectum as Harley was escaping. End abstract. I was on Amazon about ready to order a 6 pack of Pill Pockets and just decided to search for an alternative. Anxiety can be caused by pent up energy (or breed, or trauma, or lots of things). and not overweight!! You can find the toe grips post at http://muttnut.blogspot.com/2012/10/review-of-dr-buzbys-toe-grips-for-dogs.html. Only 6% of the pills were in the stomach at 90 seconds. I have a 100lb, 10 1/2yo great pyr with osteoarthritis who is now on 16-18 pills a day, which include the dreaded bitter tramadol and several capsules. Hugs to you all. I do have a question though after a bit of introduction. 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). That will help to not put extra pressure on the spine. The first is plain & she scarfs it down--there is no medicine taste so she eagerly awaits the next. He cant afford to not have them because of how bad his allergies are, and I can't afford for him to not take them after how much I paid for them! How are you forming them into the pocket shape? I'm so irritated by how fast the price has risen on these that I came home to see if there was a recipe and found your blog. I am going to try this tonight. Sam was acting strangely this past Saturday morning, and he wouldn't climb stairs or do anything that required him to put weight on his hind legs. There are many other products that are safe for both felines and canines. Thank you for this recipe! Thank you for the recipe. The goal of this article is to prevent the silent suffering that our pets often go through when medications are administered without appropriate precautions. Becky,Thank you SO much!! I finally find your recipe and its working! I appreciate the love! Instead of milk, I use Nirvana coconut water. Here is a quote from a colleague of mine: Last year, I was prescribed clindamycin (Antirobe) for a dental infection and was instructed to take each capsule with a full glass of water. Or, much better would be to use Pill Pockets. It makes me so happy to know that my post helped you! 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. Greenies dog treats are a delicious reward for and a simple way for to care for your pet's oral health. At VetUK we understand the stress for both owner and pet that can be associated with giving tablets. Love this!-Honey's Mom. It really is amazing that cats and dogs are as good as they are about pilling but one has to wonder about the pets that panic and/or gag when their owners try to pill them. When I did canine rehab, half of my patients had back problems. $50 per month on medicine pockets. And PLEASE do Not feed your dogs grapes or raisins. Those tasty, kibble-lookalike products you can open up, pop a pill into, seal up, then hand over to your pet and watch as both you and your kitty get a treat at the same time. If the patient will not eat Pill Pockets, try rolling them in parmesan cheese, FortiFlora, or crushed Temptations or Pounce Treats. This could be the cause of vomiting in some cats that are medicated. And the pill pockets are so costly! 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 was trying to see if someone else commented this but couldn't find it. I warmed the peanut butter and milk up in the microwave for two 30 sec sessions. Instead, use just enough of the ‘dough’ to wrap around the pill – being careful not to get any of the pill powder on the outside of the Pill Pocket if you have broken up the pill into pieces. (Tapazol only). I am so excited to find this recipe! If the amount of food looks normal to you, talk to your vet about it. However you can do it to get the pills hidden. Purrs like crazy as he gets them! 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 was a little concerned about using raw white flour and whole mik for my dog and game up with these alternatives:I substituted Carnation nonfat dry milk for most of the liquid whole milk. It is fine if some tuna meat is included into the ice cube unless you will be syringing this flavored water. I'm a single male who never cooks, but lately I've been buying either steak or fish and throwing them on the grill. I think the coconut oil slides down even easier but just barely covering the other works too so there's no chewing. Current Price $14.98 $ 14. "It worked brilliantly for my 2 youngster cats but my 2 oldies could not be fooled so had to stick the pill down their throats as usual" Review by Shelagh Ludbrook / (Posted on 17 January 2021) 5 . 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. I have a thing that looks like a syringe - you put the pills in it and inject them down the throat. 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. He re-started the steroid/antihistamine yesterday, but has worked himself into a frenzy licking and chewing. I'm so glad to hear than an alternative flour works just as well. Eagerly copied your 3-line recipe and kept on reading. Talk to your vet about finding a healthy balance that's acceptable for treating their conditions and keeping their weight from causing more issues. No wonder my dogs gain weight when we use them!). Our vet put him on tramadol and he digs it out of everything we put it in! You recipe is saving me nearly $100 per month. That being said, I have 3 dogs. Think I will try the powdered milk variation. My dog needs medication twice a day. We have tried plain PB or cheese, neither worked, he would simply spit out the pill after the food was gone. For the dry swallows: The licking of the butter/Nutrical from the paw (or even the nose) has been shown to hasten the travel of the pill into the stomach but it is not as effective as having the cat eat after pilling or ‘chasing’ the pill with 4-5 cc of water or a flavored liquid. I'm a vet tech so of coarse I always pick up the "hard cases" of dogs because I cant bare to see them suffer if I can afford to fix them with out too much cos-t to their quality of life. I rolled them into small balls and packaged them into 9 zip lock backs (9 weeks worth). I had great difficulty making him take the pills. We don't usually have milk in the house but I substituted soy milk in its place and it worked great! I am very involved in rescue work and often deal with extremely frightened and painful animals whose trust I am trying to gain. 6) Or…be lucky enough to have your cat eat the medication in canned food. For instance, doxycycline is a well-known antibiotic that is extremely irritating. Our 3 year old pit bull came home after 5 days in the hospital. He won't stop trying (good thing about a beagle sometimes) but he figures it out. I'm also sorry to hear about your pup's back problems. You can always try it out an see, but I would guess that they'd still need refrigeration. Tip:  You can make your own tuna water by mixing a can of tuna with ~3 cups of water. I have read all the comments and wanted to share a few thoughts. She is picky in her old age and won't eat store pill pockets. Dogs will eat all kinds of things! Thank you very much! (the other dog had to have one, just because. A 9 year old great Dane is now in medicine for seizures hope and! 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