DIY Pill Pockets For Dogs
Making diy pill pockets is a must have skill for doggie pet parents. They take all of the stress and hassle out of administering medication to your much loved canine friend.
My treasured, furry friend, Riley the bulldogge, gave me a real run for my money when it came to taking meds before I started making these helpful little homemade dog pill pockets.
I do everything I am able to naturally for my sweet pooch, as I do for myself and my family. But still, there are times when medication is necessary.
Riley has had two surgeries and currently we are navigating our way through a bout of atopic dermatitis that won’t quit. Each of these times, he has proven to be very difficult to give his meds. Administering this special guy his dog’s pills turns into an exercise in stress management for the whole house.
BUT … homemade pill pockets are doing the trick quite nicely. I highly recommend them. They are the perfect way to get those meds into your furry companion.
If you are one of the pet owners who struggles with getting your sweet canine to take their meds at pill time, they are worth a try for sure.
And this 3 ingredient recipe is so quick to put together that you probably want to make it for the pups in your house that don’t hassle you when taking meds too. It will turn their medication time into an opportunity for a delicious treat as well, promise.
How DIY Pill Pockets Work?
A diy pet pill pocket is really nothing more than a healthy treat that is pliable enough to wrap around a pill.
You can make them in small batches. It’s an easy recipe that takes just minutes to do. And you’ll have enough pockets to last you anywhere from 3 days to a week, depending on the frequency of administration required for your dog’s medication.
Once your pill pouches are made, simply slip the dog pills inside the ‘pocket’, mold the treat around it so it can’t be seen or smelled, and give it to your pooch without looking guilty enough that he notices.
Save Money By Making Your Own DIY Pill Pockets
The first time I ever used pill pockets for my sweet Riley, I bought commercial pill pockets at a big box pet store. They cost me about $15 for just 60 of them.
I suppose that if you’re purchasing them as a one time shot that isn’t really that bad. But Riley had just had his first surgery and I needed A LOT of pill pockets. It was going to be quite expensive to buy store-bought pill pockets for sure.
Not to mention, that running out to the store is something I avoid as much as I can. As I’m working more and more toward full self-sustainability big box store stops are lower and lower on my to-do list.
So, I started making my own pill pockets and it’s saved me quite a bit of cash for sure.
One batch of diy pill pockets will get you about a dozen pockets, and the cost is so minimal it’s hard to figure it out. I’m estimating it at less than .30 cents a batch.
That’s just $1.50 or so for the same quantity as that $15 bag. Make your own pet pill pockets. Save yourself some cash.
Ingredients For This Recipe
There are just 3 basic ingredients needed to make these handy little med administering helpers; milk, peanut butter, and oat flour.
They are natural ingredients, and that allows you the peace of mind of knowing that as a dog owner you are doing all that you can to control your pet’s diet.
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They are also ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen, no need to run out to the store. I love that!
Substitutions For This Recipe
If your canine companion is unable to tolerate milk, you can easily substitute water in this recipe. Or any other canine safe liquid as well.
Peanut butter is a bit of a must have as it makes the pockets pliable. Most dogs can have peanut butter. Although, it is my understanding that there is the occasional case of a peanut allergy in canines.
Also, BE CERTAIN that the peanut butter you use does not contain xylitol. It is being used in many peanut butters today. And it is HIGHLY TOXIC to dogs, even the smallest amount can cause a reaction. In some cases it is fatal.
I use all natural peanut butter. The ingredients are peanuts. Maybe some salt. Perfect.
All-purpose flour or whole wheat flour can be used to make this simple recipe if that’s all you have in the house. But keep in mind that this type of flour is not a great thing for your sweet canine. It is hard for them to digest, and it provides no nutritional value to them.
Any gluten-free, pet-friendly flour will work in this recipe; coconut, spelt, barley, and garbanzo bean are all great choices.
I chose oat flour because it is so easily made in your own kitchen. Just toss a few whole rolled oats, no quick oats, in a food processor and process them until they are the consistency of flour. Voila … oat flour is born!
How To Make DIY Pill Pockets
The ‘secret’ formula to making a diy pill pocket recipe work is 2:1:1; two parts flour, one part peanut butter, and one part liquid.
If you blend the ingredients together in these proportions, you will then be able to roll them into little balls.
From there, it is simple enough to make a pocket in the balls. You can use the end of a chopstick, the end of a meat thermometer, or the end of a bbq skewer to do this.
Really anything that you can manipulate the treat with, to work a hole part way through in the center, will work.
How To Store DIY Pill Pockets
DIY pill pockets will last, in an airtight container, in the refrigerator for about a week or so. They can be made in larger batches, than I’ve provided a recipe for, by simply following the 2:1:1 ingredient ratio I shared above.
I rarely make mine in larger batches, as I find that a small batch is most often enough for my needs.
While researching other pill pocket recipes, I see that some people are suggesting making them ahead and freezing them. I can’t speak to whether or not this works.
But if you need a lot of pill pockets it can’t hurt to try to freeze a few from a small batch and see how it works out before you make a big batch.
I don’t need that many, as my pooch doesn’t take daily medication. And they are so easy to make that I just whip a batch up when I need one.
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These look so much tastier than the store bought options. Thank you for sharing!
Wonderful idea! We’ve used hot dogs and it gets so expensive! I like that this uses ingredients from around the house. It was good to see your cautions as well.
I’ve used hot dogs in the past. They work pretty well but my bulldogge won’t eat them 🙁
I NEED to try this! Our baby has allergies & seizures, she takes 7 pills per day divided into 3-2-2. Suddenly she’s refusing them wrapped up in tiny treats. The store bought pill pockets are obviously too expensive for the quantity we need. I was desperate this morning as she recovered from a seizure, that’s when I found you online. I’m heading into the kitchen now. I’ll update the outcome. Thank you so much.
You are so very welcome! I hope they work well for you. You’re sweet baby needs a solution. It can be so hard to get them to take meds sometimes.
Thank you! Our girl has just got home after spinal surgery and it is normally a battle to get medication into her so I ground up the tiny painkillers and mixed into a bowl of meat – she turned up her nose… Made a batch of these and she swallowed them without even noticing! We’ve tried everything in the past with no luck
So very glad that these helped you get those meds into your sweet girl! Hope she heals quickly 😉
I make this recipe with water instead of milk for our dairy sensitive dog. She loves them and they freeze well if made in large batches. I just cut to size then freeze on a cookie sheet before bagging them.
Such a great idea! Thanks for sharing 😉
I made these with oat flour, bacon, peanut butter and almond milk for my dog who has been refusing pill pockets who takes multiple pills for multiple issues and it worked tonight so fingers crossed! Thank you for the recipe. Also for anyone who’s dog will eat and can eat pill pockets a tip for multiple pills is you can just tear those apart and stick the pill in a piece that fits. Makes them go way further
So glad this recipe helped you get your pooch to take those meds. Hope it continues to work for you. And thanks for sharing that tip on making the recipe go further. Great idea!
These look wonderful! Two questions though. I’m wondering what the white flakes on outside are? And could you use bone broth for liquid?
You can definitely use bone broth for liquid. And the white specks are oat flour. I grind my own, and it is more coarse than commercially ground. Hope your sweet canine finds them a good fit 😉
These DIY pill pockets are a game changer for giving your dog medication without the hassle! They’re easy to make and so much better than store-bought versions. If you try making them, I’d love to hear how your pup liked them! Drop a comment below to share or ask any questions — I’m happy to help!