Best Ways to Hide Pills & Medication for Dogs
March 16, 2007 at 10:08 am 33 comments
I had a long conversation this week with one of our best repeat customers. She was wondering what soft treats we have that she might put a pill into for her dog. The dog bit into a pill once, and ever since, has been very suspicious of any treat used to camouflage a pill.
He gets the pill out of whatever she uses to hide it, and eats the treat, leaving the pill behind. He does this with cheese, peanut butter, even commercial treats made for this purpose, such as Pill Pockets. She’s trying to use soft treats and mix them up to keep him guessing. I have her a few ideas (I’d been through the daily medication dance with an epileptic Dachshund I once had) but she’d already tried them all.
So I told her I’d post a question on our Blog. How do you hide your dog’s pills? Does any of you have a particularly talented dog who has thwarted the usual methods for hiding pills? Do you have a better way to feed pills to these dogs? Please share with the rest of us any methods other than those I’ve mentioned which have worked for you.
Shawn, this one’s for you.
- Lisa Woody, President, www.FunStuffForDogs.com
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1.
Melissa Morris | March 27, 2007 at 4:40 pm
After doing the daily pill dance with a dog on daily medication, I finally resorted to buying a pill crusher and mixing the pills with enough soft food that the dog couldn’t taste it. Since canned food is considered a treat at our house, they usually gobble it down. I’ve used this method to pill cats, as well.
2.
Jo-Anne | April 6, 2007 at 10:20 am
The best thing I have found for my dog are the “Pill Pockets” he loves them. Cyrus is a Sheppard/Rott/Chow mix, about 80 lbs. He has a siezure disorder. One of his meds that he get 2x’s a day is a compound mixture in a capsule. In the past, if it got stuck in his throat, or if he got any taste of it, he would throw it back up. Never an issue now with the Pill Pockets. They are are godsend! No more food tricks (which he eventually figured out) or getting slimed by sticking it down his throat. I hope this is helpful.
3.
Jo-Anne | April 6, 2007 at 10:25 am
P.S If he has already bit into one, put the pill pocket mixed in with his food. Make sure you are not getting the scent of the medicine on the outside of the pill pocket. Good Luck!
4.
Kerin | May 14, 2007 at 6:54 pm
I wrap my dogs daily medicine in cream cheese and have another portion of cream cheese ready to go. I show my dog both pieces and allow her to have the pill-laced one first. She is so anxoius to get the second piece she hardly notices the “additive” in the first one!
5.
FunStuffForDogs.com | April 19, 2012 at 9:36 am
I love this. As the old saying goes, “If you think dogs can’t add, just put two treats in your pocket and give the dog one.” Thanks for sharing.
6.
Cher | June 16, 2007 at 9:22 am
After experiencing the same problem with my suspicious dachshund, I finally found that a little bit of melted cheddar cheese was the one thing that she couldn’t resist. I crushed the pill, melted the cheese, mixed it up and before I knew it she was waiting for me by the fridge every morning! Good luck!
7.
Gerry | July 14, 2007 at 3:50 pm
Give a try to this it works every time for my dog
Make the dog sit. Give a treat. Pat the head. Go away
Come back. Make the dog sit. Give another treat. Pat the head. Go away
Come back. Make the dog sit. Give a pill. Pat the head. Go away
8.
FunStuffForDogs.com | April 19, 2012 at 9:36 am
This is great!
9.
Lauren | August 21, 2007 at 12:06 pm
IF NOTHING ELSE WORKS. This is what I had to do. If your dog won’t bite your hands try this. I have a little yorkie who I tried the pill pocket on and she didn’t eat it again after she tasted the pill. She evens hides when she hears the pop of the medicine bottle. So I have to force her to take it. I grab her face and force open the mouth I put the pill inside the mouth (on the side) and then I keep her mouth shut by holding her mouth closed with my index and thumb. Think of it like when you make the OK sign. This way she can’t throw it out and she is able to breathe and she chews it. In my case it’s an antibiotic and her life depends on it so I had to do it forcibly. I tried all the other suggestiions first.
10.
janet | November 1, 2007 at 4:41 pm
My dog recently developed seasonal allergies and the pill issue is always a problem. I had some very small tomatoes on the counter and I cut a gap in it and voila! He ate them with no problem! Off to buy more tomatoes! I have 9 more days to use them.
11.
Wayne Dent | November 12, 2007 at 1:46 pm
I just wanted to say how grateful I am that you thought to add this question to this forum. I was purposefully seeking out these types of suggestions when I came upon this forum. It is timely and helpful. I am not good (understatement) at the forcing thing. I know it and what’s worth, my cute little Pom knows it too. So encouraging the pill down with some kind of treat/food is my only way to go. I think I will try the soft dog food trip because he never gets it and I am sure he will lick the bowl clean if I put it in, crushed up and mixed well, with wet dog food.
thank you again fellow dog lovers…..Thank you!
12.
leya | April 22, 2008 at 8:51 pm
i put it in a hot dog. u boil it then cut it in slices and then slice a hole and slipe the pill in.
13.
CJ | May 22, 2008 at 10:11 pm
My baby has several problems and takes several medications. We have tried so many things. One BIG one is that if they have allergies, my vet tells us to give her benedryl. The dose is the same as children’s Benedryl and they make all different versions of that to get it down for them. The strips have proven to be the easiest so far. And as for the others, we have tried just about everything. The only things I don’t see listed here are the vienna sausages (small little pieces only due to how it reacts with some of their bodies) and marshmallows. Also my fieance uses that canned cheese and she likes that too. And those heartworm pills come beef flavored now.
14.
Keri | June 17, 2008 at 5:41 am
I have got a rotteweiler who is 9 now and i have recently found out that she has got Osteosarcoma which is bone cancer, we was originally told to prepare ourselves as we don’t have long left with her but she has proven us wrong and it has been 4 months now since it was first diagnosed. she is taking medication about 4-5 times a day and we are finding it difficult now as we started by using ham she realised our secret we then moved onto doggie sausages and again she found out so we resulted in cheese, she is still okay with the cheese but we are gettin concerned as she is puttin on too much weight and it is making things more complicated as she only has 3 legs she can use, i have been told by my old manager (kennel manager) to use a soft food called nature diet which is a soft food i can mould the pill around but i dont know if she will eat this. does anyone know where i can get the pill pouches from and just explain to me what they are please? i shall be greatful for any feedback. Keri
15.
Mary | December 20, 2008 at 8:21 pm
My pug has an amazing nose and he could smell the pill even when it was inside the pill pocket. I had tried putting his pill in pretty every other kind of food and every time he ate around the pill or spit it out.Then I got the bright idea of putting the pill inside the pill pocket and then putting that inside soft food. Voila! That was enough layers to hide the taste and smell of the pill.
16.
Diane | February 27, 2009 at 2:46 pm
Our mastiff has had to take pills daily for the last 4 years. BANANAS. They are a godsend for us.
17.
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18.
janice | March 27, 2010 at 8:07 am
I use peanut butter to hide the pill(s). It’s sticky, so the pills stick to the peanut butter making it hard for the dog to seperate the pills from the peanut butter. And the dog keeps licking for several minutes after you give them the peanut butter/pills causing the dog to continuing swallowing, no regurtation!
19.
dave | June 8, 2010 at 10:32 pm
my poor 4 y/o lab mix has developed allergies pretty bad this year so we’ve been trying to give her benadryl daily. i used to be able to wrap it in lunchmeat and she would gobble it down. She’s figured out sometimes things are hidden in treats so she will take the treat no matter what it is then put it on the floor and eat it slowly, leaving the pill behind. I’ve forced it on her before but I feel terrible doing that because she looks so scared after. My wife is at the store buying the dissolvable strips now. I hope that works! Otherwise I’ll be trying the pill pockets for sure.
Thanks everyone…
20.
Brandi | November 2, 2010 at 4:06 pm
I have a Jack Russell, just diagnosed with Fanconi Syndrome. Needless to say she numerous pills daily now. She however, also was able to sniff out all pills regardless of what I used to camoflauge. Now, I have her sit in front of me with her belly facing forward, leaning back against my chest. Pry open her mounth, push the pill back as far as possible close mouth with one hand and hold closed while rubbing up and down her neck with the other hand, causing her to swollow. Works great! Just have to catch her first!
21.
Wilmya | October 6, 2011 at 7:47 am
I had a retired racing greyhound who had to get daily meds and was pretty savvy at getting around the pill and eating the treat. I lived in Tucson, Arizona at the time and there was a compounding pharmacy. I was able to get the meds by postal mail after I moved. Check to see if there is a Compounding Pharmacy nearby. They will need the prescription. I was able to get her meds made into a chicken soup flavored liquid (there were many flavor choices) that I either squirted into her mouth or onto her food. She looked forward to it. It stayed in the refrigerator. Its harder to spit out a liquid, too. This pharmacy serviced people, too.
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[...] Best Ways to Hide Pills & Medication for Dogs « Dog Blog – Dog … – Best Ways to Hide Pills & Medication for Dogs. March 16, 2007. I had a long conversation this week with one of our best repeat customers. She was wondering what soft treats we have that she might put a pill into for her dog. The dog bit into a … [...]
23.
Helga | October 29, 2011 at 12:24 pm
My Jack Russell needs to take a large pill 2x a day on an empty stomach. He is not eating and the vet thinks he has a bleeding ulcer. He is very aggressive and bit me when I tried to give him the pill which the vet said to grind and make a paste and gave me a syrinch to give him the pill. I had to muzzle him and he got so aggressive and was fighting me and the medication was all over the muzzle and me. I do not know how I can do this. Has anyone else had this problem? I cannot disguise the pill because he is not eating anything and because he has to take it on an empty stomach. I cannot open his mouth because he will chew my hand off. He is going to be 15 years old and I know he does not feel good and he does not know that I am trying to help him.
24.
Heather | November 3, 2011 at 5:24 pm
Okay, so all of my life i’ve had larger dogs (my family currently has a 2 year old Great Pyrenese and an 8 year old Chow/Rot mix). For them, we can just roll the pills in a chesse slice, and they’re sooo excited they just swallow it whole without even noticing! However, for my 22nd birthday, I bought myself a Teacup Porkie (Pomeranian/Teacup Yorkie) to better fit my lifestyle. I was given a chewable pill for GI diseases that is the size of a quarter and is about a half an inch tall. I CANNOT get her to eat this thing for the life of me! Because of all of my attempts, she now hates cheese, peanut butter, and me for that matter. Anyway, my boss just recommended mashing up the treat and mixing it with water (or any other liquid substance healthy for dogs to intake). If they won’t drink it out of their bowl, he said to put it into a syringe. I haven’t tried this yet, but so far it sounds pretty easy to me!! Just thought i’d share!! Good luck everyone!!
<3 xoxo
25.
Shirley | November 27, 2011 at 1:48 pm
My old English Setter takes about 12 pills a day (more if on antibiotics) and used to take them nicely when covered by peanut butter and/or commercial pill pockets. Not any more. I did find that switching to new peanut butter brands and styles, cheese types, commercial products and other pill covers will work for a while on each product. Lately I wrapped some soft white bread around each pill and had good success. Hvarti cheese was the best consistency and taste for her — a 3 oz piece was good for over a week’s worth of pills. Hot dogs didn’t work at all because she chews them and spits the pills out. I also have luck sometimes by not pushing the issue immediately and giving the pills a little later. Typically the smaller the overall “package” the better she’ll take them. I also put some pills in a coconut-flavored yogurt and spooned the yogurt and pill into her mouth. I’m concerned that this may have caused her to inhale some of the yogurt, however.
26.
Karen | January 11, 2012 at 3:12 am
Our dog, Charley recently had surgery and does NOT like the taste of the pill for pain relief. We have had the most success with using a slippery food (melted cheese or peanut butter). Each thing we have tried only works for a short time, until she gets wise to what is going on. She is one of those dogs that can eat around just about anything you try to use and then spit out the pill. When we tried forcing it down her throat, she started foaming at the mouth to try to get as much of it out as she could and then she vomited up the pill.
When we finally figured out that we need to hide the scent of the pill from her in something slippery, we started having better success. Try warming up a small piece of cheese in the microwave (don’t let it start bubbling because then the cheese is going to be hard instead of soft and slippery). Carefully put the pill in the middle of the cheese and then fold the cheese over the pill with a knife, being sure to completely cover the pill (and the scent of the pill). Charley has refused to eat cheese with no pill in it when the cheese had the scent of the pill on it).
We also use a “chaser” as some other people have noted. A “chaser” is something to distract her from what you just gave her and hopefully keep her from trying to chew the slippery pocket with the pill in it. A good chaser for her has been yoghurt, since she has been on antibiotics for a long time.
27.
T | January 20, 2012 at 12:16 am
Usually peanut butter works best when I give my husky, Fenris, his pills. Unfortunately, this time he is on a bland diet of nothing but tuna and rice for a week to settle his stomach (he may have IBD) and its quite impossible to fully hide his pill in it!
The first time I tried hiding it he just licked off all the tuna and rice, leaving a half dissolved pill in his bowl, haha! What I’m trying to do now is make a little ball of mushed up rice and/or tuna around it. Oh how I miss you, peanut butter. You were truly a lifesaver…
At least the Kong is getting a good rest!
28.
Jasen | January 22, 2012 at 1:59 am
I, too, have had excellent luck with Pill Pockets by Greenies. My dog has never avoided a single pill as long as it was stuck in a Pill Pocket. He, too, has a seizure disorder and takes 2 pills a day and he actually looks forward to it. As soon as hears me opening that Pill Pocket pouch he comes running from anywhere in the house. It’s the best way to give a dog a pill.
29.
chris | March 3, 2012 at 5:04 pm
My dog recently has had back problems for the past two months which has resulted in back surgery. Prior to surgery he got to the point of not trusting the treats I would give him to hide the pills. At the hospital they hide the pills in a cat food meatball which seemed to work well or crushed them into yogurt. I tried these methods at home but had no luck. I eventually found that peanut butter did the trick, at least for now. I may have to change to hotdogs if he figures it out again. Hope this helps.
30.
Jennifer Collars | April 6, 2012 at 5:37 pm
I make a special casserole for my dogs. A little rotisserie chicken, brown rice, steamed carrots and green beans. Crush up the medication and mix well. Top with a sprinkle of shredded cheese or cottage cheese and you’ve got it made!
31.
Julie Dee | April 17, 2012 at 1:24 pm
My German Shepherd has to take many pills (some can be crushed, some cannot. The crushed pills are mixed into Science Diet AD (can only be purchased at the vet) or meat-flavored baby food (ham/chicken/beef/lamb). That works pretty well, usually. And he also takes enzymes for pancreatic enzyme insuffiency..those go into the wet Science Diet or into the baby food. If he has an upset stomach, though, he won’t take it. He hates Pill Pockets, but we have had short term success with a variety of other ways to get pills into him (he always figures out that we are “tricking” him. Velveeta, cream cheese rolled into a lunch meat rollup, liverwurst was a hit for some time, vienna sausages, hot dogs, Spam, canned potted meat, little cocktail sausages, the canned squeeze cheese, cat food meatball concoctions…all have gone by the wayside, since he figures out that pills might be lurking in them. He chews everything thoroughly (no gulping) to find any pills (and hates peanut butter..so weird). I’m trying pre-made, pre-cooked meatballs tonight. He has osteosarcoma (bone cancer) so it is heartbreaking when we can’t get pills into him. He also takes Benadryl, so I may try to strips to see if that will work (two fewer pills to fight about!)…great tip!
32.
Mary | May 9, 2012 at 9:13 am
The best way I have found for pills that aren’t taken everyday is to ball up 3 pieces of bread (my dog LOVES bread). I put the pill in one of them and make sure that the bread completely covers it and that the “seams” can’t come apart. I show her all the pieces and give the pill one second. She gets the first normal piece, sometimes chews it but normally just swallows it, gulps down the second and the third pieces. Since she sometimes chews the first one (even though they are small pieces), I have to give the medication a second piece and to make sure she doesn’t chew that, she gets a third.
For her every day medications I crush them, mix with some yogurt and freeze them. I use an ice cube tray and one 6oz can of yogurt. I put them in a bag and just pick one out each morning. It is a little obnoxious to make them all at once, but I like it more than doing it daily. It is easier than giving bread and the frozen yogurt hides the texture while it’s unfrozen counterpart does not. She loves them and thinks they are treats.
For fish oil, before trying to get them to take the pill, either get liquid or snip the end of a liquid capsule and squeeze it onto their food. I squeeze it on top of her food, add a little water and mix it. She loves it. I’ve heard that most dogs will take fish oil or diluted fish oil, so you don’t have to fight with the pill.
33.
ashley | May 29, 2012 at 12:07 pm
My dogs weakness is hot dog weiners. I crush the pill cut a hole in the weiner and then shove the powder in the Weiner. After that I give her the remaining piece. Good luck.