Is your pooch picky when it comes to taking his medication? Many pups struggle to swallow pill capsules, making it difficult to administer the medicine they need.
Thankfully, pill pockets serve as tasty tools that will help your furry friend take his medication and even enjoy the process. We’ll share some of our favorite pill pockets and provide some additional tips for getting your pup to take his medicine below!
Best Dog Pill Pockets: Quick Picks
- Greenies Pill Pockets [Best Overall Pill Pockets for Dogs]: Soft, large enough to contain most pills, and available in several flavors, these are clearly the best choice for most dog owners.
- Vetiq Pill Treats [Most Affordable Pill Pockets for Dogs]: Easy to stuff with medications and even easier on your bank account, these are the ideal choice for cost-conscious canine owners.
- TOMLYN Pill Masker [Best Paste-Style Pill “Pocket” for Dogs]: Need something besides traditional pill pockets? This pasty-and-tasty product will help the medicine go down.
What Are Pill Pockets and How Do You Use Them?
Pill pockets are treats that have a small pocket in which you can hide medication. This conceals the capsule and tricks your pooch into thinking that he’s getting a tasty treat.
Just note that they come in a variety of sizes, so you’ll need to select pockets that are big enough to fully conceal your dog’s medication. Larger medications will require larger pockets and so forth.
Pill pockets also come in a variety of textures to cater to your pup’s preference. Many owners seek out a softer texture since these treats are easier to mold and conceal capsules. However, there are crunchy varieties available if this suits your dog’s desires.
So, whether you’re trying to give your dog an antibiotic, provide your pooch with something for pain, or treat your dog’s nasal congestion, you may want to give pill pockets a try. They often make the medicine go down much easier!
The Best Dog Pill Pockets: Our Winning Picks!
Without further ado, here are some of the best pill pockets available for your canine’s capsules. Keep in mind that different medications require different types or sizes of pill pockets, so be sure to take a look at your mutt’s medication before landing on a solution.
1. Greenies Pill Pockets
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Greenies Pill Pockets
Soft, easy to mold, and available in three different flavors, these are the best pill pockets for most four-footers.
About: These pill pockets from Greenies are packed with flavor and have a soft, malleable texture that makes it easy to conceal your canine’s capsules. You can also find these pockets in chicken, hickory smoke, or peanut butter flavor to suit your dog’s taste.
Features:
- Each bag contains 60 pill pockets
- Meat is the first ingredient, helping to better tempt your terrier
- Soft texture allows you to fully conceal the pill after inserting it into the pocket
- Made in the USA
- Can be purchased in 6-packs for dogs who take a lot of meds
Pros
- Most dogs seem to love the taste of these pill pockets
- Owners had no trouble concealing pills with the soft texture of the treats
- Even picky pups had a hard time sniffing out capsules in these pill pockets
Cons
- You’ll need to make sure the bag is firmly sealed to prevent these pockets from getting dry
- They may cause stomach upset for some pups, though it’s hard to know if this is due to the pockets or the medicine
2. Vetiq Pill Treats
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Vetiq Pill Treats
Chicken-flavored, tube-style pill pockets that work great, mask bad-tasting medicines, and won’t break the bank.
About: If you’re looking for an affordable way to get Fido to take his medication, these pill pockets from Vetiq are one of the best solutions. The made in the USA treats are chicken flavored and can also be used as soft training treats.
Features:
- Pill treats can be molded to fully cover pill capsules
- Made in the USA
- 30 pill treats per bag
- Easy to pinch closed and break into pieces for training treats
- Well-sized for standard capsules
Pros
- Owners loved the affordable price of this product and had no trouble fitting pills into the treat’s “pocket”
- Dogs seemed to enjoy the flavor of these treats
- Treats can be used for training for added flexibility
Cons
- Some users founded that treats needed to be softened with a few seconds in the microwave in order to be molded around a treat
- Some dogs didn’t enjoy the super chewy texture of these treats
3. Milk-Bone Pill Pouches
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Milk-Bone Pill Pouches
Great-tasting, soft pill pockets that are easy to use, made with real chicken, and contain no artificial flavors.
About: Milk-Bone is known for making tasty pooch treats, and these pill pouches are no exception. Ideal for doggos who seem to need a little extra flavor to cover the taste of their medicines, these are available in both chicken and hickory smoked bacon varieties.
Features:
- Both pill pouch flavors feature meat as the first ingredient
- Pill pouches fit most standard capsules
- One bag contains approximately 25 pill pouch treats
- Soft pouches can be molded around the pill to truly conceal the capsule
Pros
- Most dogs seem to love the taste of these pill pouches, even if they were historically picky eaters
- Soft treats are easy to use and fill
- Two flavor options gives Fido some more variety
Cons
- Some dogs may not prefer the soft, chewy texture of these pill pouches
4. TOMYLN Pill Masker
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TOMYLN Pill Masker
Bacon-flavored pill masker that is useful for masking the taste of oddly shaped tablets and it can even be used to hide liquids.
About: This paste-style pill masker from TOMYLN provides owners with a different way to hide their pupper’s meds. The paste can be used to cover pills of any shape, making it great for dogs with medications of various sizes. As a bonus, it’s safe for cats too!
Features:
- Bacon-flavored pill masker can be used to cover almost any medication
- Safe for both dogs and cats
- Long shelf life and paste design keeps the paste malleable for longer
- Masker fully covers the medication to your desired thickness
- Can hold liquid drops as well
Pros
- Flexible paste can accommodate a wide variety of pill sizes
- Dog- and cat-safe formula is great for multi-pet households
- Pets seemed to like the “bacon” flavor of this paste
Cons
- Using the paste is more time consuming since you have to manually cover the medication
5. Medi-Crunch Pill Pouch
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Medi-Crunch Pill Pouch
Crunchy, easy-to-use, peanut-butter-flavored pill pockets that offer a unique texture that appeals better to some dogs.
About: If your canine prefers a crunchier treat, these pill pouches from Medi-Crunch are certainly worth considering. The pouches have a crunchy exterior and a creamy peanut butter center that makes them easy to fill with your mutt’s medication.
Features:
- Pill pouch features a crunchy exterior that some dogs prefer
- Peanut butter center hides capsules
- Can be used as a treat on it’s own
- 30 treats per box
- Only 6 calories per treat
Pros
- Owners found these pill pouches super easy to use for most medications
- Dogs loved the taste of these peanut butter pouches
- Hard exterior is great for dogs who prefer a crunchy treat
Cons
- The shape of these treats is hard to alter, so pill size is a critical issue with these
6. Zoë Pill Pops
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Zoë Pill Pops
Soft, chewy, and individually-wrapped treats that come in three different mouth-watering flavors to tempt even the pickiest pooches.
About: If you have persnickety pooch at home, try the exotic flavors of Zoë Pill Pops. These pill pockets come in flavors like chicken & rosemary, ginger & beef, and honey & peanut butter for pups with a sophisticated palette. You’ll pay a bit more for these pill pockets, but if they work for your picky pupper, it’ll be money well spent.
Features:
- 3 different fancy flavor options for your furry friend
- Soft pouches are malleable so that you can fully conceal canine capsules
- Pill pops fit most tablets and capsules
- Each pill pop is individually wrapped to preserve freshness
- 20 treats per bag
Pros
- Individually-wrapped treats are perfect for preserving freshness or taking on the go
- Dogs seemed to love the taste of these pill pockets
- Unique flavor options are great for picky pups
Cons
- These pill pops do not come with a hollow center. You’ll need to push the pill into the center of each treat to create a “pocket”
Do Pill Pockets Work For Dogs?
Generally speaking, pill pockets tend to be helpful for most dogs.
But they don’t always work. Many dogs have no trouble taking their medication when wrapped in these tasty treats, but there are exceptions and some dogs will still make things difficult on you. Your clever canine may also work around the pill so that he’s only enjoying the pill pocket and not the pill itself.
But to be clear: It’s still best to try pill pockets first, as they make things super easy when they work.
DIY Pill Pocket Recipe: Homemade Helpers!
Thankfully, whipping up your own DIY pill pockets is a breeze. Just check out our instructional video below or see the entire DIY pill pocket recipe here.
Other Ways to Get Your Pup to Take His Medicine
Already try pill pockets but find they didn’t work? Don’t worry — there are a few other ways to get your pooch to take his medication. We’ve put together a comprehensive list of tips on how to get your dog to take medicine before, but here are a few examples:
- Use peanut butter. Pooch-pleasing peanut butter is perfect for concealing pills. Simply coat the medication with dog-safe creamy peanut butter and offer it up to your furry friend. You can also potentially crush up a tablet and mix it into the peanut butter itself though you’ll need an O.K. from your veterinarian for this approach.
- Mix it in with wet food. If your dog has liquid medication or pill capsules that can be broken into powdered form, mix it in with a little bit of your dog’s favorite wet food. Most dogs love wet food, and the rich flavor should be enough to mask some of the bitterness of the medication.
- Interject the medicine in between treats. Sometimes, if you gain your dog’s “trust” by giving him a treat or two on its own before the medication, he won’t think twice about swallowing a capsule. Give your dog a treat (this could be an empty pill pocket) before giving him a treat with the medication, followed by another treat without the medication. While this method can be effective, it’s important to keep an eye on how many calories your canine is receiving since you’re offering up multiple treats.
If all else fails, talk to your veterinarian to see if there’s any other ways of administering your mutt’s medication. Some pills can be administered in a liquid form which may be easier for some pet owners. Additionally, your pharmacist may be able to flavor certain medications to make the administration process less of a hassle.
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Pill pockets can be an excellent way to get your dog to take his medicine. These tiny tools will get the job done and help your furry friend look forward to consuming his canine capsules.
Has your dog used pill pockets? What’s his favorite type? We’d love to hear all about it in the comments below!
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