DIY Eat: Hide that pill!

#1 Chicken hearts (or turkey hearts for larger dogs).
The aorta (the whitish tube at the top of the heart) provides a natural opening in which to insert a pill. Depending on the size of the pill, you may have to use scissors to cut the tube slightly and make a hole just big enough to allow you to push the pill into the heart ventricle. Most dogs will delightedly gobble it down, pill hidden securely inside! If you’d rather not feed raw, cover hearts with water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain, reserving the stock for pouring over your lucky dog’s food. Freeze your hearts—cooked or raw—and thaw as needed before inserting pill. Can also be given as a treat!

#2 Liver paté.
The paste-like consistency makes it easy to form around a pill and dogs love the taste. Note that paté, like bacon, sausage, gravy covered meat, beef trimmings, and poultry skin, is a high fat food. A little piece (no more than half an inch square per 20 lbs of dog body weight per day) of any of these items is unlikely to cause a problem as long as your dog does not have an underlying health issue.

#3 Almond butter.
If your dog has grown wary of peanut butter after discovering a pill inside, try almond butter!

#4 Light cream cheese.
If your dog is okay with small amounts of dairy, light cream cheese is the perfect (and tasty!) consistency for spreading around a pill.

#5 Hotdog pieces.
Using a chopstick, make an indent in a piece of hotdog in which to hide the pill.

Make Your Own Pill Pockets
Make your own healthy Pill Pockets for pennies!

In a small bowl, combine:
• 1 Tbsp milk (can substitute coconut or almond milk if you wish)
• 2 Tbsp rice flour (any fine flour will work: whole wheat, coconut, spelt, barley…)
• 1 Tbsp smooth peanut butter
Using a spoon, mix the ingredients together until you form a paste. Form into small balls then use the end of a chopstick to make a small indent in the middle. When you’re ready to give your dog her medicine, insert the pill into the indent and then pinch shut, sealing in the pill.

This recipe will yield 8–10 small Pill Pockets. Your homemade Pill Pockets can be kept in a sealed bag in the refrigerator for about a week or can be frozen for up to three months—just be sure to thaw them out before giving to your dog.