Get Your Pet to Eat Their Medicines With the Best Pill Pockets
Taking care of pets can be expensive. With the current prices for pet medication, no one wants to waste pills and capsules just because their pet is a little fussy. Many people try mixing their pet’s pills into their food, but that’s not effective either. To save you from all this trouble, we bring the most popular pill pockets of 2024.
These pill pockets help disguise medicine as treats, so your pet readily eats them up. You don’t have to worry about your pet being too picky, as these pockets come in many flavors and forms. There is always one that will be just right for your fur buddy. Read our comprehensive guide to know all you need about the perfect pill pocket for your pet.
The Perfect Buying Guide for the Most-Popular Pill Pocket
Buying anything for your pets can be tricky due to the fear of them causing harm to your furry friends or them rejecting your purchase altogether.
What Is a Pill Pocket?
A pill pocket is a treat constructed from edible material that helps hold medicines and capsules. Since the thick exterior of the pocket is delicious, many pets tend to swallow it whole, taking medication along with them. They are an effective way to give your pet medicines and daily nutritional supplements without them putting up a fight.
What Pets Can You Give A Pill Pocket To?
Pill pockets are usually designed for dogs as they easily swallow such treats whole. However, pill pocket pastes are marketed toward dogs, cats, and other animals as well. You must make sure whatever product you have selected for your pet is not harmful to their health. A good step would be to consult a vet before making the final purchase.
Factors to Consider When Buying Pill Pockets
Some of the common factors to consider when buying pill pockets includes:
Ingredients
You must check the ingredients that the pill pocket is made of to determine whether it would be a good fit for your pet or not. Some people look for formulas with nutritional value and help with vitamin deficiencies in pets. You should make sure most of the ingredients are natural and it does not use artificial flavoring or colors. Sensitive pets may require pill pockets without gluten, soy, or chicken.
Flavors
Picking the right flavor is essential for determining whether your pet will accept the pill pocket or not. Pill pockets for cats are usually made with chicken or protein-based flavors as they are attractive to them. Peanut butter is an excellent choice for dogs as it is often free of many allergens and is a favorite among them. An excellent way to pick would be to use a flavor similar to the pet food flavor you give them.
Calories
Although it may not seem important, calories matter when it comes to your pet’s health, it is easy to ignore the contribution snacks and pill pockets make to the overall nutrition of your pet. A good pill pocket is low in calories, especially for older pets. A high caloric count does not affect or reduce the effectiveness of the pill pocket. Hence always opt for a low-calorie one.
Safety
Safety is a top concern for many pet owners. You should ensure that your pill pockets are made with safe ingredients that third parties have tested. The facility making the product should be certified and meet health standards. Also, it is an additional plus if your pill pocket does not contain any by-products or unnatural chemicals.
Types of Pill Pocket Products
There are two types of pill pocket products that more stores and our list includes. They are:
Pre-constructed
Pre-constructed pill pockets look like small treats and snacks. They have a cavity made for putting medicine and capsules. Make sure the medicine fits inside the hole without falling out. Doing so will increase the chances of your pet eating it without any fuss.
Construction paste
Construction paste is a type of pill pocket product with a thick and moldable paste that many pet owners wrap around the pills. You can easily cover pills with as much or as less paste as it takes for your pet to accept it readily. It also comes in handy for medicine that is too big or small to fit into classic pill pocket treats.
Compare the Top-Rated Dog Pill Pockets of 2024
Gulpz Pill Pocket
– Best Overall
The Gulpz probiotic pill pockets are a game-changer for feeding your dog medicines and keeping their overall health up. These pill pockets can be closed from both sides to hide the pill completely, and you can even join two together for bigger medicines. With natural hickory and chicken flavor, most dogs readily eat them as a delicious treat. The probiotic formula and added nutrients help boost your dog’s immune system and promote better digestive health. It is the best overall product on our list due to its safe formula and ease of construction.
- Acts as a probiotic supplement
- Supports pets’ digestive health
- Recommended by veterinarians
- 100% natural flavoring and materials
- Delicious hickory and chicken flavor
- Not for sensitive pets
Zesty Paws Dog Pill Pocket:
– Enhanced Immunity
Zesty Paws Dog Pill Pocket is the most delightful way to cover up and carry your dog’s pills, tablets, or capsules. This pill pocket features two probiotics that help to replenish healthy bacteria in your digestive tract and immune system that has been depleted by medication. This chewable functional dietary supplement also features DE111, promoting digestive health and boosting immunity. Whether small or large, your dog will adore these bacon-flavored pill wraps and won’t even realize they’re getting their prescription. All you have to do to improve your dog’s digestive and immune systems is scoop some food, wrap it in a pill, and give it to them.
- Supports gut flora
- Has a mouthwatering bacon flavor
- Helps digestive function
- Consultation required if your dog is on medicine
Milk-Bone Pill Pocket
– Top Flavor
Having a few flavor options is always a good thing when it comes to pets. The Milk-Bone pill pouches are free from by-products, meals or artificial flavors. It’s easy to mold pill pockets that help keep the smell and taste of the medicine locked in so your dog does not notice. These pockets come in chicken and hickory bacon flavors, which most dogs prefer. Not only do these pill pockets help the medicine go down easier, but they also help add nutritional value to your pet’s diet. It is the top flavor product on our list due to its variety of flavors and naturally appealing taste.
- Free from by-products and artificial additives
- Does not create a mess
- Easy to fit most medicines
- Low-calorie formula
- Provides health benefits to your pet
- Some dogs might reject them
Greenies Pill Pocket
– Best Size
The GREENIES pill pockets are capsule-sized dog treats that can trap any tablet regardless of its size. Since it contains 100% natural chicken and traces nutrients to help your dog’s overall health, it’s suitable for pets with allergies. The product comes in various sizes to ensure the pill pockets stay fresh for as long as possible. Therefore, you do not have to worry about artificial flavors and coloring as it’s free from both. Unlike other ways to hide pills, this pill pocket does not make a mess, and your dog can easily swallow them.
- Contain nutrients for your dog’s health
- Easily fits pills of any size
- Can be cinched to lock the pill and smell inside
- Made with 100% natural chicken
- Does not spill or make a mess
- Need to be kept in air-tight conditions
Pet MD Pill Pocket
– Top Paste
When it comes to very picky pets, pastes make better pill pockets than pre-constructed ones. The Pet MD wrap a pill lets you cover your pet’s medicine with however much or less material you need. It is perfect for wrapping tablets, pills, powders, and medicinal drops. The intense peanut butter flavor and smell help conceal any flavor or smell of the medication. Overall, it is an excellent product for picky eaters to ensure they keep up with their medications and keep their health up.
- Easy to mold according to your pet’s needs
- Can use as much or as less as you need
- Peanut butter flavor for dogs that can’t have chicken
- Has fewer calories to ensure your pet’s health
- Can hide pills, tablets, powders and drops
- Not for dogs who aren’t used to peanut butter
Vetoquinol Pill Pocket
– Best Multipets
People with multiple pets know the struggle of finding products to suit each and everyone’s needs. The Ventoquinol pill wrap is the perfect paste to cover your pet’s medication in. You do not have to worry about your cat or dog catching onto your trick as this paste is full of flavor and rich aroma. Such engaging scents help mask the smell of the medicine. You can use this paste with tablets, wafers, pills and drops for a better effect. Overall, this product helps provide your pet with nutrition and medicine on a daily basis.
- Perfect for cats and dogs to eat
- Easy to shape to cover pills
- Covers the smell and flavor of medicine
- Does not get messy or open up
- Need to break bigger tablets into smaller ones
People Also Asked
A: To make an easy-to-swallow pocket with pill paste, take a small pill and wrap it in some paste. Try and roll it between your fingertips or the palm of your hand to match the size of your pet’s favorite treat that they quickly swallow.
A: If the medicine does not fit into the pill pocket, you can break it into two unless the vet specifically told you not to do that. However, when it comes to capsules, try using pockets made especially for them as they can’t be opened.
A: Yes, some pets are very picky with what they eat. Therefore try buying a pill pocket in a flavor that they like and can easily get accustomed to. This will ensure your pet does not reject the pill pocket when you introduce it to them.