My dog is finally on to me. She’s long given up PB on her pills, and has learned to spit out her pills that are wrapped in nitrite free deli meat, causing me to waste quite a bit before she gets it down.

Looking for a cheaper alternative, these seem great, but the ingredients are not conducive for optimal health, especially a dog in our situation that has cancer.

wheat flour, corn syrup, wheat gluten, vegetable oil should not be on the consumption list for a sick dog, let alone one for cancer. Sadly, my search goes on.

Chicken, glycerin, wheat flour, natural flavors, dried corn syrup, corn flour, wheat gluten, chicken liver meal, vegetable oil, lecithin, brewer’s dried yeast, potassium sorbate (to preserve freshness), methylcellulose, ascorbic acid (source of vitamin C), mixed tocopherols, vitamin E supplement.

I can’t believe these are veterinary approved. Just smell one and that should tip you off….smells like chemicals. Evidently my dogs think so too, because they will not eat them.

My dachshund recently needed to start taking pills three times a day. He figured out there were sometimes pills in hot dog pieces (something to try nonetheless) so he began carefully checking each piece and spitting out the pills. So I tried Pill Pockets. The first one worked, and that was the last time. He won’t even taste them now. So for me, Pill Pockets were expensive and ineffective. I now cook him up some chicken hearts and conceal the pills inside every day as needed while he isn’t looking, then trim them down to barely cover the pill. I get him excited by quickly feeding him the trimmings, followed up by the main piece with the pill inside. On occasion he still finds them, but he likes chicken so much that it works quite well, so far, anyway.

Obviously Pill Pockets work very good for most people, but not for me and my dog.

As a veterinarian, I’ve dispensed a lot of medications for both dogs and cats…that is, until I had to start medicating my own pets. I’ve became a lot more empathetic now that I’ve realized that I can barely pill my own cat (who runs away from me), and that my dog will not take pills in cheese or peanut butter. In fact, pilling my own pets has smartened me up on what meds pets really need. As a result, I’ve started prioritizing pills – in other words, I rank the order of importance of each prescription for pet owners, so they know which pills are an absolute MUST give, and which ones they can skip if they are getting desperately fed up with pilling.

Since then, my life has changed… thanks to Pill Pockets. I regret not inventing these, as it was one of those “duh” products that came out, making you wish you had the money-making patent. Whoever owns a dog that needs to be pilled chronically, pay heed. The Greenies Pill Pockets are awesome… that is, for dogs, at least.
My dog recently got put on a bunch of medications, and he’s super picky (although less so, since getting put on steroids!). Being that he needs a total of 5 medications a day, I found Pill Pockets to be a true life saver, as they improve both my dog’s and my quality of life. These little tasty, greasy, soft, malleable pockets are designed so that you can stick the pill (or multiple pills) in the center, and seal them into a hidden ball of “treat.” It’s like playing with palatable play-dough. Drop it in the food, and voila, it “makes pills a treat to give!”

The pros: Pill Pockets are easy, convenient, tasty, and come in multiple flavors (Dog: beef and chicken; Cat: salmon and chicken. It also comes in a hypoallergenic flavor – duck and pea – for both species with food allergies). More importantly, they are palatable – dogs seem to love them. Another pro is that they come in multiple sizes, and I’m able to stuff 5 pills – yes all 5 pills – into the larger “capsule” dog Pill Pockets.

The cons: One of my two cats won’t touch Pill Pockets. This is, of course, the cat who actually needs to take medication. He also won’t touch Feline Heartgard monthly chewable pills either, so I suspect he doesn’t like moist treats. So, try at your own risk, particularly if you have a finicky cat. The other con is that Pill Pockets are a bit greasy – they have a high vegetable oil content. As ingredients are listed in order of use, vegetable oil is #4 for the dog pill pockets. While this doesn’t affect the health of your pet, a hand-washing is a MUST after playing with Pill Pockets (which you should always do when handling your pet’s meds, anyway). That said, I know that the vegetable oil is needed to keep the Pill Pockets malleable (easy to fold and maneuver). The other con – cost. They’re not cheap, and if your pet is on loads of meds, it can certainly add up. Try jamming 5 pills in one capsule to help. But anything for Fido, right?!

Dr. Justine Lee, DVM, DACVECC
Author of “It’s a Dog’s Life… but It’s Your Carpet” and “It’s a Cat’s World… You Just Live In It”
[…].

It looks as if the previous reviews are all for Pill Pockets in general, which are a great product for dogs. This flavor variety, though, is horrible, judging by the packet I was sent.

I opened the package, and they smelled exactly like (forgive the imagery) diarrhea. And strongly. I thought someone had had an accident until I realized where it was coming from.

I thought maybe it was a flavor dogs like. You never know. Some cheese smells bad too. My poor dog spit it out and gagged when I fed it to him.

This is either a very misguided flavor attempt, or the completely sealed package somehow went rotten (not a good sign), or they filled it with rotten product at the packaging stage (also not reassuring).

Sickening, horrible, unfit to be put in the trash. Had to flush it.

Giving pills on a daily basis at an animal shelter, I have found that these provide no advantage over either breaking up the pill and mixing it in with canned food, or pushing the pill into a chunk of meat (in chunky canned food). Some crafty dogs eat the pill pocket away from the pill and leave the pill untouched. I suggest mixing pills in with something with a strong odor and flavor. One trick is to push the pill into a bit of hotdog–no dog can resist that.

The pill pockets were all broken up into little pieces. I have to put them together and wrap them around the capsules. Very inconvenient!!

Alright success until the receptionist at the vet said to use Hot dogs. Hmmm. What dog does not like Hot Dogs?

I bought the capsule size Greenies for my pekingnese and cut them into four pieces and place the pills in them using tweezers to avoid getting the odor of the pills on the outside. I wrap dog food around the Greenies and he eats everything. If he’s not eating and I try to put the Greenie into his mouth he spits it out as soon as he tastes the medicine. If he’s not eating very much he pushes the Greenie to the side.

I have a 100lb dog, an Akita who HATES taking pills. She has NOT had Pill Pockets for Dogs, but she HAS had Pill Pockets for CATS. Now, before you click the “No” button after “Was this review helpful to you?”, read further — my comments will be of value to those with dogs that take SMALL pills!

Andie has been taking pills for hypothyroidism for the past 9 years. Her pills are TINY. Wrapping them in meat or cheese never worked; she simply ate around the pill or spit it out. For years the only way I could get Andie to take pills was to, literally, shove them down her throat. (My hands are small enough and her mouth is big enough for me to do this. Thankfully she’s a very trusting dog!)

Then one day I was at the vet and noticed packages of something called “Pill Pockets”. They had two kinds — one for dogs and one for cats. Both came in flavors that Andie would like, but the dog Pill Pockets came in different sizes (small and large) while the cat Pill Pockets only came in one size (small).

I looked at each package very carefully and noticed that the packages for cats had 45 Pill Pockets, while the packages for small dogs only had 35 Pill Pockets. And yet, the packages for small dogs cost MORE than the packages for cats — huh? (On Amazon.com they are the same price, but the quantities are different.) So I looked at Andie’s tiny thyroid pills, then looked at the Pill Pocket pictures on the packages and decided, “I might as well save myself a buck and buy the kitty Pill Pockets. What the hey, Andie won’t know she’s eating something intended for cats!”

I’ve been happy with that decision ever since.

I’ve bought both the salmon- and chicken-flavored Pill Pockets FOR CATS and Andie likes them both. The pockets are the perfect size, just big enough for her thyroid pills, and to date she has gulped down every one, then begged for another! And I like the fact that I get 10 more in each package than I would if I bought the Pill Pockets “for dogs”.

Pill Pockets are GREAT product, for cats OR dogs. I wish I had discovered them sooner! While I have never used the Pill Pockets for Dogs, I am 100% confident that they are excellent. That’s why I’m giving this product 5 stars. If Andie’s pills were bigger I would get the Pill Pockets for Dogs, and I know she would like them just as much. For the time being, though, I will stick with the smaller Pill Pockets for Cats, since they last a few days longer.

So, this review is to pass along an idea that perhaps some dog owners had not considered: If your dog takes tiny pills like Andie does, go with the more economical choice and get Pill Pockets for Cats. Your dog will never know the difference!

Rarely have I encountered a product that doesn’t have at least ONE person who either thinks it’s junk, or gives a (bogus) low review because the delivery guy accidentally dropped the package before leaving the item at the door.

As of this moment, 100% of the people reviewing the Greenies PILL POCKETS have given them a five-star rating, and I’m enthusiastically joining the crowd!

If you’re a dog owner, you’ve almost certainly had to, at some point, give your dog a pill that he or she was reluctant to take. The usual remedy until now, (as suggested by our vet) was to simply shove the thing down the poor dog’s throat, and then rub their neck to help the pill go down.

Recently, one of our dogs –a large yellow lab named Chip– was suffering from untreatable throat cancer, but he still needed to take a number of pills to make his final days a little more comfortable. The vet specifically mentioned AVOIDING the “shove and rub” technique as it would be very painful for the dog –who at that point was even reluctant to eat his regular food.

Someone mentioned PILL POCKETS. We picked up a bag and lo and behold, they worked like a champ. Though Chip was still not really interested in eating a meal, the *very* meaty smell of the PILL POCKETS was irresistible to him, and he happily gobbled up his meds.

Sadly, we lost Chip about a week later, but then our other dog developed a minor skin rash that required he take some antibiotics. Eubie is a Border Collie, and they tend to figure things out before you do –and we were astounded when he wolfed down his medicine and then looked at us as if to ask “is that all –when do I get another?!”

My technique for using the PILL POCKETS is to stuff the pill(s) inside, pinch off the open end –and then, using my palms, “roll” the pocket into a smooth, round ball. With Eubie at least, he loves the smell so much, that he simply swallows it whole.

In fact, I discovered another great use for the PILL POCKETS and that is to take a rawhide bone and smear the nooks and crannies with a single pill pocket. Since they’re kind of “doughy” in texture, they’re perfect in this regard –and for a dog that will happily walk around the house with the rawhide bone for days without ever chewing on it, we’ve found that the “pill pocket infused” rawhide is something that he HAS to chew on. (In fact, he was SO focused on this task, that for the first time ever, he actually ignored the fireworks on July 4th…. it was truly amazing!)

– Jonathan Sabin

the pill pockets are supposed to be little ROUND treats so you can put the pill in the middle. The packaging Amazon used is what they would use for a flat book. This whole package is smooshed and ruined and one big flat sheet of treats. This is the first time I have ever had a problem with Amazon’s shipping. I will not be ordering this item again from them and I am a little disappointed because this is the best price I have found for these anymore! I guess the cheap price comes with a cost!

Great shipping, timely. However, beware of the label (not listed on the Amazon.com ad) that these are very small pill pockets (barely big enough for one little tablet). They are not the product we thought we were getting “for capsules”. It’s hard to see that with the information they give you on the web.

My puppy loves Greenies pillpockets as a regular treat. When I first discovered this, it was at the vet’s office and they used the beef flavored ones. Eventually, I decided to see how she would like the Duck and Pea flavor but when I opened the bag the odor from these treats made me, my roommate, and my boyfriend gag. Even the dog was less excited–and she loves (and I mean LOVES) the beef pill pockets. I set out one of each just to see what she’d go for and my vacuum cleaner of a dog went straight for the beef. She’ll eat the duck one, but only if that’s the only thing available. I had planned on trying the chicken flavor at some point too, but after this I think we’ll be sticking with beef.

The pill pocket was way too large for the pill, and my crafty dog figured out right away how to get the pill out and eat the treat. The pill pocket itself was overly oily and had a heavy smell that was difficult to wash off my hands after I handled the product. After using two pockets — and not getting a pill into my pooch, I threw away the rest of the bag. Great idea, but a useless, ineffective, and nasty product. If you want your dog to swallow pills without a fuss, roll the pill in homemade peanut butter paste (organic peanut butter and nutritional yeast); low-cost, easy clean up, and 100% success rate!

It did not take more than 2 or 3 times for my Bichon to find a way to glide her tongue around the pill, detach it from the pocket and let it fall on the floor.

This is a great idea for giving pills. It worked great.. at first. Now my cat has decided she won’t eat these anymore so its back to the pill popper

I bought these to put my puppies vitamins in and he just doesn’t like them!

For big pills you have to press a little harder to make the material stick to the pill, but it still does the trick.

For those picky dogs that don’t want to take pills, this is the solution. I tried to hide my dog’s pills in peanut butter, cheese, and cold cuts, none of which worked. I purchased both the roasted duck, which is for allergies, and chicken flavored pockets and tried out both of the sizes (pockets for tablets and capsules) as well. My dog much preferred the chicken flavor. I preferred the pill pockets in the capsule size. This is because these pockets are larger. Even though the tablet sized pockets are large enough for any tablet, the capsule size allow me to get twice as many pill pockets for my money. I split them in two and can still fit a tablet inside each half*… just a TIP for those wanting to save a bit of $

I bought this product (Beef Flavor) to be able to maybe give my dog her medicine more easily, but she won’t eat them. She puts it in her mouth, but then spits it right back out, licks it a little, then leaves it alone.

I’ve tried breaking it into smaller pieces (she is a small dog), but she still won’t eat it.

This is a dog that LOVES treats and this is the only “treat” I cannot get her to eat.

It’s a good concept, but you may be wasting your money as I did.

our 9 month lab loved them. giving him a pill could be easier. insert pill, fold over top and give him a treat….

I love this product. I have to give my dog medicine on a daily basis and he takes them like treats using pill pockets. I normally buy the capsule (as opposed to tablet) size and just pull off as much as I need to cover the size pill Dexter has to take. This makes the product last longer. Dexter thinks they’re a treat and just gobbles it down medicine and all.

The one draw back for me is the smell of the Allergy formula pockets – it’s pretty bad! I’ve used the beef flavor in the past and don’t remember the smell being so bad. I had to stop using the beef formulas because after finally reading the ingredients I found it had chicken broth/stock in it and my dog is allergic to chicken. Not sure why they put chicken of any kind in a beef version but I’ve found this in many beef products.

My dog had been taking pills without issue for several months. Due to a recent surgery, her daily pill count has gone up dramatically, and it has become increasingly difficult to get her to take them. I have heard many people saying how wonderfully these pill pockets work, so I finally decided to give them a try. First, I think they are ridiculously expensive (although reasonable at Amazon, these cost almost 30% more at my local pet store, where I unfortunately bought them). Second, if the pills taste bad (particularly if they are tablets that are cut in half to lower the dosage), it is likely that your dogs will still spit them out if they are anything like mine. I was hoping for the magic solution to pill taking, but this is not it.

Our Choc Lab is very sneaky about hiding his dialy asperin in nooks and crannies of his mouth and then spitting is out later. The vet recommended I get the capsule size pill pockets and tear them into 2. That way I get 2 days out of each one. I place the asperin inside and press to seal the edges. Pop it into his mouth and he thinks he has a new treat added to his morning treats! Problem solved.

Great product. no complaints. Shipping was fast and everything came as expected. Product was as described and my dogs love them. makes pills time so much more easy. thank you

Previously I had been buying lunch meat and wrapping the pills in the meat. That got very expensive! This idea is genius! The dogs LOVE the taste. The pill fits in perfectly! And it came the very next day! Awesome!

Our vet prescribed medication for one of our dogs (a medium sized pill) that she refused to swallow. We tried the Pill Pockets and night became day. Our dog now looks forward to taking her medication in the morning and at night. In fact our other dog thinks she should have one of these “treats” at the same time. We’re able to split the Pill Pocket in half so it only takes one to cover both the morning and evening medications. The Pill Pockets are moist, can be divided into 2 pieces by hand, and can be molded around the pill to cover sharp edges. What a great product.

I typically don’t feed my dog anything that is soft and made out of meat b/c things like that are so smelly; however, he is on medication twice a day now. The ONLY way that I can get him to take it is by using these pill pockets. I use the chicken ones and there is minimal meat smell.

oh boy! I literally just got back from Pet Smart.. paid 9.99 for these. Next time…I’ll order them.