Topeka! I have found it! I know I’m not the only veg-head who cringes at the thought of supporting animal agribusiness when my pill-averse pup needs medication. ‘Just put it in a hot dog, or some cheese,’ says the vet. Well I’d really rather not, actually! Since my heathen hound has mastered the art of external peanut butter removal, towards the apparent goal of leaving very clean and slightly dissolved-at-the-edges pills on my floor, I had to find a better way. Try this easy vegan recipe for pill-pockets your canine friend will happily wolf down — with no hot dogs or dairy junk anywhere nearby!
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour (or unbleached white flour, or half white and half wheat)
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 cup soy milk (or other nondairy milk)
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon blackstrap molasses (or maple syrup or agave nectar)
- 1/4 teaspoon liquid smoke flavoring
Directions
Mix wet ingredients; mix dry ingredients. Combine wet and dry ingredients well together, kneading well to make a soft dough. Wrap in parchment paper or brush the top of the dough with extra olive oil, and refrigerate in an air-tight container to store.
Pinch off 1/2″ to 1″ dough-balls, depending on the size of the pill and the dog, and wrap snugly around his or her antibiotics (etc.).
Throwing it into the air with an excited ‘Go get it!’ is optional, to serve.
Production Notes
For pill-pocket purposes, use dough within 7-10 days. To use up any ‘leftovers,’ pinch off 1″ dough-balls, flatten on parchment paper, and bake in a pre-heated 325-degree F oven for 8-10 minutes. Treats are done when the edges start to brown, and the dogs start to gather in the kitchen area.
Store these crispy dog-cookies in a crinkly bag. To serve: crinkle the bag, then dispense treats as indicated to teach coming-when-called, or to support general canine happiness.
Image by the author, all rights reserved.
Tanya, Thanks you for the recipe.
You may be interested to see my collection of recipes of homemade dog treats (snacks, biscuits, cookies and bones) :
http://www.pinterest.com/gornoz/recipes-for-homemade-dog-treats-cookies-and-bones/
Awesome, thanks Ann — I’ll check it out! :)
WOW! Thank you SO incredibly much! We were hopeful but cautiously optimistic given how well animals detect smells/flavors they don’t like and reject. Though at first our Ginger managed to spit the pills out, when we crushed them and mixed them in the dough (which was of course riskier taste-wise), she gobbled them right up, even seeking them out in her breakfast this morning! We a very grateful for this kinder, healthier, super easy option (we even liked the taste!) :-). Great tip on throwing the pockets for pets to catch and gobble as well—that’s how we started and she really enjoyed the game :-).