Horse Pill Pocket Brands - What works?

[4LeafCloverFarm]

So my “I’ll eat anything you give me” senior horse is poo-pooing everything I try to hide his Equioxx pill in.

1st - fig newton - gobbled it up “MMmm, tasty”
2nd pill - fig newton - “Bleh! You trying to poison me?” (broke off bit of cookie with pill and stuck in mash - not sure he ate it)
3rd pill - apple slice - “I don’t eat no stinkn’ apples” (broke off section of apple with the pill, buried in mash - pretty sure he didn’t eat it)
4th pill - chunk of banana - “I’m no monkey, yuck!” (pill is fairly dissolved in the banana, try to stick in mouth, spits out; put in mash, leaves tiny banana piece at bottom of bucket, now a little mash ball)

:o Oh dear, this shouldn’t be this difficult! Maybe he can smell the pill? I don’t know… It’s just bizarre - this horse will literally eat any treat, fruit, vegetable - anything! And now, nada.

I see there are “pill pockets” for horses. Smartpack has one called Pill Camo. There there is Dimples Horse Treats I found on Amazon. Do these work to totally disguise the pill smell? Last thing I want to do is spend $25 on a special pill pocket treat that doesn’t work!

Any suggestions would be helpful. Thanks!

And I can put the pill directly in his mash, and it would dissolve - but my worry is that he picks his head up while eating/chewing and drops a bit on the ground or over the fence as he eats. So, I am not confidant that he will get 100% of the actual medication using this method, which is why I was using an alternate way to give him the pill to ensure he gets the whole dose.

[Simkie]

Have you tried (and does he like) stud muffins? Those can work really well because they’re so soft.

Back when I was dosing a ridiculously picky horse, I hollowed out a large carrot, filled the cavity, and topped with cream cheese frosting. Worked great!

[joiedevie99]

I’ve got one now that is alternating between Apple Cinnamon Nutri-Grain bars and Carrot Cake Oreos.

[cruisecontrol]

I have hollowed out carrots like Simkie. I’m sorry you’re having so many issues. you could also make your own pill pockets with Oatmeal, molasses and honey. I think this is the same recipe I used to stuff pills in.

https://sarahandrew.com/2008/11/18/alibars-bon-bons-soft-horse-cookie-recipe/

[4LeafCloverFarm]

@joiedevie99

I’ve got one now that is alternating between Apple Cinnamon Nutri-Grain bars and Carrot Cake Oreos.

Carrot Cake Oreos? Didn’t know there was such a cookie! Wow, I’ll have to hide those if I try them - husband will eat them all! :winkgrin:

I have Nutigrain bars - I’ll give that a try. Hadn’t thought of that. Thanks!

[Simkie]

Oh oh oh… cruisecontrol’s posts reminds me of a friend’s “sure thing”–those Little Debbie oatmeal cookie things.

These

”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073RML4DT/

One more thing to try!

[4LeafCloverFarm]

@cruisecontrol

I have hollowed out carrots like Simkie. I’m sorry you’re having so many issues. you could also make your own pill pockets with Oatmeal, molasses and honey. I think this is the same recipe I used to stuff pills in.

https://sarahandrew.com/2008/11/18/alibars-bon-bons-soft-horse-cookie-recipe/

Thanks for the recipe. I have everything but rice bran the recipe calls for, so if the Nutigrain bar doesn’t temp him, I may give that a try.

I just went shopping and bought a tin of those fruit slice gum drop things. Thought maybe sugar could entice him. Haven’t given it a try yet. At least if that doesn’t work, my husband will be happy to finish them off! :lol:

[4LeafCloverFarm]

@Simkie

Oh oh oh… cruisecontrol’s posts reminds me of a friend’s “sure thing”–those Little Debbie oatmeal cookie things.

These

”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹”‹https://www.amazon.com/dp/B073RML4DT/

One more thing to try!

:lol: Wow, those bring back some memories of days llloooooonnnnggggg past! Good suggestion. Those I’d have to hide too - my husband would eat the whole box in a day or two!

[Gainer]

Like Simkie said, stud muffins or German minty muffins work really well for my picky horses. They’re soft and you can make 2-3 pill pockets out of each one. I think the peppermint flavor is strong enough to cover up the pill taste and they’re sticky enough that the most diligent horse won’t be able to find and spit out the pill.

[imaginique]

My mare loves the Dimples horse treats. She ate the first one fine. The second one I had to crumble up and mix with apple sauce and put it in her grain. She did eat it though. I was giving her Bute paste.

[bdj]

I’m using fruit roll ups… cheap and easy to find, and if the pony decided she didn’t like them, I’m OK with finishing the box.

[outerbanks77]

@bdj

I’m using fruit roll ups… cheap and easy to find, and if the pony decided she didn’t like them, I’m OK with finishing the box.

That’s what I use. Apricot seems to be most popular with the horses. Also handy for teaching to eagerly take the bit.

[Displaced_Yankee]

I second Little Debbie’s Oatmeal Creme Pies. Never failed me. (I mean the Yankee Pony…)

[alterblue]

Both of my picky eaters loved the PIll Camo treats, but they aren’t cheap. Mine also eat their pills in Fig Newtons so I’ve switched to those instead. Best of luck!

[Baboo]

I’m going through the same thing with a mare taking Previcox and Prascend. She has happily eaten her Prascend twice a day in a piece of carrot for two years, and all of a sudden she will not eat a carrot, with or without a pill, since starting the Previcox. Or an apple, or banana, applesauce, licorice, peppermint, or any other prior guaranteed treat. The pills must really taste lousy, as she has always been an “eat anything” kind of girl. I’m going to try a pill pocket made out of a somewhat stale piece of raisin cinnamon bread tonight. I try to keep the treats as Cushing’s friendly as possible, but the pills need to go in, and I don’t like to have to force the issue and syringe them into her. Hoping this works! I think the suggestions being made are great!

[ryansgirl]

Sounds like my mare - I’ve tried everything you can think and she figured every single one of them out.

I now use a 10 ml oral syringe, put her 3/4 tab Prascend in it with about 2-3 ml warm water, shake it up and give it to her nightly before dinner (then a carrot to wash it down). She is absolutely perfect about it and I know she’s getting all of the pill.

[4LeafCloverFarm]

Great suggestions everyone. I’m going to try all the grocery store options first before the horse specific pill pockets. At least with groceries, us humans can add them to our lunch bag.

I’d forgotten about the fruit roll up idea. I’ll add that to the grocery list if the fruit slice gummies or Nutrigrain bars don’t work.

[DoubleDown]

I’ve had great luck with the Dimples treats.

[MuddyHalter]

One of my horses who needs Equioxx also has cushings and is a founder risk. No sugar really limits our treat options (sugar-free candy and mints are evidently NOT the same to him, thankyouverymuch). That, and he is a super smart hony. I’ve finally resorted to dissolving the pill in a tiny bit of water and squirting it directly into his mouth. :rolleyes:

[joiedevie99]

@4LeafCloverFarm

Carrot Cake Oreos? Didn’t know there was such a cookie! Wow, I’ll have to hide those if I try them - husband will eat them all! :winkgrin:

I have Nutigrain bars - I’ll give that a try. Hadn’t thought of that. Thanks!

Yes! I’ve got one eating 14 sucralfate pills 4x/day. We can get one serving done with 2-3 oreos, which is easier than any other option right now Alternatively, we can get an entire serving in one nutri-grain bar.