Bacon Ball Ballet

Chuck was prescribed three medicines for his heart condition, and one for his intestinal issues.  I discovered pill paste from a blog comment months ago, and immediately ordered some online.  I have since discovered I can buy it at Petco stores, even if it's pricier.

This is what it looks like: it reminds me of Play-Doh!

We fold the pills into this pliable, soft stuff and roll it into a ball.

Early days, Chuck would just eat the 'bacon ball' (the jar says it's bacon-flavored!) out of my hand. One day, he bit into a buried pill that had a bad taste, and I haven't been able to get him to eat it since. He won't even eat any that is pill-free.  Angel gets a little bit as a treat, once in awhile.

The Hubby picks Chuck up, lays him across his lap, and pries open Chuck's mouth while dropping in the bacon ball.  Chuck hasn't bitten him yet...!  The Hubby gives Chuck mucho lovin' before and after the drop, and they do this every morning and every evening.  It's actually quite a sight.  A pill-dropping, bacon ball-toting ballet!

Bacon Balls

"I want food, not pills!"

Chuck's daily medicine; these are little tiny pills!

Bacon Balls
The manufacturer knows NOTHING about this post!

Chuck gets a lot of meds each day:

1 capsule of Budesonide, an anti-inflammatory for his intestines

1/4 pill Plavix, blood thinner

1/2 pill Lasix, twice a day; diuretic

1/2 pill Enalapril, twice a day; blood pressure reducer

At first, we used those pill pocket things, but Chuck refused to eat them after awhile, so we ended up simply pilling Chuck.  Erm...um...The Hubby does all the pilling; there is no 'we' about it!  

Then, I discovered pill masker while reading a comment on a blog (thank you, whoever you are!), and ordered some online.  It is like edible Play Doh; you simply pinch off any amount, since it's really pliable.  Wrap the stuff around the pills, and you've got a nice brown bacon ball. Well, it SAYS it's bacon-flavored, and it certainly smells like it!  Voila!

Chuck loved his bacon balls; I'd roll everything up before each meal, and he'd chomp away (even the capsule!)  But then, one day, he bit into the Plavix, and he spit that bacon ball out and foamed at the mouth.  I tried again, but he was done.  That pill must be bitter.  So, now I make the bacon ball and hand it to The Hubby, who drops it down Chuck's gullet. Just to be fair, I make a smallish no-pill bacon ball for Angel to eat at the same time.  She eats hers.

I have no photo of a bacon ball to show; it looks like a piece of poop on camera!  I've also discovered that I can get pill masker at one local pet food box store; it's pricier than online, but no shipping.  And luckily, Chuck doesn't seem to hold his twice-a-day pilling as a grudge against The Hubby (or me, for that matter!)  He does get pretty elusive, however...see him hiding in the first photo?