Easy Fish and Meatballs Recipes for Cats and Dogs

Getting cats and dogs to take their medicine is one of the hardest parts of being a Tripawd parent. These easy fish and meatballs recipes to hide pills can help make the job easier.

Recipes to Get Your Tripawd to Take Medicine

“How can I get my dog/cat to take their medicine?”

It’s the most common question we get after a new member’s cat or dog loses a leg. Whether their appetite dwindles after coming home from the hospital, or they’re not feeling good after chemo, getting pills into cats and dogs is tricky.

“He will not take pills OR liquids squirted into his mouth. Yes, we’ve watched ALL the cat pilling videos on YouTube and even had our expert cat sitter come over and do a lesson… he won’t have it,” says TriKitty Maceo’s mom. Canine dog parents can also relate. Luckily Maceo’s mom Susan is a crafty lady and she came up with some great tips for getting medicines and supplements into his food.

To get him to take the Chinese medicine pills, I follow the method described above — crush the pills, then embed them in Duck Pill Pockets, and serve it alongside similar-sized kibbles so it is hard for him to tell what’s a pill and what’s a kibble. I have to feed this dish first thing in the morning when he is most ravenous and meowing for food, because it’s the hardest to get him to eat.

Fish and Meatballs Recipes for Cats and Dogs Boost Appetite During Recovery and Chemotherapy

If you’re looking for some easy fish and meatballs recipes for cats and dogs we’ve got ’em! Try these and let us know which ones work best for your Tripawd.

For Cats: Tuna & Sardine Fish Balls

This adorable video shows just how easy it is to make a fish balls recipe that will get your TriKitty eating again.

For Cats: Cheesy Fish Balls

Using just a few more ingredients you can make these gourmet fish balls from a recipe shared by the Animal Clinic of Warren, PA.

Fabulous Fishballs

• 3 Baby Carrots, cooked until soft
• 16 oz Canned Tuna in olive oil, drained
• 2 oz Cooked Herring, skin removed
• 2 TBSP Whole Grain Bread Crumbs or Oatmeal
• 2-3 TBSP Grated Cheese
• 2 tsp Brewer’s Yeast
• Several pinches of Chopped Catnip
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 2 TBSP Tomato Paste (not ketchup)
• *Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

Mash the carrots with the fish, bread crumbs or oatmeal, cheese, brewer’s yeast, catnip, egg and tomato paste to an even paste.  Mold into small balls and put on a greased baking tray.  Bake for 15-20 minutes, checking frequently: the fish balls should be golden brown and feel firm.  Cool thoroughly.

For Dogs: Satin Balls

Tripawds member borzoid told us about the popular Satin Balls Recipe for Dogs. She wrote:

“Radar gets picky sometimes too and I have one little girl who eats so little it’s hard to keep weight on her.  I have put vitamin supplements in a Satin Balls recipe and they just love it.

• 2 lbs ground meat (your choice)
• 1 dozen eggs
• 1 jar peanut butter
• 1 can of mackerel with bones (if you can stand the smell LOL)
• 1/4 vegetable oil (don’t use canola oil)
• 1 pack Cream cheese
• 1 can pumpkin
• Any vitamins or supplements you want to add.
• Grains for thickening (wheat germ, oatmeal or flax meal – I like flax meal because it’s good for the coat) any or all

Mix it up like thick meatloaf consistency.  form in to 3-4 inch torpedo/turd shapes (do not make them “round” as the dog may try to swallow them whole).  place on a cookie sheet and freeze.  After freezing put them in ziplocks.  Feed them frozen.  I feed one a day for supplements and 3 a day to put weight on.

The dogs love them and because they are frozen they do not gulp them down – they settle down and gnaw on them like bones.   I make a double batch and they last my kids a little better than a month (we have 6 here).

For Dogs: Beef Mince Meatballs

This detailed video tells you all you need to know about making healthy beef mince meatballs for dogs.

Do you have a secret recipe to get your Tripawd eating? If you don’t mind sharing the ingredients we know quite a few Tripawds who would love to enjoy the results! Share in the comments section below.