In my neck of the woods it's the fire ants who do the damage to unwelcome visitors, but they're a lot slower and the party has to be staked down. On the Gulf Coast there are alligators (occasionally they turn up in a local river, but Fish and Wildlife catch and relocate them back to the coast).

Re: the dog medication, we're almost finished giving the little cough pills, and a homemade pill pocket of peanut butter on a strip of tandoori bread completely conceals the pills. I use my mortar and pestles (one wood, one heavy porcelain) for spices only.