Tips on Medicating Your Pet

When it comes to administering medication for your pet, the process is a bit different then giving medications to humans. All pets will likely need to be administered oral medications at one point or another during their lifetime. However, many pet owners don't consider the cost of medical treatment for their pet, as many owners don't have pet insurance to cover the hefty fees. The process of compounding medication is a tactic that many veterinarians and pet owners use in order to administrate medications to your furry friend.

For those who aren't aware compounding is the art of manipulating or preparing unique medication. It is essential that compounding is only done by a licensed Pharmacist, as they mix, dilute, and/or flavor the drugs original dosage.

This is done in order to ease the overall process of administering your pet a pill, as most animals will resist having to take bitter medication. Often times, pets are intelligent enough to sense that their owner is attempting to give them a pill based on the owner's demeanor, or the smell of the medication. As a result, these animals will resist consuming the drug as much as possible.

Therefore, the process of compounding is necessary when an animal is suffering from a medial condition and there is no FDA approved product equivalent available to treat the pet.

For example, if your dog needs a medication that is only available in a pill form, but the dog refusing to eat the pill or puts up a fight, the owner will then enlist the help of a compounding veterinary pharmacy that can manipulate the pill and turn it into a flavored liquid form, or a topical lotion.

This not only makes the process easier for the pet and its owner, but also makes it so that the pet may not realize that he is being given a medication. This process creates a win-win situation for the owner and their pet, as the process of medicating your pet becomes easier and more stress-free.

When purchasing medication for your pet, there are a few tips to be aware of in order to achieve the best results for your furry friend. For example, transdermal delivery is an effective method to administer medication without having to use any force or objects. This is done by compounding the medication into gel form, and inserting the liquid near the pets ear (similar to ear drops for humans). This method absorbs the medication through the skin, making the overall process tasteless and painless!

Another helpful tip is providing individualized attention to the medication/issue. For example, some medications contain coatings that can be harmful to the pet or the owner. In situations like such, pills can be compounded into dissolvable tablets with flavoring, making the process quicker and less evasive. This also helps with situations in which the animal might be sensitive to swallowing, and/or digesting a medication. Dissolvable tablets rid this issue completely, making the process less stressful and time consuming for the pet and its owner.

Lastly, blending multiple medications into one standard pill, along with removing any additives that can cause patient discomfort are two more helpful options for administering medication to your animal.

For example, some medications contain gluten, which can cause celiac disease. This can be modified into a pill without the additive as well. Similar to the elderly, some pets are prescribed multiple medications at once, which can cause more unneeded stress on the pet and its owner. If and when this situation arises, it's important to know that there are alternative options, such as mixing these pills into a single pill, similar to a multivitamin for humans.

Administering oral medication to your pet can be difficult, as these pets are intelligent enough to know when their owner is attempting to medicate them. One of the best ways to get your pet to swallow a pill is to disguise it into something else.

For example, one can hide pills into canned food, meat, peanut butter, or cheese. This tricks the animal into taking their medication without realizing it. Sometimes, its even helpful to bribe your dog with treats and toys in order to get them to obey. Most importantly, remembering to stay calm and not use too much force are some of the most important rules when medicating your pet. Likewise, don't forget to phrase and love your pet after the process if finished, as it will reassure the animal that they are being taken care of properly.

Although administering medication to pets isn't an easy process, there are many alternative methods that can be done in order to make the process easier. Enlisting the help of a compounding veterinary pharmacy makes the act of giving your pet medication much easier and hassle free. Likewise, as a pet owner, you want your animal to receive the highest quality of veterinary care. In turn, this creates a better and stronger relationship between the pet and it's owner.