Our pets are loveable, loyal companions who are part of the family. When they aren’t well or need treatment, we want to provide them the best veterinary care. It’s important to make sure they are as comfortable as possible, since they rely on us for everything needed in their daily lives, and they reward us with so much love. 

Administering medications and prescriptions to a cat or dog can be tricky: they squirm away, they hide, and they refuse to eat that pill thing you’re putting in their face.Thankfully, pharmaceutical compounding is available to alter treatments for pets to make things easier on them – and their humans.

Pharmaceutical compounding is the practice of formulating unique medications and treatments to suit the individual, and in this case, the animal. These customizations may change the dose, the method of ingestion or application, add or take away ingredients, or alter the formulation in other ways. 

For pets, compounding is focused on ease of administering and making the delivery of what they need to heal a bit more attractive and tempting. A local pharmacy near you that offers these services for humans and pets is happy to answer your questions and work with your unique situation to try and find the best solution for you and your pet.

 

Working with your veterinarian, a compounding pharmacy may add flavouring, alter the dosage for certain sizes of animals and species, offer a liquid formulation instead of a pill, or produce topical applications that are easier to administer where possible. Having your dog or cat feel like they’re receiving a tasty treat instead of a pill feels better for everyone!

A liquid is often easier to squirt into their mouths or add to wet food. Commercial medications don’t always come in the dosage needed – either too much or too little – so this can be altered for a safer solution.

If your fuzzy companion is on multiple prescriptions simultaneously, they can potentially be combined into one medication. 

If you’ve already got pills, the following tips may offer some help with administering them.

• Sneaking medication into foods, especially delicious and rare human foods, that your dog or cat finds irresistible, can work. Try deli meat or cheeses, peanut butter, regular butter, or high-quality wet pet food when they’re accustomed to dry kibble.

• It’s possible they’ll eat around the pill or leave it behind if they’re really picky and discerning, but many pets will gobble the whole treat up without noticing anything is amiss.

• Purchase soft pet treats that can be shaped around a pill to hide it. This is trickier because if your pet needs to chew a larger sized piece they can spit it out upon tasting the bad pill flavour. This is why adding flavouring with pharmaceutical compounding is a wise idea, instead.Try smaller pieces of treats in the hopes they won’t have to chew as much. 

• If you attempt multiple failed deliveries in a row, your smart pet will catch on, so wait a while to try again.

• It’s important to never force a pill into an angry or aggressive-looking animal. Look for changes in their demeanor to avoid getting snapped at or bitten. A growl means it’s time to stop trying for now. A pet bite is not something you want to deal with.Try other methods or give your pharmacy a call instead.