Pharmacy Care Solutions - Veterinary Compounding

The Compounding Solution
Why should you consider compounding as a solution for your pet's medical
problems? That can be answered with another question: How hard is it to get your
cat to swallow a pill?

As any pet owner is well aware, animals may be extremely difficult to treat with
medications. Cats are notorious for refusing to swallow a pill, and will usually eat
right around one disguised in food. And dosages can be very tricky with dogs — a
medication that works for an 80-pound Golden Retriever is far too much for a six-
pound Yorkie to handle.

Humans and their animals often have variations of the same diseases, including
skin rashes, heart conditions, eye and ear infections, cancer and diabetes. Pet

medications, though, present unique problems that are often best dealt with through compounding.

Flavored Medicine
The pet who refuses to take medication because of the taste is often a prime opportunity for compounding.
Cats don't like pills, but they do like tuna. Dogs don't appreciate a traditional solution of medication being
squirted into their mouth, but they'll gladly take it when it's part of a tasty biscuit or treat.

By working closely with your veterinarian, a compounding pharmacist can prepare
medicines into easy-to-give flavored dosage forms that animals devour, whether
your pet is a cat, dog, ferret, bird or snake.

Solving Dosage Problems
Just like their owners, animals are individual and unique. Thai's why you love
them. They come in different shapes and sizes, and as a result, not all
commercially available medicines are appropriate for your pet.
Commercial medicine often comes in large tablets or capsules of 100 mg or
more. But a small kitten may need a dose of only 15 mg. That's where
compounding is especially helpful. In this situation, your veterinarian can
prescribe a tuna flavored suspension with an amount that is exactly right for your
pet's size and condition.

Commercially Unavailable Medicine

From time to time, a manufacturer will discontinue a medication used in veterinary applications. When that
medication has worked well for animals, a compounding pharmacist can prepare a prescription for the
discontinued product in a dosage strength and dose form appropriate for that pet's specific needs.