For pets, there are often a limited number of medications available commercially to treat some conditions. There are not enough FDA approved drugs to treat the various conditions that are diagnosed by veterinarians. Compounding pharmacies can compound medications for pets in dosage forms that are easy for them to take using ingredients that may not be available otherwise for animals.
What is Compounding?
Compounding is the manipulating of drug ingredients and excipients into forms that are not available in FDA approved drugs. New ways for pets to take medication are being developed and compounding is often at the forefront of trying new dosage forms. A compounding pharmacy uses either manufactured drugs, which are then manipulated into a new form, or bulk active pharmaceutical ingredients in the form of powders, solutions, and more. The great thing about compounding is that it is easy to fulfill a custom request. Does your pet have diabetes or an allergy? We can make a medication without ingredients that could cause a reaction or make a condition worse.
Benefits of Compounding for Pets
If your pet needs to take a certain kind of medication you may consider mixing it in with their food. This may work to get most of the medication down but what if your pet does not finish the food? This would mean they did not get the full dose. Or what if they taste the medication in the food and won’t eat it? For certain medications it is important to get the specific dose the veterinarian prescribed.
A compounding pharmacy can make medications in dosage forms and flavors that help your pet get the treatment they need. Does your pet know when they are being tricked into taking a medication orally? Make the drug into a topical gel that is applied to their skin. Does your pet need a medication that does not contain sweetener but the only drug available has sweetener? Have a compounding pharmacy make a medication that is free of additional ingredients.
The drug ingredient s prescribed for animals are often the same that are given to people. They are just in different dosages and dosage forms. Even with commercially available pet medications, the dosage may not be right for your pet. Some pets are larger or smaller than the average, and the available medication may not be easily divisible to give them the right dose. A compounding pharmacy can make your pet’s medication in the exact dose they need.
Our pharmacy compounds medications to treat behavioral issues, dermatitis, cardiovascular issues, nausea, bladder issues, stomach issues, and more. Each order is made for the individual patient, so the dosage form (cream, gel, oral form, etc.) and the strength are customized. A drug can often be made into different forms – for example a suspension or a chewable treat. In commercially available drugs for animals, typically there are only one or two options for how to take the medication.
If it is not profitable for a manufacturer to make a drug in a specific form, it will be discontinued. That doesn’t mean that there were not patients who were benefiting from the drug form, only that there were not enough patients to make it profitable for the manufacturer. These patients can still benefit from a discontinued or unavailable drug by having it made by a compounding pharmacy.
Compounding pharmacies can make medications not only for cats and dogs, but also for reptiles, horses, birds, zoo animals, and any other animal that is not kept for food. Veterinarians know the benefits of compounding pharmacies and frequently prescribe medications to be compounded for their patients.
Drug Forms for Pets
These are just a few compounded drug forms that our pharmacy uses for pet medications.
·Chewable Flavored Treats: Available in multiple flavors like chicken and fish.
·Fixed Oil Suspension Vehicle: Highly stable anhydrous vehicle suitable for many ingredients.
·Lipoderm®: Deep-penetrating topical base for topical or systemic ingredients.
·ZoSil®: Topical base specifically designed for animal skin.
·PCCA Poloxamer 20% Gel: Used for application of water-soluble drugs.
Many active pharmaceutical ingredients can be made into these drug forms. There are more possibilities than we can list in one article, so make sure to talk with your veterinarian about compounded medications that may help your pet.