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According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, there are more than 58 million pet cats in the US. This puts them closely behind dogs as the second most popular pets. However, as many veterinarians can attest, few pet owners take their cats for treatment. This is sometimes explained by myths surrounding cats’ health problems compared to other pets such as birds and dogs.
Essentially, cats are no more or less healthy than other pets, but they are better at hiding symptoms of ill health. For instance, while a dog moans in pain when it’s sick, a cat will just seem less active. As a result, only a caring pet owner will notice a change in their cat’s health.
When this happens, the pet owner might face a second challenge, administering treatment. Cats are generally afraid of medications, making them difficult patients when you try to administer treatment.
Fortunately, you can use compounded medications for cats to make this experience smoother for you and your pet. Read on to learn more.
What Are Compounded Medications?
Compounding is the process of making individualized medications from active pharmaceutical ingredients. Compounded medications are mostly made because they are not commercially available, have been discontinued, or are easier to administer than other medications.
For example, suppose you’re allergic to non-essential ingredients in certain medications. In that case, a good compounding pharmacy will create a custom prescription that will allow you to benefit from the drug without suffering from the side effects.
Advantages of Cats Compounded Rx
When it comes to compounded medications for animals, flavoring is added to the drugs to make them more palatable to pets. This essentially turns the medication into a treat for your pet. It can then be incorporated into their food or administered on its own.
While there’s a wide variety of medications to treat acute and chronic illnesses in animals, we can’t explain to our pets how important it is to take the drugs. Cats, in particular, are very picky about what they eat, which makes pilling them a challenge. Compounding can convert their prescription pills into liquid, which can be administered in more manageable doses.
In addition, just like humans, some animals have allergies and sensitivities toward certain ingredients. It’s therefore important to find dosage forms that will be more comfortable to administer to them.
When Should I Consider Compounded Medication for My Cat?
There are a few instances when compounding is the best way of treating cats. These include:
If Your Pet Has Trouble Swallowing Pills
A veterinarian is likely to treat your pet with prescription medications on top of any other medical procedure. Since most of these medicines are administered as pills, they might be uncomfortable to swallow if the patient has gastrointestinal issues.
This could lead to vomiting, which can affect the dosage. Compounding allows you to turn the pills into liquid or even incorporate them into pet food, making the dose easier to administer.
Some compounding pharmacies can also convert the pills into topical medication, which is necessary when your pet has lost its appetite. Since cats are known to be diligent groomers, topically applied medications are unpleasantly flavored to prevent the patient from ingesting them while licking themselves.
If Your Veterinarian Prescribed Human Medication
While veterinary practice is pretty advanced, many medicines are still unavailable for pets. Amitriptyline, amlodipine, and cisapride are just a few examples of human drugs that are also used in feline prescriptions.
Amtrypriline, a human antidepressant, can be used to treat anxiety in cats, while amlodipine treats hypertension. Cisapride, on the other hand, treats acid reflux in both humans and pets.
These drugs are rarely available in pet-friendly dosage forms. Through compounding, pharmacists can create a suitable dose of any drug for your pet.
To Combine Different Drugs for Easier Administration
If your cat’s veterinarian prescribed several compatible drugs for your furry friend, combining them into a single drug might make it easier to administer. This also saves you from having to keep a tight schedule of when you need to give each drug.
How Can I Compound Medication for My Cats?
To order your pet’s medication from a compounding pharmacy, you need to obtain a valid prescription from your veterinarian. You can then send the prescription to a compounding pharmacy, which will make and dispense it precisely as the veterinarian prescribed.
Where Can I Get Compounded Medication for My Pet?
If your pet has trouble adjusting to standard medicine, you can ask your veterinarian to prescribe a compounded drug. Unlike other prescriptions, you often have to wait for the compounding process to get your custom refill.
FW pharmacy is one o the best compounding pharmacies in the US. We use FDA- approved ingredients for compounding and test the medicine for quality and safety before dispensing it. Our pharmacists are also experienced in prescribing and compounding custom medications for both humans and pets.
Is a Generic Drug the Same as a Compounded Drug?
Many people are under the impression that generic drugs and compounded medication are the same. This couldn’t be further from the truth.
A generic drug is a version of a well-known drug without a trademark name. For instance, ibuprofen is a generic version of Advil. This simply means that both drugs are intended to work the same way.
A compounded drug, however, is a version of an FDA-approved drug that might not work the same way as the original drug. It has been altered in such a way that it cannot be considered the same drug it was before compounding.
Are There Risks Associated With Compounded Medications for Cats?
When your cat’s medication is made by a trusted compounding pharmacy like FW pharmacy, you don’t have to worry about the safety of the drugs. Compounding will be done using ingredients from an FDA-approved drug, following strict FDA guidelines.
Efficacy, on the other hand, is a different story. Since compounded medication is altered from its original form, it might not work as it did before compounding.
Therefore, most veterinarians recommend starting with an FDA-approved drug to see if it’s medically appropriate. However, many compounded medications have been studied in their altered forms and are likely to achieve the desired results.
Partner With a Trusted Compounding Pharmacy
A dog is man’s best friend, but a cat is their master. While other pets try to submit to their owners, cats seem to be independent and somewhat entitled. While this is a desirable character, it might be frustrating when you try to pill them when they’re ill.
FW pharmacy has a wealth of experience in compounding medication for pets, including cats, dogs, and even food-producing animals. Contact us to learn how compounded medication can make it easier to pill your cat.