{"id":10246,"date":"2023-01-11T05:42:00","date_gmt":"2023-01-11T05:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.golighthouse.com\/en\/?post_type=knowledge-center&p=10246"},"modified":"2022-12-21T18:25:26","modified_gmt":"2022-12-21T18:25:26","slug":"compounding-pharmacies-and-dogs","status":"publish","type":"knowledge-center","link":"https:\/\/www.golighthouse.com\/en\/blog\/compounding-pharmacies-and-dogs\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Do Dogs Need Compounded Medications?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Our furry family members sometimes go down for the count and need some medication to help pick them up. But what happens when they won\u2019t take a pill? Or need specialized medication? Or have to take multiple medications? The answer for you and your pet might be compounded drugs!<\/span><\/p>

Compounded medications are prescribed by your vet and essentially manipulated beyond the medications originally prescribed scope. This could mean combining more than one medication into a single capsule or syringe, turning a capsule into a liquid, adding flavor to a bad tasting drug to make it more palatable, and changing the dosage rate.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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When Would A Dog Require Compounded Medication?\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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There are a lot of reasons your pup might need a compounded medication over a traditional prescription! This is especially true if there are no FDA-approved human or veterinary products currently available or appropriate for treatment. Compounded drugs can make administration significantly easier. For example, if a dog needs a pill but simply will not take it, a compounding pharmacist can turn it into a liquid in a syringe, which could be easier to get the dog to take. In another situation, if your dog needs multiple medications but does not take drugs easily, it might be beneficial to have multiple drugs compounded into one form.<\/span><\/p>

Due to the nature of the medication, this decision should only be made with your veterinarian who is familiar with your dog\u2019s condition. Your veterinarian should understand the associated risks with compounded drugs and make the decision about whether or not it is better to go untreated. But more on those risks in a minute.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Are Compounded Medications Different From The Ones You Get From A Community Or Vet Pharmacy?\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The medications you normally get from your community or veterinarian pharmacy are in their FDA-approved dosages and forms. Pharmacists are only allowed to compound medications as modified versions of these FDA-approved drugs. Whether by crushing, adding flavor, or otherwise modifying the drug, there are limited ways they can modify the drugs within the federal regulations. For example, they cannot add ingredients that are not FDA approved for animals or humans. This would be considered a \u201cnew animal drug,\u201d which would have to go through FDA approval to be sold and administered.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

In situations where a veterinarian determines it necessary to use something that has yet to be approved by the FDA, the veterinarian and the pharmacist need to work together to determine if the medication is consistent with state and federal law, as well as FDA policy.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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What Are The Most Commonly Compounded Drugs For Pets? \n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Most commonly, you will find veterinarians mixing two injectable medications, crushing tablets to make an oral paste, or adding flavors to a bad-tasting drug. Often, you will find a couple methods combined. For example, they might suggest crushing a tablet into a paste and adding flavoring so your pup is more likely to take it. (While this might sound like something you can do at home, just remember that changing a medication from its FDA approved form can impact potency and efficacy, so it should only be done by professionals for the desired outcomes to be achieved.)<\/span><\/p>

Drugs that are frequently compounded<\/span><\/a> using these methods include:<\/span><\/p>