Compounded medications for pets offer an easier alternative for pets that hate taking pills, and people that hate giving them. If you are thinking about switching your pet’s traditional medication over to a compounded one, you may be wondering how to determine the correct dosage and amount to order.
Compounded Transdermal Gels for Pets
Compounded Transdermal Gel is applied to the skin and absorbs into the bloodstream. Methimazole, Prednisolone, Cisapride, Amitriptyline, Atenolol, Fluoxetine and Amlodipine Besylate are some of the medications available in gel. Transdermal gels are available in a variety of dosages.
For transdermal gel the dosage or concentration is described in milligrams/milliliter “mg/mL”, which is the strength of the medication per mL of gel. Transdermals compounded by the VetRxDirect pharmacy are made in the mg/0.1mL concentration, milligram per one tenth of a milliliter, and come in 1mL syringes. Because the standard dose is 0.1mL, a 1 mL syringe contains 10 individual doses. How long a syringe will last, will depend on how many doses your pet will receive from it. For example if your pet needs 0.1mL twice daily, one syringe will last 5 days. Because of the shelf life of the medication, orders are limited to an 80 day supply to ensure the medication can be used before it expires. Example: Your pet’s prescription reads Methimazole 5mg, give 1 tablet twice daily. The corresponding transdermal gel is 5mg/0.1mL, apply 0.1mL twice daily.
Compounded Oral Suspension for Pets
Compounded oral suspension comes in a variety of flavors including fish, chicken, and beef to help make them more appealing to your pet. Prednisolone, Methimazole, Cisapride, Metronidazole, Prednisone, Metoclopramide, Mitotane, Fluoxetine, Enalapril Maleate, Atenolol, Amlodipine Besylate, Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin), Potassium Bromide, Trilostane, Fluconazole, and Tylosin are some of the medications available in a suspension. Oral Suspensions come in a variety of strengths. For compounded suspensions the strength is also described in milligrams/milliliter, but is concentrated per 1 mL unlike the gels. Bottles of the liquid can come in set quantities like 15mL or 30mL, or be priced per mL. How long a bottle will last depends on how many doses your pet needs. For example: if your pet needs 1.5 mL twice daily, a 90 mL bottle would last 30 days. Because of the shelf life of the medication, orders are limited to an 80 day supply to ensure the medication can be used before it expires
If your pet has a prescription that includes giving half or quarter tablets, you can also determine the dosage. For example: your pet takes Prednisolone 5mg, ½ tablet twice daily. A 2.5mg/mL suspension you would administer 1 mL of liquid twice a day. A 5mg/mL suspension you would administer 0.5 mL twice a day. Before switching over to a compounded medication, double check with your pet’s veterinarian about the correct dosage.