When will a veterinarian prescribe my dog's medication?
Well, it depends on what's wrong with your dog. For example, if we have an ear infection, we're going to prescribe some type of ointment or maybe an oral medication, depending on what's going on in the dog's ear. If we have a skin infection, it might be an antibiotic or a shampoo. So again, it varies depending on what the situation is and what we need to treat.
What are commonly used medications for my dog and when would the veterinarian recommend them?
The routine medications are going to be things like heartworm prevention and flea and tick prevention. Ear infections are fairly common in dogs at this time of year, spring. We have a lot of issues with dogs having allergies, so we might prescribe steroids, Apoquel, or Cytopoint. Those are both medications used for allergies. Depending on if your dog has a bacterial infection, a viral infection, or a fungal infection, there are medications used for that. Kidney issues, liver issues—just like with us, there are a wide variety of situations and conditions, and there are medications for each one.
Will all dog medications require a prescription?
No. Some medications online, such as joint supplements or shampoos for specific skin conditions, are readily available and don't require a prescription. Some shampoos are more intense and do require a prescription, but many of them do not. So again, let the buyer beware because there are some good things available online, and there are some things that frankly just aren't very good. So just be careful.
Do I have to bring my dog into the vet's office in order to have a prescription medication?
Initially, yes. You need to have some type of veterinary-client relationship before we can send out a prescription. But if it's an ongoing problem where we've seen your pet before, for example, we just treated an ear infection on the left side, and now it looks like we're having a problem on the right side, could I get some more? Absolutely. I would be happy to send that. So again, it depends on each situation and what is exactly going on.
How should I navigate drug interactions when my dog is on one or more than one medication?
Generally, if that's going to be an issue, we will go over that. We use a desk reference like a physician's desk reference called Plumb's, and we usually will look at drug interactions for certain medications. Usually, those are not very common and not something that we have to worry about. But for some of the anxiolytics or anti-anxiety meds, depending on what they're on, we may talk to you about that. But again, it depends on what we're doing, but most of the time, that's not a problem.
Do I have to follow the exact dosage instructions my veterinarian or the pharmacy gives me?
Yes, please do. If you're on an antibiotic and we send you enough for a week, even though your dog might seem better after 3 days, please finish it out. Generally, we will put on the prescription label, "please use until gone." That can vary, too depending on what we have going on. We may put on the label, "please give us a call after 3 days, give us an update," and then we may reduce the dose. But in general, the dosage and the length of time have been calculated for what we feel we need for your dog and to have the best outcome.
What happens if I miss a dose of my dog's medicine?
Life happens, so don't panic. It's okay. Don't double up on the dose. Things do happen like this and it's okay. Just next time, let's try to be a little bit better. I've done it myself and I've done it where I've forgotten sometimes with my own medication. So again, don't panic. It's okay. You just move on and try not to repeat that mistake.
How can I get my dog to take oral medication?
Depending on the medication, you might hide it in a tasty treat like a pill pocket or if your dog likes cheese. Sometimes cheese will work. With the class of antibiotics called tetracyclines, such as doxycycline, those interact with some of the proteins and so forth in milk and can actually decrease the bioavailability of the drug, as calcium can bind them, and then they're just not absorbed as well. So, usually, if we're on something like that, we will put that specifically on the label. Please give with food, but avoid dairy.
Can I give my dog medicine meant for humans?
A lot of the medications that we use do start out in the human field, but again you need to check with a veterinarian first. Is it something that we prescribed? Don't just do it on your own. Check first just to be safe. There are medications that are strictly in the veterinary field, such as Apoquel or Cytopoint. Those aren't available in the human realm, but on the human side, a lot of the kidney meds that we use come from the human side. So things do cross over.
What's the difference between a brand name, trade name, and generic name of a medication?
A trade name would be like Apoquel, which is made by Zoetis. Currently, there is no generic version of that available. If you want that drug for your dog with allergies, we have to get it through Zoetis, and they establish what we pay and what you pay. On the other hand, let's say aspirin, when it first came out, was made by Bayer, and then it got made by St. Joseph. Now you can buy it at various drugstores like CVS or Walgreens, which will have their own brand, and those are the generics. Generally, as long as they're bioequivalent in terms of availability to the body, they work just fine. There's generally nothing wrong with a generic version of the drug, and we use those quite a bit in veterinary medicine.
Are there any natural alternatives to medications I can use instead?
Again, you need to check with your veterinarian depending on what you're looking for. Sometimes the natural supplements can be helpful, and other times, frankly, they can interact with drugs that your patient's already on. Or sometimes, frankly, they just don't work despite what they say online. Again, online, let the buyer beware.
If you have questions, we would love to answer them for you. Please give us a call at the office at (402) 489-0501, or you can email us at staff@vhvet.com. Our staff would love to talk with you!
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