Gummie Chew
Administering Drugs
- Home
- Administering Drugs
Type
Administration
Benefits
The medication is mixed in a chewable gelatin treat base and flavored to the pet’s preference.
Bitterness can be masked. Treat-like form encourages compliance.
Capsule
The powdered drug is enclosed in a non-flavored, hard gelatinous shell.
Bitterness can be masked. Flavored contents can also be sprinkled on food. A combination of drugs can be put into one dosage form, decreasing the number of pills that need to be given.
Animelts
The medication is incorporated into a flavored base to form a mini-tab.
Difficult for the pet to reject. Heat-sensitive medications can be given like a treat!
Oral Powder
Powdered formulations dissolve easily in water and can be poured on feed or used dry as a top dressing for feed.
Uniform mix to each patient’s specific needs. Horse will get proper dose. Can be flavored to enhance palatability. One or more medications can be combined..
Oral Paste
Medication is combined with a flavored oral paste in an oral syringe you can place in the horse’s mouth.
Oral paste is flavored for a horse’s palate. Easy to give. One or more medications can be combined, when appropriate.
Liquid
Pre-mixed suspension/solutions given via oral syringe or added to pet food for ingestion.
May be easier to administer than capsules and can allow for more accurate dosing.
Ointments
Rubbed into the affected area of the animal’s skin.
Targets affected areas and is easy to administer.
Otics
The drug is mixed with an aqueous or oil base.
Medications are administered directly to the ear, often increasing effectiveness and decreasing cost and potential for toxicity.
Transdermal Gels
The medication is mixed with a topical gel that promotes absorption of the drug through the skin. A pre-measured amount of gel is applied to a part of the pet’s body with little hair, such as the inner surface of the ear, or on the abdomen.
Low-stress administration increases client compliance and maintains the ower-pet bond.
(Note: Care must be taken with this dosage form to protect the pet owner from possible self-contamination. Rubber gloves or finger cots should be used while applying this type of medication and hands should always be thoroughly washed after application.)
Ophthalmics
The drug is mixed with an aqueous or oil base using USP guidelines for sterile product preparation.
Sterile medications are administered directly to the eye, increasing efficacy and lowering cost and potential for toxicity.