When will a veterinarian prescribe medication for my dog?
Anytime. If they have an illness that requires treatment, if they have anxiety, really, there's a wide variety of things that they can get prescribed medication for, but most of the time it's diagnostic or behavior-related.
What conditions can medication for dogs help address?
There are a lot of conditions. There is diabetes, there are thyroid issues, and anything related to organ values. There's a lot of medication that can help at least correct those values.
If, for whatever reason, you have a really, really stressed kiddo, that can also alter some blood values if we ever do blood work. That can definitely help at least with stress-related stuff, especially with coming into the clinic. My kiddo gets really stressed and turns pink, and that could look like she has a skin infection, but she's just very stressed out, and anxiety meds definitely help a lot with that.
Same thing with cats, too. Cats do not like coming in, so that also helps with stress with cats.
What are commonly used medications for my dog, and when would the veterinarian recommend them?
For antibiotics, doctors usually recommend them if they suspect an infection. If there is bacteria on the feet, the skin, if there's a UTI, which is bacteria in the bladder, anything where they might have found bacteria, that's when they would essentially recommend an antibiotic.
As far as antiparasitics, if they have found any type of intestinal parasite, such as roundworms, anything that might be found on a fecal screening, sometimes you don't. Tapeworms are very weird. They have little segments that come out, and sometimes you can't see it on a fecal, but anytime where we suspect any intestinal parasite is when we would recommend antiparasitics.
As far as antifungals, that's a rare one, but we have seen cases of something called ringworm. It is not necessarily like an intestinal parasite. It is a fungal infection of the skin that can spread from us to people and vice versa. So that would be an instance where an antifungal would be recommended. Sometimes fungi can grow in between the toes, and they need a special antifungal for that. There's a very rare fungal disease that can happen, which sometimes they'll recommend antifungals for, but thankfully, they're not as common.
As far as behavior-modifying and sedative medications, that would be like what I mentioned before. If your kiddo gets really stressed, if they are pacing, won't sit still, or they have some fear-associated aggression, they try to bite, need a muzzle, anything like that, that's when we would recommend behavioral medications. It's not their fault. It's just kind of like us when we're really, really stressed to go to the doctor. It helps at least relieve any kind of anxiety that might be associated with it.
Sometimes, our shelter kiddos, we don't know what kind of history they've had in the past. And so they might have some triggers, and coming in, we don't know that. It's mostly just to help them have a better experience because we don't want them to hate coming here. They obviously won't love coming here, but we don't want them to hate coming here. And we're a fear-free clinic, so we want them to at least have a moderately okay time.
As far as chemotherapeutic meds, that's not something that we usually give here, but Iowa State for sure does. If there's any instance where there is cancer, any kind of tumor issue like that, they can go to Iowa State and get prescribed chemotherapeutic medication. It's kind of like chemotherapy in humans. Sometimes it's really good for treating any kind of cancer tumor. There is something called an iodine-reactive treatment, and that can sometimes help with cats with hyperthyroidism. That is an instance of chemotherapy that isn't necessarily for cancer, but it does help sometimes cure hyperthyroidism in cats.
As far as pain relievers, opioids, and NSAIDs, those would be recommended if, for whatever reason, they've hurt themselves. My kiddo was on some pain relievers because she had an issue with her knee, then she needed surgery. She got pain relievers after the surgery, before the surgery, because it's really, really painful when you have an issue with the bone and the muscle and the ligaments there. Sometimes it's even for some soft tissue injuries. So, say a kiddo, we don't notice a break, but they might have had some kind of sprain, we would recommend some pain-relieving medication, as well as when kiddos get older. We all get arthritis when we get older, and so sometimes we'd recommend pain-relieving medication just to help with arthritis.
Opioids are for really, really deep pain. Usually, if it's really, really painful, we would recommend opioids. That is something that needs to be prescribed tentatively, as well as through a pharmacy that does allow controlled substances. As far as NSAIDs go, same thing. Sometimes NSAIDs would be for pain. That's kind of similar to human ibuprofen. We do have some of those that are for our kiddos here that are for pain, as well as some inflammation-reducing. So, say, once again, they have a soft tissue injury. You need a little bit of inflammation and pain management to help and see where things go if there's not a direct injury.
Sometimes NSAIDs can be used for immune-related stuff, too. Steroids. Steroids fall into the immune-related category. There are a variety of things that steroids can be used for. If they can't be on any other medications, they'll prescribe steroids in a scenario where their immune system is overreacting, and steroids will essentially tone down their immune system a little bit. There have been some scenarios where they've had immune-related blood issues and they undergo steroid treatment just to self-regulate their immune system so that their immune system isn't on full throttle, 100%, destroying their own blood or platelets, etc.
What are some of the side effects and adverse reactions my dog could experience from these medications?
Antibiotics. Most of these we recommend giving with food because they can cause a little bit of stomach upset. So some GI upset can be accompanied by, sometimes, a little bit of diarrhea if they have some GI upset.
As far as some pain relievers and NSAIDs, sometimes they can experience black, tarry stools. Sometimes they can experience vomiting as well as diarrhea if they don't react very well or respond very well to those medications.
Antifungals, that could always happen. There's almost always a chance that there could be some vomiting and diarrhea, but usually we advise you to follow certain instructions, like giving with food or giving on an empty stomach before giving, etc., etc., just so we alleviate any of those adverse reactions to the medication.
Will all dog medications require a prescription?
Most of them will. There are some medications that are over the counter, such as joint supplements. There are also some probiotics for gut health that can be purchased over the counter. There are some sedatives. Usually, it's last-resort sedation meds that can be over the counter, but don't get them unless advised by your doctor.
Do I have to bring my dog to the vet's office to have a prescription written?
If it is for something that we've never seen them for before, then yes. If it is something that they have been consistently on, such as an arthritis medication like Galliprant, if you get it through an online pharmacy, you will have to come in and pick up the paper script to take it to a separate pharmacy.
But if it's just to have it refilled, you do not need to have a vet office visit. You do need at least bare-minimum recommended blood work, and at least an annual visit before having any medications refilled, but that's really it.
Where can I get my pets' prescriptions filled?
You can get them filled at your regular clinic, such as ours. At Family Pet Veterinary Center, we have an online pharmacy that you can get your prescriptions through that goes straight through us, the vet techs, and the doctors. Keep touching the microphone. That can get approved online and shipped directly to you.
As I mentioned before, you can have a paper script. You can take it to a human pharmacy as long as they carry those meds, such as Hy-Vee, Walmart, Walgreens, or any place like that.
How should I navigate drug interactions when my dog is on more than one medication?
Our doctors will usually help you navigate any kind of drug interaction. We do have some owners that keep a list. We do have a few kiddos that are on like five different medications, and they will have a little written list of drug interactions and what to look for. But usually, our doctors here at Family Pet Veterinary Center are really good about sending home emails about medication interactions as well.
Do I have to follow the exact dosage instructions my veterinarian or the pharmacist gives me?
Absolutely. Do not change or stop your meds unless otherwise advised by your doctor.
If my dog is feeling better, do I have to finish the entire course of medication?
Absolutely. Just because they feel better doesn't mean that you should stop the full course. The fact that they are feeling better means the meds are working, but they haven't completely, 100%, healed or at least recovered. So we recommend following through the full course just in case because we have seen some scenarios where they get better, stop medication, and then, say, an infection comes back.
What happens if I miss a dose of my dog's medication?
Usually, definitely check with your doctor first. It depends on the medication. Sometimes seizure meds have to be maneuvered around. Always at the doctor's discretion. If it is a medication, such as a flea and tick, usually you'll just have to adjust when to give it.
Most of the time, if it's dire, make sure that you give it. You'll just have to adjust your medication schedule if it's given every 12 hours, 24 hours, etc. If they miss a dose, call your doctor. Text our doctor. Call them first and foremost.
How can I get my dog to take oral medication?
If they don't like taking the pill straight up. That's fair. My kiddos also don't like that. It depends. Granted, they don't have any allergies. You can put it in spray cheese, slather it up, and give it to them. You can put it in wet food. You can cover it in a high-value treat such as a little bit of turkey. You can even wrap it in flat cheese. Some people, if they're small enough, have even put it in dog- or pet-safe fruit.
If you use wet food, you can make a little meatball around it. Some people have broken them down and mixed it into their food as sort of like a powder, granted it's able to. People have also requested having a liquid version of the medication because for some kiddos it is such a pain in the butt to even attempt to try and get them to take a pill. So you can ask for a recommendation to see if we can get it compounded as a liquid form because sometimes liquid is a little bit easier to get down than trying to get a pill down them.
What should I do if my dog is refusing to take medication?
If he's refusing to take medication, give your doctor a call immediately, just so that they can figure out what they can do, if a compounding of a liquid is needed, because in this scenario, they likely need that medication, and we want to make sure that they get it.
Can I give my dog medicine meant for humans?
Would not advise that. There are some very rare scenarios where dogs and cats can have human medicine, such as Zyrtec, but do not give it without your doctor's advice. We do not recommend it. We've had some kiddos that have passed because human medications were given, and a lot of them are not meant for them, and the dosing regulation is very, very specific. So do not give any unless you call a doctor or poison control, or anyone who is knowledgeable about medication.
What's the difference between a brand name, a trade name, and a generic name of a medication?
The brand name of a medication is essentially the company that owns said medication. Several different companies can own the same type of medication, which is the trade name. There is a trade name for all brand-type medication. The brand is mostly just their specific name that they have chosen for a medication.
The generic name of a medication is similar to the trade name. It's just more kind of like, not a great-value brand, but it's a generic brand, kind of what you would see at the store, versus a name brand and a generic brand. It's a little bit cheaper, and it's more generic. It's not made by a specific company that is well known for making said medication.
Is it safe to buy my dog's medications online?
If it is through our online store, absolutely. It goes through our vet techs. It goes through our doctors first. As far as Chewy and Amazon, we can give you paper scripts for going through there. We just don't usually recommend Chewy because some of their stuff sits in a warehouse for we don't know how long, and so we really don't know the quality of the medication that you're getting through them. So if you're going to choose an online source, we at least recommend our online store.
Are there any natural alternatives to medications I can use instead?
There are definitely some, advised by the doctor. There are some natural options. There are a lot of people who use natural supplements for omega-3s, for probiotics, but I would check with our doctors beforehand, just because sometimes there are some natural options that can have a little bit of some toxicities to our kiddos, and we just want to make sure.
What can I do if I'm worried about giving my dog medication?
If you're ever worried, you can contact our main clinic. Most of us vet techs know the ins and outs of the medication, and if anything, we can also relay that information to the doctors. The doctors know the absolute ins and outs of the medication, and they are more than willing to sit on the phone and go over every detail of what you're worried about.
If you’re looking for veterinary care you can trust, call us at (515) 224-9747 or email [email protected]. We’re here to keep your pet healthy, happy, and thriving!