Located in and Serving Los Angeles, CA 310-737-7277
Veterinary
Top-Notch Veterinary Compounding Services
Specially Compounded Medication for Your Pet
At Apothecary Pharmacy, our pharmacists have undergone rigorous training in compounding techniques in order to improve the quality of care for your furry friends. Get accurate dosing for your pet's medication. Call us at 310-737-7277 for more details.
Learn More About Veterinary Compounding
Introduction to Veterinary Compounding
When it comes to medication, animals often present a unique challenge. Getting your pet(s) to take medication can sometimes be difficult and time-consuming. Often times, the medication your veterinarian has prescribed may only be available in one strength or size and is usually intended for human use. Consequently, the dose your pet receives may be much higher than what is needed. This can be a problem for smaller animals who may require a fraction of the dose commercially available in most pharmacies. When you have to cut the tablets into halves or quarters to obtain a better dosage, this greatly decreases the accuracy of that dosage. Conversely, larger animals may need a dose two to three times higher than what is available, meaning you will have to force your pet to take many more tablets or capsules than he or she may tolerate. Apothecary Pharmacy can compound these medications for you so you are able to provide them to your pet in one accurate dose.
It is these, and other challenges, our pharmacists attempt to overcome by providing specially compounded medications to meet the needs of every animal. Compounding allows a veterinarian to prescribe a customized medication not commercially available or to put a drug into a specialized dosage form, including a flavored liquid your pet will love.
Apothecary Pharmacy specializes in creating medications using unique forms and flavors to meet the needs of your pet. Formulating these medications requires special chemicals, equipment, compounding hoods, and the proper training and skills only available at specialized, compounding pharmacies. Our pharmacists undergo extensive training in compounding techniques. Our large national support network continuously generates new ideas to help further improve the quality of care that we can provide to your beloved friend.
We will work together with you and your veterinarian to formulate an ideal medication that will increase your pets' compliance with the medication and, therefore, further improve their health. We make it as easy as possible for your veterinarian to prescribe, and for you to receive, your medication. We will mail anywhere in the world! Custom medications are usually shipped via priority mail within 24 hours of receiving the prescription. We also offer delivery services for local customers.
Please let us know if we can help solve your pet(s) medication problem. We formulate for livestock, pets, exotics, and zoo animals.
Types of Animal Medications
Here's the scenario:
Your pet's veterinarian just prescribed a new medication for your pet's medical condition. You take the medication and try to give it to your pet only to have them spit it out. So you decide to trick them and hide it in their food, just to have them eat all of the food around it without touching the medicine. No matter what you do or how hard you try, you just can't get your pet to take the medicine they need in order to stay healthy.
If this scene sounds familiar to you, Apothecary Pharmacy may be able to help. We can flavor your pet's medication, put it into a dosage form that is easier to give or even custom-compound a medication that is currently unavailable. Please read on to find out more about our customized dosage forms.
- Flavored suspensions: Flavored liquids that your pet will love
- Transdermal gels: Medicated gels that can be applied to your pet's ear
- Flavored animal treats: Feed and medicate your pet at the same time
- Paw paste: When applied to their paw, animals will lick this right off
Many more types of medications are available, including injections, capsules, ear-drops, and eye drops. Please give us a call for information on these or any other types of medications.
We mail anywhere! Call us at310-737-7277 to find out more.
Flavored Suspensions
Animals can be very finicky when it comes to their diet, especially when you try to administer an oral medication to them. However, when a medication is incorporated into a favored suspension, the animal will associate it with food and generally consume the medication with little or no problems.
Various flavorings are available based on the type of species. For example, fish and liver for cats, meat and sweets for dogs, and fruits for birds. With over 60 flavors available, one of them is sure to satisfy even the most finicky pet. Our suspensions come with an oral syringe that allows for accurate dosing every time.
Transdermal Gels
Transdermal gels are one of the easiest and most innovative ways to medicate your pet. We place the prescribed medication into a small amount of gel that is applied behind the animal's ear. Our gels come in easy-to-use premeasured syringes that ensure accurate dosing.
Transdermal gels offer many advantages:
- Due to the excellent absorption of the drug, smaller amounts of drug can be given which can greatly reduce the side effects your pet may experience
- If your pet is on several medications, many drug interactions can be avoided when one or more of the medications are given through a gel
- Numerous medications can easily be administered to pets who are nauseated or who may not be allowed to take anything by mouth
There are many different types of medications that can be placed into a transdermal gel:
- Anti-diarrhea medications
- Anti-seizure medications
- Thyroid medications
- Anti-arthritic drugs
- Gels for inflammation
- Sedatives
- Anti-depressives
Give us a call to see if a transdermal gel may be the answer to your pet's medication problems.
Flavored Animal Treats
Flavored animal treats offer another excellent alternative to medicating your pet. The medication your veterinarian prescribes is placed into a small treat that can be flavored to the liking of your pet. These flavored treats will have your pet begging for another dose!
Paw Pastes
At times, it is impossible to open an animal's mouth in order to administer a medication. In these situations, our compounding pharmacists can concentrate a medication into a flavored paste that is applied to your pet's paw or fur. Since animals hate having anything stick to them, they will lick the paste right off and ingest the medication.
Know How We Can help Your Pet
Veterinary compounding opens up a whole new dimension of drug therapy for your animal. The compounding possibilities are endless. Here are some of our success stories:
- Concentrated solutions and injections for birds and reptiles
- Sugar-free medications for diabetic cats
- Inhalation therapy to treat a kennel cough
- Antidotes for accidental poisonings
- Anti-fungal inhalation solutions for infections
- Hard-to-find medications for urinary incontinence
- Hairball remedies for cats
- Custom medications for seizures, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, infections, and appetite stimulants.
Apothecary Pharmacy: Keeping Veterinarians on the Cutting Edge
Veterinarians are often faced with many problems that are not encountered by physicians. With thousands of different species of animals, a veterinarian must be able to devise medication solutions for every type of animal. Through the process of compounding, Apothecary Pharmacy can help keep you, the veterinarian, on the cutting edge of veterinary medicine. We can help you provide optimal care for all species. Compounding allows veterinarians to broaden their prescribing abilities and offer dosage forms that are patient-specific in strength and form.
Our pharmacy does not seek to take over the role of routine veterinary medication dispensing. We recognize that many medications for animals will probably always be dispensed by veterinarians. However, the main reason our pharmacy is called upon by animal care specialists is for our compounding expertise. Compounding of veterinary products often requires special equipment, hoods, chemicals, pH, solubility and temperature changes. Our advanced training in compounding, coupled with our large national support network, allows us to work with veterinarians to solve just about any of your medication needs.
Customized medication compounding offers:
- Medication availability
- Preparation of unique veterinary formulations
- Variable Concentrations
- Are you treating a canary or an ostrich?
- Ease of Administration
- Ideal Dosage Form
- Flavoring
- Taste and color matched to each animal's preference
- Owner acceptance of medication regimen
- Enhanced compliance
Some More Details About Transdermal Gels
One of the easiest and most innovative ways for pet owners to medicate their animals is transdermal gels. Numerous drugs can be administered transdermally by applying a gel to a shaven area or to an animal's ear. Areas with heavy underlying blood flow, including an animal's ear, allows for systemic effects very similar to oral absorption of the drug.
Transdermal gels offer many advantages:
Transdermal gels offer many advantages:
- When medication is absorbed directly into the bloodstream without first entering the gastrointestinal system, a smaller amount of active ingredient may be required for therapeutic effect
- Direct application and absorption at the target site can mean higher tissue levels and lower blood levels of various medications. Side effects such as GI irritation can be eliminated
- Various types of drug interactions may be avoided when one or more interacting medications are administered transdermally
- Numerous medications can easily be administered to patients who are nauseated or not permitted oral intake
Examples of drugs that have been placed into transdermal gels:
- Thyroid medications
- Anti-seizure Meds
- Anti-diarrhea
- Sedatives
- Antidepressants
- Anti-inflammatories
Available Flavors
- Apple banana crème
- Blueberry
- Bubblegum
- Butterscotch
- Cherry
- Chocolate
- Guava
- Honey
- Marshmallow
- Orange
- Peach
- Raspberry
- Root Beer
- Strawberry
- Tangerine
- Tropical punch
- Tutti-frutti
- Watermelon
- Alfalfa
- Beef
- Butter
- Carrot crème
- Cheese
- Chicken
- Cod liver oil
- Ham chowder
- Lamb chowder
- Lettuce salad
- Liver
- Peanut butter
- Salmon
- Sardine
- Triple fish
- Tropical punch
- Tuna
- Veal
- Yam slush
- Apple danish pastry
- Banana coconut
- Butter brickle
- Caramel butter fudge
- Cherry chocolate
- Cherry cola
- Chocolate mint
- Citrus mixture
- Eggnog custard
- Fruity bubblegum
- Grape emulsion
- Green dragon mint
- Hawaiian pineapple
- Lemon custard
- Raspberry creme
- Root beer float
- Strawberry creme
- Toffee butter rum
- Wild berry-berry
Veterinary Flavor Suggestions
Animal comments flavors
Avian Birds prefer sweet and fruity flavors; gels can be used for birds that like to bite. Tutti-frutti, pina colada, grape, orange, tangerine, banana (mixtures of the above work well also), raspberry, millet, honey, molasses, and nectars.
Parrots:
Hot and spicy flavors (cayenne pepper)
Tropical Birds:
Tutti-frutti, pina colada, and banana (and mixtures)
Canine Dogs
prefer meats, sweets, fixed oils, bacon, beef, liver, chicken, turkey, cheese, chocolate (artificial), peanut butter, cod liver oil, honey, malt, molasses, caramel, anise, marshmallow, raspberry, and strawberry.
Cats
usually don't like too much sweetness and hate bitter tastes. Fish, fish/liver, cod liver oil, beef, liver, chicken, cheese, cheese with fish, bacon, molasses, peanut butter, butter, butterscotch, and marshmallow.
Ferret: In the wild, they prefer fish and meat, but domesticated they can develop a sweet tooth. chocolate, peanut butter, molasses, honey, fish, beef, liver, bacon, raspberry, fruit punch, tutti-frutti, apple, strawberry, and peas.
Rabbit:
Find their favorite vegetable or fruit and use it. Lettuce, carrot, parsley, celery, banana crème, vanilla butternut, and pineapple.
Gerbil:
As a rule, they like sweet and fruity things. Orange, peach, tutti-frutti, tangerine, and banana crème.
Reptiles:
Small size often more important than taste (snakes are an exception; dropper feed them). Lemon Custard, banana crème, tutti-frutti, and melon.
Iguana:
Make it smell good. Cantaloupe, melon, kiwi, orange, watermelon, banana, and tangerine.
Rodents:
Use a flavored paste or jelly lemon custard, banana creme, cheese, peanut butter, vanilla, and butternut.
Call us at 310-737-7277 to schedule an appointment.
Please use the information provided to find out more about how we can solve some of your unique needs. If you have any further questions, call us today.