Veterinary

APOTHECARY PHARMACY 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 that your veterinarian has prescribed for your pet 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 that may require a fraction of the dose that is 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 that you will have to force your pet to take many more tablets or capsules than he or she will tolerate. APOTHECARY PHARMACY can specially compound these medications for you so that you are able to provide them to your pet in one accurate dose.

Once you have taken care of accurate dosing, the biggest problem you face is actually getting your pet to take his or her medication. Whether you try to give the medication directly to them or try to hide it in their food, animals just do not like to take medicine and will often try to avoid it at all costs.

It is these, and other challenges, that 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 that is not commercially available, or to put a drug into a specialized dosage form, such as a flavored liquid, that 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 that are only available at specialized, compounding pharmacies. Our pharmacists undergo extensive training in compounding techniques and 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

Back to Top

Types of Animal Medications
Here's the scenario:
Your pets' veterinarian just prescribed a new medication for your pets 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, such as 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!

Back to Top

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, meats 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. Please click below to find out more information about our flavors.

Flavors: Click here for a list of all our available flavors.

Suggestions: Click here to find out which flavors your pet will like

Back to Top

Transdermal Gels
Transdermal gels are one of the easiest and most innovativeways to medicate your pet. We place the prescribed medication into a small amount of gel that is applied behind the animals ear. Our gels come in easy to use pre-measured syringes that ensure accurate dosing.

Transdermal gels offer many advantages:

* Due to the excellent absorbtion 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
* And many, many more!

Give us a call to see if a transdermal gel may be the answer to your pets medication problems!

Back to Top

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 pets paw or fur. Since animals hate having anything stick to them, they will lick the paste right off, and ingest the medication.

Ways We Can Help Your PetVeterinary 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 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.
* And the list goes on and on!!

Back to Top

APOTHECARY PHARMACY: Keeping Veterinarians On the Cutting Edge
Veterinarians are often faced with many problems that are not encountered by physcians. 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 veterinariy medication dispensing. We recognize that many medications for animals will problably 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, and 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
Please use the information above to find out more about how APOTHECARY PHARMACY can you solve some of these unique needs. If you have any further questions please give us a call
(866)737-7277.

Back to Top

Transdermal Gels
One of the easiest and most innovative ways for pet owners to medicate their animals are transdermal gels. Numerousdrugs can be administered transdermally by applying a gel to a shaven area or to an animal's ear. Areas with heavy underlying bloodflow, such as an animals ear, allows for systemic effects very similar to oral absorption of the drug.

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-diarrheals
* Sedatives
* Anti-Depressants
* Anti-inflammatories

Back to Top

Available Flavors

Apple Banana Creme
Blueberry
Bubblegum
Butterscotch
Cherry
Chocolate
Guava
Honey
Marshmallow
Orange
Peach
Raspberry
Root Beer
Strawberry
Tangerine
Tropical Punch
Tutti-frutti
Watermelon
Alfalfa
Beef
Butter
Carrot Creme
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
Butter Brickle
Caramel Buter 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

Back to Top

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, nectars.

Parrots Hot and spicy flavors (cayenne pepper) Tropical Birds Tutti-frutti, pina colada, banana (and mixtures).

Canine Dogs prefer meats, sweets, and fixed oils. Bacon, beef, liver, chicken, turkey, cheese, chocolate (artificial), peanut butter, cod liver oil, honey, malt, molasses, caramel, anise, marshmallow, raspberry, 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, 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, peas. Rabbit Find their favorite vegetable or fruit and use it. Lettuce, carrot, parsley, celery, banana creme, vanilla butternut, pineapple. Gerbil As a rule, they like sweet and fruity things. Orange, peach, tutti-frutti, tangerine, banana creme. Reptiles Small size often more important than taste (snakes are an exception;dropper feed them). Lemon Custard, banana creme, tutti-frutti, melon. Iguana Make it smell good. Cantaloupe, melon, kiwi, orange, watermelon, banana, tangerine. Rodents Use a flavored paste or jelly Lemon Custard, banana creme, cheese, peanut butter, vanilla, butternut.

Back to Top

11700 NATIONAL BLVD. LOS ANGELES, CA. 90064 | (866)737-7277
Pharmacy Hours: Mon-Fri (9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.) Sat. (9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.)
ApothecaryLA@Yahoo.com