Are prescriptions generally more effective than other over-the-counter medications?
When it comes to veterinary medicine, absolutely these prescriptions are going to be more beneficial and more efficacious than over-the-counter medications. The reason for it is that we're going to be able to specifically target and prescribe medications for certain ailments, and it's not just going to be something over-the-counter that would be generally safe for a lot of pets. It's going to be something that we're specifically treating a pet for.
Can my cat get what they need from diet alone?
Your cat can get a lot of what it needs from diet alone, but not necessarily everything. A good diet is going to be the foundation for a happy, healthy life. However, certain things happen. We get parasites, diarrhea, things like that, in which case we need to treat with certain medications.
What are different types of cat medications used to treat?
Well, there's a lot of different types of cat medications. There's antibiotics for bacterial infections. There's antifungals for fungal infections. We have different pain medications. We have allergy injections and things like that. As far as the different types we have, they are multiple, but it really just depends on what we're trying to treat.
Do you have any tips on how to give my cat their medicine?
Well, it really just depends on what type of medicine that we're trying to give them. Medicine comes in many different forms. It comes in pills. It comes in capsules. It comes in liquids that you can squirt into their mouth. There are certain injectables that we have to give. There's also even variations of some of these medications that can be made into a transdermal, meaning that you rub the medication on the inside surface of the ear, and it can get absorbed through there. Certain medications can be hidden, like the pills and capsules, they can be hidden in little treats. Sometimes, depending on the medication, capsules can be broken open and sprinkled onto a little bit of food. Then, of course, certain medications, if we have to get them made, they can get made into certain flavors, in which case we can try to trick the animal that way.
Why is it important to avoid self-diagnosing my cat's needs for pain medication?
When it comes to self-diagnosing, it's so difficult, especially in cats. They're very subtle creatures. If you think that they're painful, definitely let a veterinarian know, but sometimes we diagnose pain just on other clinical signs. Sometimes they'll have a little bit of a rougher hair coat near their rear end, and that can be signs of arthritis because they can't physically bend around and groom themselves as much. Sometimes they just seem to be sleeping a little bit more, but it turns out they're actually arthritic and painful, and they don't want to get up and move around. Subtle changes can mean really big things, and your veterinarian is going to know what to look for in those situations.
Why is early detection so crucial in getting a good result for my cat medications?
Early detection is going to be crucial in just about every aspect of animal care. If there's infections, the sooner we can get on top of it with appropriate medications, the better. Any pain or anything else like that, if we can prevent pain, ultimately that's the ultimate goal. We like to be proactive as opposed to reactive in these situations.
Why should I purchase cat medications from my veterinarian instead of through an online pharmacy?
It's going to be important that you purchase medications from a certified pharmacy. That's the most important thing. Now, there are several certified pharmacies that are online. In fact, Phoenix Mobile Veterinarians uses one of their own that we contract with, and they do a great job. Other online pharmacies, though, that there are some major ones that I'm sure a lot of people have heard of, they're not certified. Therefore, you do not know if the product you're getting is an actual approved product, so it could be a counterfeit product or something shipped in from overseas that has no regulations on how it's made.
How Do I Know What Medications Are Safe For My Cat?
Do I always need to seek the guidance of a veterinarian when giving my cat medicine?
It's always recommended that you seek the guidance of a veterinarian before giving any animal any medication. The reason for it is we want to make sure that we're giving the appropriate dose and the appropriate route at the appropriate frequency.
Can I give aspirin or NSAIDs to my cat?
It is not recommended that you give any aspirin or any NSAIDs to your cat without speaking to your veterinarian first. The reason for it is that a lot of NSAIDs can have some pretty nasty side effects in animals, and we want to make sure they're always doing the best thing for them.
Are there any human medications that are safe for cats?
Yes, there are. There are a lot of human medications that are safe for cats. What can differ, though, is the actual dose that we give, and so you always want to, when you speak with your veterinarian, we'll make sure that you get the appropriate dose for that. But there are a lot of medications that, after the appointment, we'll call in to a regular human pharmacy for you.
What are the medications that my veterinarian can prescribe if my cat is in pain?
Well, it really just depends on what kind of pain we're in. Now, pain can vary dramatically. It can vary all the way from getting hit by a car to a little bit of a bad step, and we have a little bit of an owie for a day or two, and so it really just depends. For the really nasty pain, there's always stronger medications we can prescribe, but for subtle pains, you know, or if we took a bad step, a sore leg or anything else like that, we can give a capsule or a pill or a liquid for a few days. And then even arthritis pain, if it's a chronic pain like arthritis, we actually have an injection that we can give that lasts for four weeks, and then we just repeat that every four weeks as needed.
What is the best way for me to give my cat medication?
The best way to give your cat medication is going to be the safest way, and what I mean by that is that cats can be very difficult to give medications to. We can try to trick them by using the pills in a little treat. We can try to break open capsules when you're able to and sprinkle that on the food. There's even certain medications that we can get made into a transdermal, meaning that you will actually rub it on the inside surface of the ear, and they'll absorb the medication that way.
What if my cat is difficult to give medication to?
If your cat's difficult to give medication to, well, then that's when we start breaking out a little bit of the tricks. I said earlier that we can get that medication prescribed into a transdermal so you can rub it on the ear. There's even medications that we can get made into liquids, and we can get those liquids flavored, so sometimes we can trick them that way as well.
Is CBD oil considered a safe and effective cat medication?
CBD oil, it's tough. Sometimes we have results with it, sometimes we don't. It's really going to be, as far as what we've seen, it's going to be safe. Now as far as effective, it really just depends. There are certain animals that I've seen that I say I really think it works, and there's other animals that I really don't think I've seen much of a result with. So if you are concerned about pain or you're thinking about using CBD, speak with your veterinarian first.
If you still have other questions and you'd like to reach out to us, you can call us directly at (480) 233-7276, or you can email us at [email protected]. But please do reach out, and we'll get back to you as fast as we can. Don't forget to follow us on social media Facebook, Instagram