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Your veterinarian can only do so much,
and so often a dog’s health suffers
because owners don’t follow their
veterinarian’s advice. OK your vet
isn’t always right, but medication not
given can’t do any good, so you need to
make sure that the right medication
(check the label every time) is given to
the right patient (if you have multiple
Beardies) at the right time(s), in the
right amount and dosage form, by the
correct route of administration and for
the right duration of time. Owners
should know what the hoped for response
to the medicine will be and how soon
they can expect to see it. They should
be aware of possible adverse reactions
and appropriate actions to take if they
occur. If a recheck is scheduled make
sure you get there, and if a referral to
a specialist is recommended follow
through on that too.
Here
are some other important things owners
can do to make sure their Beardie gets
well and stays that way.
Know
the generic and brand names of the
drug(s) your dog is getting. Know why
the drug(s) are being given. Know the
possible benefits and risks of generic
substitutes. For example these are
generally cheaper, but may not be exact
replicas of the brand name drug. This
seems to be true of thyroid drugs, for
example, where generics do not always
have the labeled amount of L-thyroxine
so the results aren’t optimal.
Before you give any drug make sure you
understand all the instructions – how to
give it, how much, how often, and
whether it is best before, with or after
meals – or if it doesn’t matter. Before
you leave the hospital make sure you
have a demonstration of how to
administer the drug, and make sure you
or someone else in the family is capable
of administering the drug in the correct
fashion. If necessary schedule trips to
the hospital so that the techs can
medicate your dog. Once again, if the
dog doesn’t get it, it doesn’t do any
good. In this vein, get into the habit
of checking to make sure those Beardies
with the silver tongues that reach back
down into their tummies haven’t spat the
darned pills out. Like us, dogs may
experience pills stuck in their
esophagus – which they may cough back up
later - so if possible have your dog
take a drink of water after you give him
his pills.
Do
remember to ask which foods and liquids
are compatible and more importantly,
incompatible with the medication.
Owners often like to try and hide
medication in food, and sometimes this
can interfere with absorption or change
the chemical properties of the drug.
For instance, tetracyclines, including
doxycycline, should not be given with
cheese. Unless instructed to do so,
don’t add a drug to the drinking water.
Dogs don’t usually drain the bowl so the
amount of drug delivered will be
variable and probably inadequate. The
drug may also change the taste of the
water and discourage consumption.
If
your dog is on multiple medications it
may help to put them in a daily pill
dispenser to make sure he gets
everything every day. Keeping a written
diary of what was given and when each
day may also be helpful in making sure
everything is delivered at the right
time.
If
the therapy may produce adverse
reactions do not give it with food. Bad
tasting pills in the food or feeling
nauseous or odd may make the dog food
aversive. Many conditions result in
anorexia as it is, and you don’t want to
exacerbate that risk.
Do
know ahead of times what to do if you
forget to give a dose or are unable to
give the medication at the prescribed
time or interval. Also ask what to do
if you find a rejected dose or if the
dog vomits (ask about the timing of this
relative to medicating too). Make sure
you know about important side-effects of
the drug. Know how often they occur and
which require returning to the hospital
or calling the veterinarian. Ask about
drug interactions, especially if the dog
is on multiple medications and/or herbal
or vitamin supplements. If you get the
drug at a human pharmacy they may list
potential problems for humans that could
be different for canine patients.
If
symptoms persist, or especially if they
become worse, or if new problems arise,
do not hesitate to call your
veterinarian.
Do
use the dispensing spoon, syringe or cup
given with liquid medicines. Other
devices – droppers, teaspoons etc. - may
not be as specifically calibrated. Keep
medications in their original container,
and don’t mix medicines, as they may
affect each other, and if you return to
the container later you may give the
wrong pill.
Don’t
break of crush capsules or pills unless
instructed to do so. If pills must be
split always use a precision pill
splitter available at most pharmacies.
Medicines should be stored correctly in
terms of heat, humidity and light, as
this can affect potency is many
instances. It is important not to store
medicines near stoves or other heat
sources, sinks or the bathroom. I know,
we all have “medicine cabinets” in our
bathrooms, but think of the humidity
from the shower, heat from the hair
dryer, and maybe you’ll move the people
drugs out too! Don’t leave cotton plugs
in medicines once you break the seal.
Cotton can draw moisture into the vial.
Don’t keep your Beardie’s medicine
alongside people drugs. It’s too easy
for you both to get the wrong drug, even
though I know you’ll now be reading the
label every time you give a dose!
It’s
important to only give the scripted
amount unless you have first consulted
with your veterinarian. Some drugs have
a very limited range of safety. Do not
abruptly stop giving the drug because
the symptoms have cleared up. It is
necessary to slowly wean the dog off
some drugs. Other drugs need to be
continued until all the medication has
been given – this is especially true of
antibiotics. Do call in refills in
plenty of time so that you don’t run out
of medication for long term therapy.
Examine each new batch carefully. If it
looks different or smells off,
immediately alert your veterinarian
and/or pharmacist to the change.
While
the expiration dates on most drugs are
ultra conservative, do consult your
veterinarian if the drug has passed its
expiration date. If any drug has
changed color, absorbed moisture or
otherwise obviously degraded discard it
carefully. If an old condition recurs,
always consult your veterinarian before
starting to treat with drugs on hand.
Finally, do not give an over-the-counter
or on-line product to your Beardie
without first consulting with your
veterinarian to make sure that it is
safe and effective. Even old stand-bys
may present a problem. For example
Kaopectate was recently reformulated and
the new formula may be toxic to some
dogs.
Always put your dog’s safety foremost,
follow directions, and if the
veterinarian did her/his job of
diagnosis correctly, you should have a
happy healthy Beardie who continues to
bounce into his/her golden years
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