Veterinary Drugs - Do They Help or Hinder? Part 1

So what is the story with pets and pet medicine. Do they help the pet or hurt the animal? Pet health is pretty much the same as with us humans.

So what is the story about veterinary medicines. Do they help the pet or hurt the animal? Pet health is pretty much the same as with us humans. You always find medicine that is or can be life saving in the short term, but with chronic use, their can be a range of side effects. In some cases with our animal's, can be more serious.

Just recently, vet's and drug companies have been experimenting with some powerful drugs. Some of these drugs have some very serious side effects. Most of the drugs that are given to your pet's are usually given in inappropriate dosages. If fact it is not surprising that the animal's react so quickly to the drugs.

This is going to be a 2 or 3 part article, since there is so much to cover. I am going to go through the different drug's and what their side-effects are for each. If you can believe this there are even drug's that can take care of the side-effects of the other veterinary drugs, this is just crazy.

Here is an example of what I am talking about. Mitotain is used for Cushing's disease, but this includes the moon-faced side-effect that is usually brought on by the use of steriods. Dogs that are given NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are now starting to suffer from ulcers and ulcerative colitis. This then requires more drugs, like the powerful immunosuppressants, that will treat the gut problem.

If you can believe this, their are dog's that are getting psychiatric drugs, like tricyclic antidepressants, that will treat 'obsessive-compulsive' licking.

Cats and Dogs and their Medicine

When your pet must take some medication (and there are many alternative treatments to allopathic medicine), you must make sure that you as your vet these questions:

• To choose the drugs that are specially formulated for your animal's species and size
• For a suspension or have your medicine reformulated into one as this form is easier for your pet to take
• Ask if your animal's dosage is being based on any studies specifically on dog's or cat's
• You must know if the dosage should still be adjusted, if your pet is obese. This is to reflect the lean body weight of another animal that size.

Be careful when you are giving your pet two or more drugs at the same time. Just as in humans medications can interact with each other and the same thing can happen in your pet's. Here is an example of what I mean. There is a heart drug like digoxin and the beta-blockers like propranolol will interact.

You need to keep a close eye on your pet's when you are giving them medication and watch out for side effects. You also want to write down the drugs that your pet is taking and at the first sign in change in behavior, or trouble call your vet immediately.  In the next report, I am going to give you a breakdown on the veterinary drug database.

That is going to end this segment and I will be putting out part two in a couple of day.  Click on veterinary medicine for part 2.

Innovative Veterinary Diets
Veterinary Medicine
Holistic Veterinary Medicine
Equine Veterinary Medicine
Veterinary Medicine Part 2

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