Most Common Pet Medications
pet medications
Pet owners may be used to medications like flea and tick repellants and the occasional acute infection prescription, but unless their pet has been diagnosed with some sort of ailment, they may not realize how common pet medications can be.
There are many factors in the overall health of a pet, including where the animal spends the majority of their time (indoors or out), their breed, and luck of the draw. Pets with allergies may be more likely to develop nasal diseases later in life. Pets that spent their early years jumping off the bed a little too aggressively may end up with arthritis in their old age. Pets that grew up in filthy conditions may develop asthma.
And yet, even the most loved, cared for, and seemingly healthy pets can develop any of the above conditions, for no apparent reason at all.
Pet owners are sometimes more restricted in where they can find the medication their furry friend needs. Their veterinarian can order any medication, but not always at an affordable price. Fortunately for them, Canadian online pet pharmacies and international ones have become more common, making it much easier to find cheap pet meds. Here are some of the most common pet medications we sell at NorthWestPharmacy.com.
Allergies/Antihistamines
We don't always think about our pets having human-esque annoyances like allergies, but it's actually quite common. Cats and dogs can both have environmental allergies, most commonly dust (or dust mites), pollen, mold, and fragrances in soap or detergent.
Much like in humans, pet allergies manifest themselves with symptoms in some combination of sneezing, congestion, watery eyes, and itching. Unlike humans, treating these allergies is a bit trickier, but there are some options.
Atopica (Cyclosporine A)
Itching is a common symptom of allergies in dogs, in particular. Typically, the itching is caused by atopic dermatitis, which is the way in which the allergy manifests. Itching is the symptom that lets pet owners know there is a problem. In some cases, this causes the fur to actually shed from the affected area of the skin completely, due to constant scratching or licking.
Atopic dermatitis often occurs in areas that have poor air flow around them — in between the toes, in the groin, in the armpits, and even around the eye (which can be dangerous if the itching causes the animal to injure their eye). The first noticeable physical manifestation is typically a red spot, also called a hot spot, and from there, it will only get worse if medical intervention isn't made.
When the symptoms are bad enough, lesions can form, and if those open, they can become infected. Because the pet will continue to lick the irritated area, the risk of infection is quite high once the skin has broken.
Atopica (cyclosporine A) is an antihistamine with fewer side effects than many allergy medications. Like most other antihistamines, Atopica works by suppressing the immune system's response to allergens, reducing the natural histamines the body creates. In turn, this helps control swelling and inflammation, which is what causes the itching.
Parasite Prevention
Advantix Spot Solution for Dogs
Dogs in particular are at increased risk of insect bites (i.e. sand flies, ticks, and mosquitos) because they're likely to spend more time outside. While this may not seem like a big deal most of the time, insects carry diseases that can not only make your furry friend sick but can actually kill them. Lyme Disease, heartworms, and tapeworms are all carried by insects and can be fatal.
The additional issue with ticks is that you can't always see them in your dog's fur, and the longer the tick is burrowed into your pet's skin, the higher the likelihood of disease transmission. Therefore, it's crucial to repel the insects, in addition to killing the ones that successfully bite.
Advantix Spot Solution for Dogs is one of the most common pet medications on the market. Overall, it's considered very safe with minimal side effects, and contains two medications that work together: imidacloprid, which repels the insects, and permethrin, which increases the effectiveness of the imidacloprid. Together, these active ingredients actually paralyze and kill the biting insect.
Infections and Infection Prevention
Baytril Otic Ear Drops
Dogs sometimes get ear infections from bacteria and dirt build-up. Often this manifests to the owner as the dog itching their ears with more frequency than usual, but can also produce an odor. When you're able to look inside the ear canal (gently, as it probably hurts), you may notice redness.
This is particularly common in dogs with floppy ears — adorable, yes; hygienic, no. If the dog spends a significant amount of time outside, the likelihood of infection also increases. Cleaning their ears (properly, as per your veterinarian) can help prevent infection from occurring.
Baytril Otic ear drops (enrofloxacin/silver sulfadiazine) work in two different ways. The enrofloxacin blocks the bacteria from multiplying while the silver sulfadiazine not only inhibits multiplication, but it actually damages the bacterial envelope membrane. Together, these ingredients are able to prevent the infection from spreading while also weakening the existing bacteria and killing them off.
Epi-Otic Dog and Cat Ear Cleanser
In order to prevent ear infections caused by dirt and bacteria build-up in both dogs and cats, some pet owners choose to take their furry friend to the vet every so often to have their ears cleaned out. This expense can add up quickly and can take up a significant amount of time if your vet typically has a packed schedule or you have a long drive to your vet's office.
While it's not always possible to clean your own pet's ears (not all animals will tolerate it), it's certainly cheaper and more convenient to do it at home. For that reason, solutions like Epi-Otic Dog and Cat Ear Cleanser exist.
Regularly cleaning out your pet's ears can prevent them from becoming infected, which will typically require a visit to the vet and prescription medication (like Baytril Otic) to kill the bacteria present in the ear canal.
Surolan
Surolan is a unique medication in that it's approved for use in ears, as well as on skin. Its active ingredients (miconazole nitrate/polymyxin B/prednisolone acetate) can treat both bacterial and fungal infections, such as staphylococcus aureus, M. gypseum, and malassezia pachydermatis. The prednisolone acetate helps reduce inflammation caused by the infection, while the other active ingredients fight the infection itself.
Surolan is often used to treat ear mites, which can cause your pet to shake their heads and itch their ears incessantly. This can cause damage over time, especially if the itching and shaking becomes violent enough. If the skin on the ear flap separates, an aural hematoma can form, which requires veterinary attention to prevent permanent damage.
On the fungal end of the spectrum, ringworm is a common — and very contagious — infection that can spread across species. Ringworm presents as a round rash on humans, but on pets is typically a round bald patch in their fur. The redness isn't as easy to see because of the fur. If it's not treated and you touch that part of your pet, you are very likely to also contract the infection.
For Aging Pets
All pets slow down as they age, much in the same way that people do. They may eat less, sleep more, and generally become less active. This can indicate many different age-related diseases (or no disease at all), some of which are more treatable than others. Even when the diseases themselves aren't curable, sometimes there are medications that help manage symptoms to allow your pet to live a longer, happier life.
Prednisone
If prednisone sounds familiar, that's probably because it's prescribed frequently for humans as well. Prednisone is a corticosteroid that can be used for multiple purposes, including as an anti-inflammatory and an immunosuppressant in both dogs and cats.
In some cases, prednisone can mask symptoms and can make more serious ailments less noticeable, so it's important to keep up with annual visits and watch out for changes in your pet's behavior or eating habits. Regardless, make sure you're in touch with your veterinarian about any questions you may have.
Vetoryl
The chance of tumors forming on a dog's pituitary gland increases with age. When that happens, the pituitary gland excretes more adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), which is then classified as Cushing's Disease, or Cushing's Syndrome. This is most common in Dachshunds, Boston Terriers, and Boxers, but can occur in any breed.
As a result of this overexcretion of ACTH, the adrenal gland overproduces cortisol, the stress hormone. Too much cortisol in the body isn't good for any of us, including humans. In these cases, Vetoryl (trilostane) can help regulate the adrenal glands so they don't produce quite as much cortisol, which can improve your dog's quality of life.
Ordering Pet Meds Through an Online Canadian Pharmacy
We offer a variety of pet medications at NorthWestPharmacy.com, with our most common customers being owners of dogs, cats, and horses. While some people specifically visit our website to purchase cheap pet medications, it's very common for our customers to order their pet meds when they order their own medications. We become a one-stop-shop for them.
Your pet's health is just as important to us as your health, and as a result, we follow the same safety standards and procedures that we do for humans. The exact medication you need will be delivered right to your door without any kind of extra effort on your part. Our safety track record is flawless, and we work hard to keep it that way.
If ordering pet medication through an online Canadian pharmacy or international drugstore is new to you, we have a wealth of information readily available for you, including step-by-step how-to-order instructions, frequently asked questions, and special feature articles that dig deeper into specific medications and healthcare issues.
For your convenience, our pet medications are clearly marked as being over the counter (OTC) or as needing a valid prescription from a veterinarian. In order to sell international and Canadian prescription drugs, we'll verify the medication in the same way we do for humans — we may contact the veterinarian in order to make sure the prescription is valid and matches their records.
Pet medications often suffer the same extraordinarily expensive fate human medications do in the United States. But for the most part, they're less expensive. That isn't always the case though — especially when you have to purchase them from a brick-and-mortar store or from your veterinarian.
If you go to the vet or pharmacy and find out your pet's medication costs a lot more than you thought it would, be sure to give us a call and check our prices before purchasing. You can always go back for the medication, but you can't return it once you've taken it home.
We have a dedicated call center team that takes a lot of pride in being able to help our customers. They are very accustomed to walking people through the ordering process, answering any and all questions, and pointing people in the right direction when they're not finding what they need.
At NorthWestPharmacy.com, we have a lowest price guarantee on your medication, and if you find it cheaper elsewhere, we'll beat the price. This goes for human and pet medications alike with the added convenience of being able to do all of your prescription shopping in one place.
Get in touch with us today if you're ready for place your order or if you have additional questions. You can call our toll-free number (1-866-539-5330) every day of the week and reach an actual human who can help you — no automated service interactions necessary. If you're calling outside of business hours, you can always email us and we'll get back to you promptly.
