Tail-wagging flavors: Catering to veterinary patients’ taste buds

The question of how to get your dog or cat to take their medicine is searched over 100K per month, and anyone who has tried to give an animal medication they don't like can attest to the difficulty.

Forcing medication can harm the important bond between owner and pet and increases the risk of non-compliance with the prescription treatment plan, jeopardizing the animal's health.

In this blog, we explore how to find the perfect flavor and showcase innovative dosage forms that help support your veterinary patients' compliance with their treatment.

Enhancing veterinary compliance with irresistible flavors

Regardless of a solid veterinary treatment plan, the outcome may be unsuccessful if the pet owner does not fully comply. Success can hinge on discovering that irresistible flavor that makes the pet eagerly anticipate its next dose while making it easier for the owner to administer it.

Selecting veterinary flavors

Typically, asking the client the pet's favorite treat flavor will yield the best results. However, it's not always that simple. For example, cats lack receptors for sweetness but are sensitive to the bitter taste of many active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs). In this case, pairing a sweetener to mask the bitterness with their favorite flavor will typically have better results.

We've prepared a table with suggested flavors common veterinary animals typically enjoy:

Discover the complete Medisca flavor portfolio

Selecting the right base for flavor incorporation

Once you've found the ideal flavor, the next step is choosing a base to incorporate it into. Certain options may be more suitable for your patient, depending on the application and selected APIs.

Here are some combinations to consider with flavors approved for veterinarian use:

• Water-soluble liquid flavors (e.g., bacon, beef, chowder, liver, etc.) can be blended with oral suspensions approved for veterinary use and combined with a sweetening enhancer to improve palatability. When compounding water-soluble APIs for cats, you can use Feline Saline Solution to help suppress bitterness and enhance flavor balance.
• Water-soluble powder and liquid flavors mix well with Medisca Gum Base to create gummy treats or compounded as part of an oral paste.
• Water-soluble powder flavors can also be combined with NovaFilm™ Gel Base to create innovative oral transmucosal films (OTFs).
• Fixed-oil suspensions paired with an oil-soluble flavor, sweetener, and a suspension agent like silica gel can keep an API well dispersed and palatable to the veterinary patient. Almond oil is a popular choice, given its neutral taste, making it palatable to a range of different veterinary patients.

Conclusion

The bond between pet and owner cannot be understated. A treatment plan that doesn't damage that relationship and supports a successful recovery is a win-win for all. Improving prescription drug compliance with appealing flavors and effective dosage forms is bridging the gaps in healthcare, leading to healthier patients and happier clients.

Explore over 750 veterinarian formulas | Discover the Medisca flavor portfolio

This information is presented for educational purposes only and does not suggest or endorse any treatment option. Some animals may be sensitive to parabens, sodium benzoate, or other ingredients in the products mentioned above. A pharmacist or veterinarian should verify the chosen flavor, APIs, excipients, dosage forms, and treatment plans to ensure the ingredients are safe for animal patients.

Flavor table references:

1. Allen Jr, L. V. "Veterinary compounding." Secundum artem, Current & Practical Compounding Information for the Pharmacist 7.2 (2001): 87-92.
2. Ehrenzweig, Joel. "All Things Considered: A Matter of Taste - Flavoring Pet Medications." VetFolio, May 2006, www.vetfolio.com/pharmacology/all-things-considered-a-matter-of-taste-flavoring-pet-medications.
3. Paoletti, J. A. "Veterinary flavor suggestions." International journal of pharmaceutical compounding 3.3 (1999): 186-187.