One excellent way to help your pet take the prescribed medicine is to offer it with a flavor that appeals to the animal. There are literally hundreds of flavors to choose from and each pet may have his or her own distinct favorites. Choosing a good flavor goes a long way in easing the battle to get the animal to accept the medicine.

Your compounding pharmacist has many excellent flavors, but we have found that it is more important to offer variety over time rather than presenting the animal with an overly large list of options. Just like people, animals can get “tired of” a flavor if it is offered too often. The consequence is that the flavored medicine is again rejected.

Instead of continually offering something different, the owner should pick a small number of flavors that he or she likes. This is an important first step. Animals can sense their owner’s moods and emotions. If the pet’s medicine smells disgusting to the owner, that negative feeling can be picked up by the pet and the medicine rejected.

Pick a flavor – something that appeals to you and which you believe your pet will like. Then, and offer it to your pet with a pleasant attitude. Wait a month or so and ask your compounder to change the flavor for you. Be sure to request the change when you call the refill in. Your dog may appreciate a switch from beef to chicken, and cats would surely approve of a change from tuna to bacon.

Uncertain? Just ask to do a sniff test on some flavors the next time you visit The Compounder. Be aware that some aromas are strong in their concentrated form. The pharmacist can show you how to wave your hand over the bottle to get a whiff of the fragrance. Never stick your nose directly above the open bottle.

I’ve only listed a few flavors above, the ones that are always well received. There aren’t any rules that prohibit us from mixing flavors – or even using one from a cat for a dog. Creativity is encouraged.