Effective Pet Meds for your Sick Furry Friend

When your beloved pet gets sick, the whole household can be turned upside down. Unlike people, your dog or cat cannot let you know what hurts or what is wrong. But your veterinarian can help deduce the cause of the problem and prescribe the right medicine to get your pet up and moving around quickly.

Allergy

Yes, pets have allergies. And the symptoms can sometimes be worse than the allergy. For example, some dogs develop pain and severe itching as a result of their allergies. An allergy is actually an over-reaction or hypersensitivity of the immune system to a particular substance, which can include such allergens as pollens, flea saliva, etc. The symptoms usually include itching, but can also affect the eyes and the respiratory or digestive systems.

Dogs are prone to at least five common allergies:

1. Fleas
2.Inhalants
3.Food
4.Contact
5.Bacterial Hypersensitivity

One treatment is amitriptyline, which is a tricyclic antidepressant that can help control behavior problems in dogs and cats, but can also control some types of pain and severe itching.  If your dog has a skin allergy, the veterinarian may prescribe Atopica, which is an oral form of cyclosporine that helps to control skin allergies. Another common treatment is diphenhydramine, which is the generic name of the brand-name drug Benadryl. This medication is given to treat an allergic reaction to drugs or an environmental allergen. While it is well-tolerated, you can expect this medication to make your pet sleepy. It is available over the counter in capsules, chewable tablets, an oral elixir and syrup formats.

Eye

When your dog or cat gets an eye infection, a common treatment is B.N.P. Triple Antibiotic Ophthalmic Ointment for Pets. It contains neomycin and polymyxin B sulfates and bacitracin zinc. This solution or ointment can treat surface bacterial infections of the eye – both in the cornea and in the conjunctiva. The veterinarian may also prescribe Gentamicin Sulfate Ophthalmic Ointment USP for either your dog or cat. It is commonly prescribed to treat conjunctival infections and infections on the cornea.