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With increasing numbers of oral medications prescribed to our pets, animal guardians are typically faced with the difficult task of getting their pets to take all of the prescribed medications. This is especially problematic with smaller dogs and fractious cats. In these cases, animal guardians typically end up wearing much of the medications, or spilling them in attempting to get their pets to take them. Even more frustrating is when discreet pets will typically not take their medications in treats, cream cheese, peanut butter, and even pill pockets. Because of these circumstances, veterinary pharmacists have developed the use of transdermal medications as an alternative to oral medications in our pets.
Transdermal pet medications are usually applied to the ears or flanks of the animals, and contain a special vehicle which allows for absorption through the skin and into the capillaries and subsequently into the blood stream. These types of medications have been a godsend to many animal guardians. I have especially found this way of administration useful for pain medications in dogs and cats, as well as the thyroid drug Tapazole in cats, which can typically be difficult to administer to these older cats.
The jury is still out on whether other topical medications are absorbed as well through the skin as through the oral route, so I still usually reserve my use of transdermal medications to topical opioid pain medications in dogs and cats, as well as Tapazole in hyperthyroid cats.
Pet Medications