MORE ABOUT

Veterinary Medicine

Keeping Household Pets Healthy

Arthritis

Many humans complain that their arthritis acts up during the winter months.  In fact, 1 in 6 of our canine companions will develop arthritis!

Feline Hypertension

We see advertisements and commercials warning us about the silent symptoms of high blood pressure for ourselves, but what about our cats?

For the Veternarian

At Stafford Pharmacy we strive to work with Veterinarians in order to provide the highest quality medications for every animal, and contact us with their therapeutic problems. 

Pet Medicine

Information about the medication you have received which has been customized and specially prepared for your pet’s needs is important to you and your pet.   

Veterinary Medicine

Animals get sick too!

Many people don’t realize that animals develop diseases such as high blood pressure, thyroid disorders, epilepsy and arthritis just like humans do.    Keeping household pets healthy should be the goal of all pet owners!  It is important to take your animal for annual vet check-ups to ensure they remain happy and healthy.

Before answering some of the common questions people want answers to about customized medications for their companion animals, if you recently receive a customized medication for your pet, and are looking for some information about how best to use the medication as well as a little information about the medication, please visit our medication counselling page specifically for some of our compounded veterinary medications,  found simply by navigating to the page titled: Information About The Medication You Received For Your Companion Animal. If you have any questions about medications for your pet we invite you to come in and speak with our pharmacy staff!

If you have general questions that you think others might also be interested in, send us your question via our Frequently Asked Questions feature and we will have question posted in short order.

What happens if your pet gets sick?

If your pet develops strange behaviours or signs of illness, your animal should be taken to the veterinarian for a check-up.  The veterinarian is the expert in diagnosing illness and disease in animals.  Once they know what is wrong with the animal they may prescribe a medication to treat the condition.

Can’t I just use over-the-counter medications for my animal (e.g. give Tylenol to my cat or dog)?

The short answer to this question is a simple, NO.   Never give your animal a medication without consulting a veterinarian or a pharmacist with veterinary medicine knowledge and experience.   Each animal species metabolizes medications differently, responds to medications differently, and therefore .   So, medications that are safe in humans may not be safe in animals, and medications safe for a dog may not even be safe for a cat!    For example if your cat or dog is in pain, giving one regular strength acetaminophen (Tylenol) tablet could be toxic to the animal.

How can Stafford Pharmacy help with your pets medication needs?

At Stafford Pharmacy our pharmacists have taken advanced training in veterinary medicine.   If you have questions about your pet’s current medications, please feel free to ask us.  If there is anything we are not certain about, we have the staff and resources to find an answer to your question.  Where we really shine is when we have an opportunity to work with your animal’s veterinarian to solve particularly challenging therapeutic problems.  Sometimes it is a situation where an off the shelf, commercial product may not be the best solution or may not even be available.    Other instances it is simply a challenging problem that requires a customized dosage form – a suspension flavoured with one of our many flavour choices or maybe it would be better as an oral, flavoured capsule.    The possibilities are – well, almost infinite.

Can I have my pet’s prescription made at Stafford Pharmacy?

There are some medications that can only be ordered by a veterinarian as they are a veterinary only drug or commercial formulation therefore we cannot meet every animals medication needs.   Our special focus is on those medications that offer a solution to a variety of therapeutic problems for which a commercial product may not be available or just isn’t meeting the needs of your companion animal.

Sometimes this means a particular dosage form – capsule, liquid, transdermal gel, eye drop, etc. – and sometimes it means an oral dosage form that is made more palatable for your particular animal.   That might involve flavouring a suspension with a fish, or chicken flavour for your cat or maybe a beef flavoured suspension for your canine or a capsule form of medication that can be made to meet the needs of your pet.  Whatever it takes, we work to make that “medicine go down” just a little easier!

Do I need to take my pet to the vet before I can get a medication from the pharmacy?

Yes!  For all medications dispensed for animals we require a prescription from a veterinarian.  They are the experts at diagnosing your animal and we are the experts on medications!  We also do our best work when working with the veterinarian and you the animal owner.  That partnership is essential to making certain we all deliver the best care for your companion animal.

What is the difference between medication for humans and medications for animals from Stafford Pharmacy?

At Stafford Pharmacy we are able to create custom dosage forms to meet the needs of all types of animals.  For example, we can compound beef flavored liquid medications for dogs or tuna flavored for cats!  We can also make medications in the form of flavored animal treats to make giving your pet his/her medication easier!  There are many more unique dosage forms that we can prepare to specifically meet the needs of your pet whether it is a cat, dog, bird, reptile, rabbit, ferret etc.!

If you have any questions about medications for your pet we invite you to come in and speak with our pharmacy staff!    If you have general questions that you think others might also be interested in, send us your question via our Frequently Asked Questions feature and we will have question posted in short order.  

 

 

Follow Us Online

Scroll to Top