It’s difficult to know what to do when your pet refuses to take their pills. Thankfully, some veterinary medicines are also available as chewable tablets, oral drops, topical creams, liquids, or even injectables.

Some pet owners may have trouble getting pets to take their medications, while others may forget to give them on time or at all. For those owners, having other options can provide obvious advantages. You can ask your veterinarian if there is a palatable option, which your pet may find tasty and will consider it like a treat. Alternatively, long-acting injectable formulations may be available.

Injectables can be a convenient alternative to medications in oral form. While injectables need to be given at a veterinary clinic, they can provide significant advantages to you and your pet.

Doctor calling dog 'good boy'

They Ensure That the Medication Is Given

With injectables, you can stop wondering if you or someone else in the family has already given your pet their dose of medication for the day. This also means you don’t have to worry about asking friends, family, neighbors, or pet sitters to give your pet pills while you’re out of town.

Since injectables are administered in the vet clinic, there is less of a delay in therapy and you won’t forget to give your pet medicine when you get home.

They Provide Convenience

There’s no more worrying about giving your pet medications at home or timing them around meals. With injectables, you can avoid the challenges of administering a pill to a non-willing pet or worrying about getting the dosage correct if your pet spits it out when you don’t notice.

Administration of oral medications may be physically or mentally challenging for some owners. Injectable medications can help overcome these potential barriers.

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Some Are Long-Lasting

Some injectables work for days, weeks, or even months, providing longer-lasting options for treatment (e.g., skin infections, itch relief, etc.) and prevention (e.g., heartworm disease).

If your pet needs medications to help treat an infection or other medical condition, ask your veterinarian if there’s an injectable option that might make life easier for you and your pet. If there isn’t, they can always give you tips to help make your pilling problems less of a hassle.

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Claire Walther, DVM

Dr. Claire Walther was born and raised in Dayton, Ohio. She received her BS and DVM from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana. While at Purdue University, she graduated with honors for her research. During her veterinary education, she acted as a clinical pathology technician and developed a keen understanding of clinical laboratory testing. She practiced outside Indianapolis in corporate (Banfield) and independent general practice before joining Zoetis in 2016. Dr. Walther is currently the Zoetis Petcare HQ Feline Pain Strategy Director.

The Walther family includes 3 dogs (Sundae, Eva, and Vanilla Bean) and two cats (Gambit and Linkin). It is the love she shares for her family, both human and animal, that fosters her drive to enhance our ability to detect, prevent and treat disease within the field of veterinary medicine.