Best flavor for compounded meds?

[Kat Luv]

I am a HUGE fan of transdermal for compounded meds. However, my elderly cat is on so many transdermals that I had to get her metronidazole compounded into a suspension. She will be on it for 7-10 days each pancreatitis flare (to help w GI upset), and I am finding it hard to get a good "flavor" for the suspension.

She took the first few prefilled syringes from the vet's office with very little complaint; however, the bottle we got via vet's online pharmacy made me choose a flavor (out of around 20- banana, orange, chicken, fish, tuna, salmon, etc). I ordered salmon, since she likes salmon in general. She foams at the mouth and drools for 20-30 minutes after each dose, so I'm guessing the salmon might just be as unpalatable as I imagine as a human.

I called the vet to ask which flavor they used, and the two people I spoke with there didn't know (apparently they've had different suppliers?). So, I'm wondering- when someone else here has had to do compounded suspensions for very bitter meds, what flavors have you had the most success with? Interestingly enough, Mims had Clavamox a couple of times when she was younger, and that was banana....am wondering if maybe it masks bitter better than meat flavors?

 

[FeebysOwner]

I honestly think there are some meds that the nasty taste just cannot be masked, and it seems to be especially true with liquid compounds. I know my cat will NOT take gabapentin in any compounded flavored liquid, but admittedly I did not try 'sweet' flavors because she doesn't care for sweet things.

With the pill form, what all have you tried to hide it in? I use pill pockets or pill masker to hide some pills in, others I use lickable treats. I only use as much pill pocket or pill masker as I need to cover the pill, as Feeby does not do well with big bites of anything, then I serve it with treats. I have even coated the pill pocket/pill masker covered pill with Forti Flora to help entice her to eat them when she is being extra reluctant.

I also read on this site where one person used to coat Metro in unsalted real butter and then add it to a bit of whatever food/treat their cat would eat. Some others have placed Metro (also pill) in a capsule and then covered the capsule with Hill's A/D Recovery food in order to get them to eat the med.

Can you give her one of her other meds in one of the options above, and then use the Metro as a transdermal?

Any chance something other than Metro can be prescribed? I am sure there are others that work well with pancreatitis flare ups.

You can check these articles out to see if they might give you some ideas - it all depends on what method(s) your cat might be amenable to.
Pilling Cats: Must-know Tips For Hiding Pills - TheCatSite
How Can I Give A Pill To My Cat - TheCatSite

 

[Kat Luv]

Hi FeebysOwner ! Thanks for replying! As far as switching meds, Mims unfortunately has to take a "round" of metronidazole with each pancreatitis flare (so far, it's been 1-2 flares/year). She also has to take prednisolone periodically. Whatever we got before was directly from vet, and now they don't dispense it compounded anymore. I tried some tabs that broke into 3 pieces (tried both alone and in a blob of hairball gel and also in a blob of "under-the-weather" paste, and she also would drool and foam at the mouth after separating the pill out of the gel/paste). She's too smart for her own good sometimes.

I 100% want the transdermal for literally everything, but the pharmacy I used (the online Covetrus pharmacy) only has 2 strengths (12.5 mg/click and 25mg/click) of metro and she takes 50mg. I am certain I could squeeze in one dose somewhere, but not 2 or 4. Her methimazole (thyroid) is twice a day forever and she also has Mirataz (for when her appetite is low) and prednisolone in the transdermals. We've done oral pred before and that's not as awful as Metronidazole but she still tries everything in her power to spit it out.

If I can find the right strength of pills without having to break them (exposing the bitter) I think that may indeed be the way to go. Otherwise, I will look at other compounding pharmacies to see if I can get a click pen with 50mg/click.

Jenna

 

[FeebysOwner]

Check with Wedgewood Pharmacy, they have been willing to discuss various compounding options with me in the past.
Veterinary Pharmacy for Compounded Pet Medications (wedgewoodpharmacy.com)

 

[maggie101]

My cat liked fruity flavor

 

[daftcat75]

I think Wedgewood can send you some unmedicated blanks if you wanted to run a flavor flight past your kitty. They may charge you some kind of fee for unmedicated samples. But that's still better than having to send prescriptions back because your kitty won't take them.

I also think there are some meds that just can't be masked with flavor. If they make her foam, they'll make her foam regardless of the flavor. The medicine is still in there. If she can have Hills A/D (chicken ingredients) and if she likes the stuff (and most cats and dogs do!), then you you could have the medicine formulated into Tiny Tabs or capsules and use A/D to coat the tab or capsule like cake frosting. Dip it and drop it on a textured surface like carpet or placemat that will force her to scoop it rather than lick off the good stuff and flick away the pill/capsule. My Betty loves the stuff. She will happily scoop and swallow as many capsules as I need to dip and drop for her. She will nudge me for more and purr the entire time. Then I place a small amount of A/D on top of her meal and she'll take several bites even though I know she needs those meds for nausea and possibly dental pain. That's how appealing that A/D stuff is, and why I call it her "cake frosting."

 

[Kat Luv]

Thanks for all of the suggestions. I plan to check out Wedgewood for sure. I also emailed someone else at vet's office, and got a response....on a Sunday night! Definitely didn't expect to hear back til Monday sometime. Seems they use "vanilla butternut" as the flavor in their prefilled syringes, and Mims didn't foam last flare when she had theirs (vets'). I'm gonna have a long Monday...fingers crossed, I'll get something different ordered.