Name brand pet medications like Rimadyl or Heartgard are great
ways to keep your pet healthy. But what you may not know is
that many of these name brand medications have generic
equivalents. Generic pet meds have the same active ingredients
as their name brand equivalent, and they are almost always less
expensive. You can choose to fill your name brand prescription with the generic
alternative as long as the prescription does not say "Dispense
as written."
Below are some of the top generic alternatives to the most
popular pet medications on the market today.
Heartgard Plus for Dogs is a chewable tablet that protects your
dog against heartworms and treats for roundworms and
hookworms.
Key ingredients:
- Ivermectin
- Pyrantel pamoate
Generic Alternatives to Heartgard Plus for
Dogs:
Rimadyl is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that treats
your dog for arthritic pain and inflammation.
Key Ingredients:
Generic Alternatives to Rimadyl:
Thyro-Tabs (L-Thyroxine) are a veterinary medication used to
treat hypothyroidism in dogs and cats.
Key Ingredients:
4. Enacard
Enacard can lower your pet’s blood pressure and help reduce the
symptoms of congestive heart failures.
Key Ingredients:
Generic Alternatives to Enacard:
Salix is a diuretic that can be used to treat pulmonary edema,
kidney disease, congestive heart failure, high blood pressure
and edema.
Key Ingredients:
Generic Alternatives to Salix:
Atopica is a non-steroidal medication that treats your pet for
dermatitis.
Key Ingredients:
Generic Alternatives to Atopica:
This information is for informational
purposes only and is not meant as a substitute for the
professional advice of, or diagnosis or treatment by,your
veterinarian with respect to your pet. It has, however, been
verified by a licensed pharmacist for accuracy.
What experts have to say about
homeopathy treatment for pets
A warning against "unscientific" homeopathic treatments have
been issued by Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS).
They said that animals continue to die from a few preventable
diseases as veterinarians administer homeopathic treatment to
those animals. These veterinarians harm livestock and pets when
they put their trust on mythical claims and not standard,
traditional methods. The situation is now so dire that
thousands of veterinarians have lent their signature to a
petition where they expressed their reservations concerning the
efficacy of homeopathic treatments for animals.
Homeopathy and
uselessness
Homeopathic practitioners believe in the efficacy of
non-standard treatments. These are based on the use of
extremely diluted substances. According to them, the result
will be that the body can heal itself. A popular practice in
this regard is nosodes use and not proper vaccinations. This
practice involves providing pets pills coated with sugar. These
pills are made from the bodily fluids and tissues from a
diseased animal. The list of sources includes saliva, feces,
discharges, blood, and pus. According to the RCVS,
administering such kind of medicines leave the pets in extreme
and "unacceptable" pain.The bedrock of homeopathy is "like
cures like". It means that if a substance causes a few certain
symptoms, then the same substance can be used to remove the
same symptoms. Such treatments can be promoted by celebrities,
but endorsement by famous people does not mean the drugs are an
effective one. Multiple clinical trials have proven that no
real benefits can be enjoyed by animals post homeopathic
treatment. Users generally enjoy a "placebo" effect. It means
that they feel less pain as they want their medicines to work.
The statement by the RCVS comes after a petition where the
organization has asked the college to prohibit veterinary
surgeons from actively prescribing homeopathic treatments.
Not for any living
being
Chris Tufnell, the senior vice-president of RCVS, said that
dogs treated with homeopathic medicines die from preventable
conditions like parvovirus. The condition of the pet is
extremely painful and it can be wholly preventable. The RCVS
has advised that homeopathic treatments if done, should be
carried out alongside standard veterinary treatment procedures
and not replace the latter. This must be done to protect
animals. Such treatments must be regarded as complementary
practices and not as an alternative to the treatments for which
there is a certain recognized evidence base. The treatments are
based on sound scientific principles.As per the RVCS, it is
important to protect animals' welfare as veterinarians have a
commitment to their profession. The public should observe and
understand that any kind of treatment which have no scientific
base must not impede treatments which are effective and
observable by science.
