Vetmedin and food

[pippa]

Pippin is on vetmedin for a few months now and initially we were told to give him the capsule with his food.

Now the capsules are not available anymore and we were told to give the tablets an hour before food.

Pippin is 7 and 1/2 years old and from the time we got him at 9 weeks he has always been fed first thing in the morning with our other two dogs, we have tried for a few days making him wait, but to be honest he works himself into such a state I'm worried he collapse, he has epliepsy also and gets his phenobarbitol an hour after breakfast and dinner so I'm wondering if the vetmedin can be given this way too, an hour after, or does it have to be an hour before?

I know it's sounds like I'm giving in but if he was just barking, I could put up with it but he is running around, spinning, chasing around with the other dogs and following my every move until he is just panting like mad to breath, and I get so worried....yes he's our little devil, but we love him...

Any advice with be a great help, Thanks


PS: my other problem is that for summer months until sept I have to leave for work at different times, between 7.10 and 8.40 so it will be hard to be consistant with tablet times

[Margaret C]

Pippin is on vetmedin for a few months now and initially we were told to give him the capsule with his food.

Now the capsules are not available anymore and we were told to give the tablets an hour before food.

Pippin is 7 and 1/2 years old and from the time we got him at 9 weeks he has always been fed first thing in the morning with our other two dogs, we have tried for a few days making him wait, but to be honest he works himself into such a state I'm worried he collapse, he has epliepsy also and gets his phenobarbitol an hour after breakfast and dinner so I'm wondering if the vetmedin can be given this way too, an hour after, or does it have to be an hour before?

I know it's sounds like I'm giving in but if he was just barking, I could put up with it but he is running around, spinning, chasing around with the other dogs and following my every move until he is just panting like mad to breath, and I get so worried....yes he's our little devil, but we love him...

Any advice with be a great help, Thanks


PS: my other problem is that for summer months until sept I have to leave for work at different times, between 7.10 and 8.40 so it will be hard to be consistant with tablet times

It is obvious that the tablets will be most effective if the manufacturers recommendations are followed, but sometimes life forces you to make compromises, and you may decide that it is better to continue to feed Pippin straight away rather than see him work himself into a state.

Otherwise the only way it would be possible for you to give Pippin his Vetmedin an hour before his breakfast would be to set the alarm, wake up, and give it to him before going back to bed for another hour.

Not a perfect solution, especially if you are not someone who can easily get back to sleep.

[Sydneys Mom]

Sydney is also taking vetmedin and he too wants breakfast first thing in the morning. The instructions we got was for the meds to be given an hour before food OR 2 hours after. So I set my kitchen timer for 2 hours after he eats. Hope that helps.

[Karlin]

I think the vet was wrong on the capsules being given with food -- my understanding is that vetmedin in ANY form needs to be given an hour before or 2-3 hours after a meal. Never ever with food -- otherwise most of the value is gone. I posted a link on this a while ago from a website somewhere, from a vet. You can give the capsule with a small bit of food eg soft cheese, to get the dog to take it but it shouldn;t be given at all with food (those are the instructions on my current container of capsules).

[Karlin]

From the vetmedin website www.vetmedin.co.uk :

Vetmedin is available as a flavoured tablet or capsule. It should be given to your dog by mouth twice a day, approximately one hour before food, ideally in the morning and evening (about 12 hours apart). Use the dose that your vet prescribes.

It seems that less of the drug is available to the dog if it is given with food -- I read that more than half the dose might be wasted if given with food.

I know that doesn't help with your feeding issue, but I'd sure want to raise this with the vet as it is an expensive drug.

Generally it just needs to be given in two doses about 12 hours apart ideally so you could give late morning/lunchtime and then before bed. I used to give Lucy hers in her crate first thing when I got up and she'd just go back to sleep til I took them all out for a morning walk, then food would come after.

[pippa]

Thanks,

He was actually much better this morning. I got up, gave him his tablet, sorted washing, brushed and combed all three of them, then went for a shower. When I stepped out of the shower I heard gentle scratching on the bathroom door and opened it to find Pippin but he waited patiently on my bed while I dressed and got ready then I fed him when I went down, an hour and 5 minutes after his tablet, so hopefully he's getting used to the idea!

I don't know if it's just my imagination but he seems less breathless since we changed to giving the tablet without food ...


I researched it online yesterday too and as you say Karlin it says on the tablet container to give before food, the capsules used to be given in a small bag so didn't have instructions. Pippin is due back this month for a check up and I will be raising the issue as like you say there is no difference between capsules and tablets, a lot of vets seem to stick to the normal instructions with meds to give with food, funnily enough I never gave/give his phenobarbital with food but an hour or so after...



Also getting up an hour earlier on weekends or days off isn't a problem as I have been on medication for years that has to be taken an hour or so before breakfast