Browsing by Subject "drug formulation"

The purpose of this study was to describe cat owners' problems that relate to cat medication, especially from the drug formulation point of view. Oral, topical, eye and ear administration routes were included into study. There are few compliance and palatability studies made for cats and dogs in Finland and abroad, but this kind of descriptive study relating different drug formulation has never been done before. This study was carried out as Internet survey questionnaire study and it was addressed to cat owners who visited in academic veterinary hospital for small animals and those municipal and private veterinary offices that were randomized into the study. Additionally, the survey study was addressed to cat owners who had medicated their cats during January-March 2010. Those cat owners were contacted through Internet discussion sites. In the veterinary offices the office staff selected the proper candidates for the study and distributed invitations to participate. For distributing invitations the main criteria was that the cat owner received veterinary medication prescription or got directions for using some medication in cat. 59 answers were received in the study and 84 % of all formulation were administered via oral route. The products were antimicrobial and paracite medicines, cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory medicines. Based on the study results most of the problems were related to oral and ear administration routes. Cat showed low compliance and unwillingness to take pills and capsules because of the unpleasant smell, taste and mouth feel of the product. Tablet and capsule form medicines caused problems to the owners, because it was often necessary to adjust the dose by splitting and cutting half the tablet. This made it difficult for owners to follow given medication instructions. The consistency of liquid medicine forms was described sticky and package material thick and stiff. Because of these factors cat owners had difficulties to evaluate the amount of drops to administer to cats ear or eye and the amount remaining in the medicine bottle. According to the study results there is a need for palatable and easily administered medicines that will be taken readily by cats. It should also be possible to adjust to dose as described. The survey questionnaire is a convenient study method for descriptive purposes and it should be carefully considered what kind of sampling method to use and how to carry out the sampling in practice.