Pet Health: Generic drugs for pets

What are generic drugs?
Generic drugs are copies of patented, original medications. The original medication is called a “proprietary” medications For example, Heartgard is a proprietary medication that treats heartworms, roundworms and hookworms. and Iverhart is a generic equivalent. Both drugs come in a similar range of doses according to your pet’s weight. Usually proprietary drugs are more expensive than generic drugs, and this is the case with heartworm medications so that Heartgard Plus is more expensive than the generic Iverhart Plus.

Generic drug efficacy
Are generic drugs less effective than proprietary drugs? It depends. Drugs are composed of active medicine and of additives. The additives give the medicine its consistency, flavor, color, etc. Generic drugs have the same active chemical as proprietary drugs, which means they have “pharmaceutical equivalency.” However, additives in generic drugs may be different than those in proprietary medications. Although additives may be a tiny proportion of the medication, they can markedly affect pets. For example, cornstarch additive can cause allergies in pets allergic to corn. Beef flavoring can cause allergies in pets allergic to beef. Because of additives, the effect of generic and proprietary medications is not identical with all pets. However, the effect is identical with the vast majority of pets.

Generic drug packaging
Packaging of generic drugs can also be different than packaging of proprietary drugs. With a drug like aspirin, packaging may make little difference, but with a drug like S-Adenyl methionine (SAMe), packaging makes an incredible difference. If SAMe is not packaged in foil and kept sealed, it loses potency. Thus, proprietary SAMe, such as Denosyl is more effective than generic SAMe. Take care when buying SAMe because many internet pet pharmacies sell both and do not know the difference. Ask your veterinarian before you purchase supplements to ensure you're sepnding your money wisely.

Buying generic drugs for your pet
Trust your holistic veterinarian to have researched the difference between medications and to suggest those that are effective. Internet pharmacies, whether ostensibly run by veterinarians or not, are in business to sell medications. Your veterinarian is in business to keep your pet healthy. That's the best place to buy your medications.