Pet meds running low in veterinary cabinets
EUGENE, Ore.- A thinning supply of pet medications in veterinary clinics across the country could affect your pooch's health.
The drug shortage is the result of rising medicine costs as well as some manufacturers in danger of discontinuing some of their products.
Animal medications affected by the shortage include heartworm medicine, dry eye medications and diabetes drugs.
The heartworm drug, Immiticide, is currently in short supply at the McKenzie Animal Hospital.
According to veterinarians at this Springfield clinic, heartworm is an illness where medicine is crucial for the animals.
"It's something that is very challenging to treat," said Brooke Jacoby, a veterinarian at McKenzie Animal Hospital. "In some dogs, it can actually push them into heart failure."
The shortage is upsetting to pet owner Naomi Minnick from Springfield.
"She's my girl, she's everything to me," Minnick said about her lab, River. "If I didn't have medications to treat her appropriately I'd be really upset."
However, McKenzie Animal Hospital has some alternatives to dealing with the shortage.
"The fortunate thing that we have is that we do have a lot of of compounding pharmacies that we're able to utilize," Jacoby said. "This way we can get the medication for our patients in some since or some form."
When ordering medication for your pet, veterinarians are encouraging pet owners to allow enough lead time so that the medicine will get there before your pet runs out.
If your animal does develop heartworm, veterinarians said there are stock piles available for emergencies. Immiticide manufacturers are hoping to be able to resupply next month.
