We all know that if you don’t take your medicine, it doesn’t work. That’s a big problem for pet owners, who simply can’t logically coerce their furry and feathered friends into eating something they don’t like, or swallowing something that is the wrong shape, consistency, or flavor. That is why we make fish-flavored pâtés for cats, beef-flavored chewies for dogs, tropical-flavored concentrates for birds, fruit-flavored purées for hamsters, and other flavors to suit a species or a particular animal. While individual flavor preference varies greatly, variety can intrigue animals and may be the key to tempting a finicky appetite or camouflaging a bitter drug.  A recent study about preferences of horses discovered two helpful flavors: banana and fenugreek. In addition to its benefits as a flavor, fenugreek also has many other properties that may be beneficial: it’s rich in calcium and vitamins, has anti-diabetic properties and has been shown to lower plasma cholesterol.  Ask us about flavored medications in customized dosage forms for pets and exotics.

Applied Animal Behaviour Science. 2005; 95:223-232.