Can Denamarin Be Given with Food? Here's the Truth!
/
Table of Contents
Liver concerns in your pet can be scary and detrimental to their overall health. Luckily, medications such as Denamarin can help dramatically with lowered liver functions and promote positive health growth. However, in order for this medication to be effective, it must be offered without food.
Dogs or cats that have been prescribed Denamarin must take this medication with an empty stomach. The main reason that this medication should be offered at a fasted state is to increase the overall effectiveness. To receive optimum results, an empty stomach is best.
Before giving your pet any medication, it is important to learn more about it and ensure you know the best way to administer the medicine. If you have questions regarding Denamarin and how it should be given to your pet, keep reading!
Why Is Denamarin Used, and What Should I Know About It?
A common issue that dogs and cats can run into is liver problems, which can be deadly. At times, the cause of compromised liver function can be difficult to determine. However, it is important that your pet gets help as soon as liver trouble is recognized.
Denamarin is one medication that is often prescribed for dogs or cats that are suffering from liver troubles. This medication has been shown to increase liver levels of glutathione. This is an important compound found in your liver when SAMe is metabolized.
The second main benefit of Denamarin is that it supports the liver through SILYBIN. This is found in milk thistle extract and has been proven to support the liver. SILYBIN can help your liver maintain a healthy oxidative balance.
Some important things to keep in mind about Denamarin are:
The medication has been mainly studied for liver impacts. However, there is some research that has shown the medication can support cognitive function in dogs as well.
The SAMe created from Denamarin helps act as a neuroprotector to the brain. SILYBIN can support oxidative balance, adding to this brain help.
Denamarin is offered in a coated tablet for both dogs and cats. It also comes in a chewable tablet for dogs.
The chewable options for dogs are flavored to be tasty for your pet and comes in a single dose packaging.
These chewable options do offer a quicker uptake of the SAMe compared to the coated options. This is something to keep in mind when adding the medication to your dog’s routine.
If your dog or cat is struggling with liver issues, you will want to ask your veterinarian about Denamarin.
How to Administer Denamarin?
If your pet has been prescribed Denamarin or you are interested in getting it for your pet, administering it correctly is key. While the medication itself is relatively safe, to make it most effective you need to follow the medication guidelines. The biggest thing to keep in mind is that the medication needs to be given on an empty stomach.
According to the company guidelines, the best way to offer Denamarin is:
Allow at least a minimum of two hours after feeding your pet before administering the medication. The longer you can wait after food the better.
The best time to administer the medication is after an overnight fast. This ensures the animal’s stomach is completely empty.
The emptier the stomach, the more likely that the medication will absorb into the body correctly. This leads to the best results from the medication.
After giving your pet the medication, allow at least one hour before offering food. You can wait longer than an hour to offer food but try to avoid offering food before the one hour mark.
Follow the recommendations of your veterinarian as they are the most educated about your pet’s needs. If you have specific questions regarding administering the medication to your pet, ask your animal’s vet for additional support. However, Denamarin dosages can be changed as your vet sees fit and should be regularly monitored for results.
Is Denamarin Safe for Pets?
Denamarin has not shown to have any serious side effects that will harm your pet. While you should always give your pet the medication on an empty stomach, this also has shown to have no major adverse reactions. If you happen to forget and your dog does have foods prior to taking the medicine, it will just lower the effectiveness.
Of course, it is recommended that you do offer the medication without food as this is the easiest way to get the full benefits of the ingredients. The best way to ensure that the medication is working properly is to take your pet to routine vet visits.
Your pet’s veterinarian can do follow-up exams and lab work to test liver reactions.
While there are no major reactions that have been noted from the medication and the main ingredients SILYBIN and SAMe are very safe, you should always watch your pet. If you notice any new or concerning behaviors, mention these to your veterinarian.
Also, if your pet seems to be in any gastrointestinal distress, discuss this with your vet.
Offering the Medication
The biggest issue that you will find with Denamarin is getting your pet to take it properly without food. Many hide medications in food, treats, or pill pockets, but this is not possible with Denamarin. While some pet owners have mentioned using small amounts of food to offer the medicine in, this can affect the overall effectiveness.
Those with dogs can purchase the chewable option of Denamarin, which is said to be flavored in a way your pet will enjoy. However, picky dogs may not enjoy this medication regardless and may not take it properly.
Luckily, there are some ways that you can get your pet to take the medication without foods.
Use the Veterinarian Technique
Most vets can help you learn more about how to give your dog the medication easily and quickly. While this does take a bit of force and finesse, the vet way of offering medication is:
Restrain your pet or get help from a friend. This does not have to be a dramatic restraint, just hold your dog in place.
Hold your pet’s upper jaw and tilt the nose upwards toward the sky. You will want to do this with little force but firm enough to keep your pet’s had in place.
Place the pill in your free hand and place a finger into the slight gap between your dog’s teeth. Pull the lower jaw down to open the mouth.
Once the mouth is open, push the pill into the mouth as far as you can towards the throat.
Close the jaw quickly. Rub your dog’s throat to have them swallow the pill.
By placing the pill deeper into the dog’s throat without their ability to stop this, it almost guarantees they will swallow the medication. You may want to offer a small drink of water after this to help with swallowing. Also, offer plenty of love and petting to your dog afterward as this can be a bit more dramatic.
Trick Your Pet into Taking Denamarin
If you do not feel super comfortable forcing your pet to take the medication in this way, you can do a few tricks to encourage your pet to take the medicine.
Some ways that others have gotten their pet to take the medicine more easily are:
Pretend the medication is a treat. Offer the medicine in an exciting way similar to how you do treats for your pet. By acting excited, it may just trick them into thinking they are getting something good versus their normal medication.
Offer the medicine in a new way. If your dog goes outside before bed or first thing in the morning, offer the medicine at this time. By offering it at an unexpected time or location, your pet may not recognize it is the same medicine.
If you have other pets, utilize them for help. Call your dogs into a common area and begin offering treats. Instead of a traditional treat, offer the dog who needs it the medication. In the moment, they may not notice due to excitement.
Some dogs do not mind the taste but recognize the bottle. Do not open the pill bottle while in your pet’s vision and rather pretend it is from another container.
Overall, the best way to offer the medication is often to trick your pet into thinking they love the medicine even if they do not.
Increase Liver Function with Denamarin
If your pet is having liver troubles, seeking medical help now is very important. If your pet’s veterinarian prescribes Denamarin, it is important that you offer this medication without any food and it is best given at a fasted state. When no food is your pet’s system, the medication will be much more effective.
https://askinglot.com/open-detail/432649
https://www.protexinvet.com/denamarin-for-dogs/p6225
https://www.vets-now.com/pet-care-advice/how-do-i-give-my-dog-a-pill/
