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By Fabiana Banov, RPh, MS, PCCA Senior Formulation Pharmacist
PCCA has different ways to help compounders when they need to flavor a formulation with an active ingredient that does not taste very appealing for an animal. It can be an oral paste for a cat, a treat for a dog or a suspension for a ferret. We carry different liquid and powder flavors that can potentially make that preparation a success. In this blog post, I provide a list of all the PCCA flavors that are indicated for veterinary use along with optional sweeteners and some information on new flavors that we now offer. I will also cover the oral bases compounders can use that will help to incorporate the substances better and will improve the way they provide medication to their furry patients.
Oil-Soluble Liquid Flavors for Animals
Recommended Concentration: 0.5 – 1% (Maximum 3%)
Water-Soluble Liquid Flavors for Animals
Recommended Concentration: 1 – 5%
Water-Soluble Powder Flavors for Animals
Recommended Concentration: 1 – 6%
Sweeteners for Animals
Sweeteners are the foundation for many flavors, and a combination of them will provide a better final formulation. Below is the list of sweeteners that you can use in a veterinary compounding formula.
PCCA Product Number
PCCA Product Title
Concentration
30-4398
Acesulfame Potassium FCC
0.1 – 0.5%
30-2628
Magnasweet 110® (Liquid)
0.2 – 1%
30-2629
Magnasweet 135® (Powdered)
30-4539
Steviol Glycosides 95%
0.1 – 0.6%
30-4432
Stevioside 15%
1 – 4%
30-4948
Dry Powersweet
0.1 – 1%
New Flavors for Animals
PCCA now carries some new liver flavors. One of them is Pork Liver Powder (listed above). This flavor is replacing the Liver Powder (Porcine) that we used to carry. The new powder flavor contains a strong liver taste that will be beneficial in oral veterinary formulas. We also have a new flavored base, PCCA Animal Treat – Liver™ (listed below), which is replacing the old Animal Treat – Liver base. The new product has an improved taste.
PCCA Animal Treat Base
These powder bases provide solid treats for animals. They come in three different flavors and a flavorless version. The treats are very easy to make, do not require heat and are ready to use.
Liquid and powder flavors can be added to PCCA’s animal treat bases. Our animal treat general formulas show the process of formulating the animal treats. PCCA has different general formulas based on the type and size of mold used, the flavor of animal treat base (chicken, fish, flavorless, liver) and the type of any additional flavor you may add (oil, aqueous, powder). This will provide all the information that compounders need to start working with these bases. To be able to medicate all different sizes of animals, there are three different types of molds that compounders can use with the animal treat formulations.
Calibration
35-2410
Animal Treat Mold
1.12 Gm
35-2489
Rectangular Blister Packs (Amber)
4.2 Gm
35-2512
Round Blister Packs (Amber)
1.35 Gm
PCCA Fixed Oil Suspension Vehicle
Our Fixed Oil Suspension Vehicle is a great choice as a base for veterinary compounding, especially for cats, dogs and ferrets. These animals generally like the taste of oils, and the almond oil used in the base is neutral tasting, so it is palatable for many species. This product is a premade form of the highly used and frequently recommended fixed oil oral suspension formula, so it eliminates the need to make the base yourself. You can just add your active ingredient, sweetener and flavor (the flavor must be oil-soluble or miscible in oil).
For drugs that are known to be unstable in water, or if the aqueous stability is unknown, it is common to prepare an oral suspending vehicle that is oil-based (anhydrous), when appropriate for the patient. Oil bases also can help coat drug particles in suspension, thus making bad-tasting drugs more palatable. The current USP Chapter <795> also allows for a 180-day beyond-use date for non-aqueous liquids such as our Fixed Oil Suspension Vehicle. Therefore, unless there is stability data that states otherwise, this base allows pharmacists to use beyond-use dating that is great for them and their veterinary patients.
PCCA members with Clinical Services access can view our fixed oil oral suspension general formula as a guide for how to use this base with active ingredients.
PCCA SuspendIt®
SuspendIt is another versatile option for veterinary compounding. It is an all-in-one oral suspension base that has patented anti-sedimentation technology. It uses a natural suspending agent and has a synergistic polymer complex that provides for a unique thixotropic flow — meaning that it thins as it is shaken and thickens upon standing. This allows for rapid redispersion of active ingredients with agitation and minimizes sedimentation.
SuspendIt is also the only compounding suspension base made with an all-natural sweetener derived from monk fruit. You can use oil- or water-soluble flavors in it, but if you use an oil-soluble flavor, you’ll need to add polysorbate 20 to emulsify the flavor into SuspendIt. Use a 1:1 ratio of polysorbate and the flavor in the formulation.
Please note, however, that SuspendIt contains sodium benzoate, a potential toxin for felines when chronically ingested, so use in cats should be limited to two weeks.
If veterinary compounding is an area that your pharmacy is starting to work in or is already part of your daily routine, PCCA is here to help you to succeed with your furry patients. Veterinary medicine is an area that PCCA has been dedicated to for more than 35 years, and we are always improving and adding new ways to help owners medicate their pets. We have a long list of formulas that we’ve tested in the lab. In addition, we have the new digital PCCA Flavor Guide, which lists the most recent findings in how to flavor a compounded medicine. PCCA members with Clinical Services access can view our formulas and the new flavoring guide on our website. They can also call us at any time for patient- and formulation-specific questions at 800.331.2498.
Fabiana Banov, RPh, MS, PCCA Senior Formulation Pharmacist and flavors expert, earned her pharmacy degree from the College of Pharmaceutical Science of the University of Mogi das Cruzes in Brazil. She also obtained specialization in cosmetic science from São Paulo State University and completed post-graduate work in the technology of cosmetic products from Osvaldo Cruz College. Prior to joining the PCCA team, Fabiana was the owner of Fórmula Médica Compounding Pharmacy in São Paulo, where she was instrumental in the development of unique cosmetic products. She is also the author of Pharmaceutical Veterinary Formulary.
This article originally appeared in two parts in PCCA’s members-only magazine, the Apothagram.