Zinc (Acetate, Sulfate, Gluconate)
Also known as: Galzin, Zinca-Pak, Various trade names
### Administering Zinc to Your Pet * **Empty Stomach is Best**: Zinc is absorbed best when given on an empty stomach (1 hour before or 2 hours after meals). * **Managing Nausea**: Zinc can be very irritating to the stomach. If your pet vomits after taking the medication, you can hide the capsule contents in a small amount of strong-smelling food, like a meatball of hamburger or a tablespoon of tuna fish (in oil). * **Do Not Mix with Certain Foods**: Avoid giving zinc with dairy products or high-fiber foods, as these can prevent the zinc from being absorbed. ### Important Safety Warnings * **Penny Toxicity**: Keep loose change away from your pets! U.S. pennies minted after 1982 are made almost entirely of zinc. Swallowing even one or two pennies can cause severe, life-threatening anemia in dogs. * **Follow Instructions Carefully**: There is a big difference between "elemental zinc" and "zinc salts" (like zinc sulfate). Always use the exact product and dose your veterinarian prescribed to avoid accidental overdose.
Dosage must be set by your veterinarian for your specific pet. Never give human medication or another pet’s prescription without veterinary guidance.
What it is used for
- Adjunctive therapy of severe hepatic lipidosis
- Appetite stimulant
- Zinc-responsive dermatoses, copper storage disease
- Adjunctive treatment and prophylaxis of hepatic copper toxicosis
- Adjunctive treatment and prophylaxis of hepatic copper toxicosis
- Adjunctive treatment and prophylaxis of hepatic copper toxicosis
- Adjunctive treatment and prophylaxis of hepatic copper toxicosis
- Hepatic fibrosis
- Hepatic fibrosis
- Zinc-related dermatoses (Rapidly growing dogs)
- Zinc-responsive dermatoses (Siberian huskies, Alaskan malamutes, Great Danes, Doberman pinschers)
- Appetite stimulant
How it is given
Possible side effects
- Gastrointestinal disturbances (vomiting, nausea, anorexia)
- Hematologic abnormalities (hemolytic anemia, particularly at serum levels >1000 mcg/dL)
- Hypotension (with overdose)
- Jaundice (with overdose)
- Pulmonary edema (with overdose)
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Haemolysis (at high doses)
Cautions & contraindications
- Patients with pre-existing copper deficiency
- Patients with copper deficiency
- Zinc supplementation should be carefully considered before administering to patients with copper deficiency. When dosing, do not confuse the concentrations of zinc salts with elemental zinc. Zinc overdoses (e.g., ingestion of U.S. pennies minted after 1982) can be highly toxic and potentially fatal, causing severe hemolytic anemia.
Drug interactions
- Copper: Large doses of zinc inhibit copper absorption in the intestine; separate supplements by at least 2 hours.
- Fluoroquinolones (e.g., enrofloxacin, ciprofloxacin): Zinc salts may reduce the oral absorption of fluoroquinolones.
- Penicillamine: May potentially inhibit zinc absorption; clinical significance is not clear.
- Tetracyclines: Zinc salts may chelate oral tetracycline and reduce its absorption; separate doses by at least 2 hours.
- Ursodiol: May potentially inhibit zinc absorption; clinical significance is not clear.
- Iron: Long-term administration of zinc may lead to decreased iron stores and functional deficiency
- Ursodeoxycholic acid: May potentially inhibit zinc absorption
- Fluoroquinolones: Zinc salts may reduce the absorption of fluoroquinolone antibiotics
Frequently asked questions
What is Zinc (Acetate, Sulfate, Gluconate) used for in pets?
### Administering Zinc to Your Pet * **Empty Stomach is Best**: Zinc is absorbed best when given on an empty stomach (1 hour before or 2 hours after meals). * **Managing Nausea**: Zinc can be very irritating to the stomach. If your pet vomits after taking the medication, you can hide the capsule contents in a small amount of strong-smelling food, like a meatball of hamburger or a tablespoon of tuna fish (in oil). * **Do Not Mix with Certain Foods**: Avoid giving zinc with dairy products or high-fiber foods, as these can prevent the zinc from being absorbed. ### Important Safety Warnings * **Penny Toxicity**: Keep loose change away from your pets! U.S. pennies minted after 1982 are made almost entirely of zinc. Swallowing even one or two pennies can cause severe, life-threatening anemia in dogs. * **Follow Instructions Carefully**: There is a big difference between "elemental zinc" and "zinc salts" (like zinc sulfate). Always use the exact product and dose your veterinarian prescribed to avoid accidental overdose.
Is Zinc (Acetate, Sulfate, Gluconate) safe for my pet?
Dosage must be set by your veterinarian for your specific pet. Never give human medication or another pet’s prescription without veterinary guidance.
This article is for general education and is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice. If your pet is unwell, please consult a veterinarian.
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