Hormonal drugs

Hormones are the products of the functioning of endocrine glands that are secreted into the blood and lymph or through excretory ducts into a cavity.

The practice of animal husbandry has a significant amount of natural and synthetic hormonal preparations. They can be divided into four groups.

 – The first group – extractive preparations obtained by extracting hormonal substances from the endocrine glands of animals. A number of drugs (insulin, adrenaline, estrone) contain hormonal substances of a higher degree of purification and even in crystalline form. Most drugs of this type have a certain amount of organic impurities. For example, up to 5% change in activity due to histamine is allowed in pituytrin, and up to 20% of substances far from the main substances are contained in gono-dotropin.

 – The second group – synthesized hormone preparations that fully correspond to the structure of natural substances. They are usually well purified and can be accurately dosed, but there are few such drugs, as their production is difficult.

 – The third group – is herbal preparations that have a hormonal effect; unfortunately, they have been studied very little. Meanwhile, such substances as coumestrol from clover grass and a number of others speak of high pharmacological activity and specificity of action of many of them.

 – The fourth group of drugs is quite interesting – synthetic compounds that are not identical to natural hormones, but have a pronounced hormonal effect.

Lack of one or another hormone in the body always adversely affects the functions of many body systems and leads to serious diseases. For example, a decrease in the function of the thyroid gland is accompanied by edema of the subcutaneous tissue, inflammation of the skin, suppression of the central nervous system, a decrease in the body’s resistance, etc. Increased function of the thyroid gland leads to strongly expressed sympathicotonia with all the adverse phenomena.

In some cases, an excess of the hormone causes such changes in the state of the body, which are often advisable to use. For example, the female sex hormone in young males stops the development of male sexual characteristics and at the same time accelerates the growth of animals. Some hormones prevent the development of malignant tumors in the prostate gland, etc.

All hormonal drugs are toxic, while in most of them, toxicity is not immediately apparent, it develops gradually and after a long period of time after using the drug. Toxicity manifests itself specifically, and therefore, special experimental methods are needed for its timely detection. The use of the drug synchron to increase the fertility of pigs gives good results, but in some conditions it causes the phenomenon of acromegaly (strong growth of the lower jaw, growth of the last phalanges of the limbs), impaired function of the adrenal glands, and later some other glands of internal secretion. More detailed studies show that the overall toxicity of this dithiocarbomoylhydrazine is very low, but the drug weakens the influence of the hypothalamic region of the central nervous system on the pituitary gland in the embryonic period of its development. As a result, the pituitary gland will have defects that can be detected only when using some methods of molecular pharmacology. Changes in the pituitary gland are minor, but the consequences are severe.

Hormonal drugs are strong pharmacological agents of specific action. To restore the body’s physiological indicators, small doses of drugs that do not have significant side effects are usually required. But their effectiveness can be high only if the causes of the pathology are revealed. At the same time, it should be taken into account that hormone deficiency in the body can have the most diverse basis, and it must always be established.

The lack of a hormone in an animal’s body can be caused by the following factors:
1) it is not produced enough in the body;
2) it is quickly inactivated;
3) joins new connections;
4) structures of efferent systems do not interact with it.

Each of the four listed reasons, in turn, can be caused by different factors. So, weak hormone production can be based on:
a) depletion of producing cells;
b) inhibition of the function of producing cells by various toxins;
c) violation of individual links of hormone synthesis.

Hormonal drugs, even in small doses, significantly change many physiological processes, some of them in the direction of activation, and others in the direction of reduction. It is necessary to know this well, and therefore, in the recommendations for the use of certain hormonal drugs, their pharmacology, indications, and contraindications, as well as conditions for mitigating or preventing adverse effects are indicated in detail.

In the online store “Homelabvet” you will find a wide range of hormonal preparations for various types of animals. Veterinarians strongly recommend animal owners to take these drugs only as prescribed by specialists, because only a doctor can correctly choose the right drug and can accurately calculate the dosage. Hormonal drugs should be taken as carefully as possible because their overdose can lead to harmful consequences, and even to the death of the animal.

The most common hormonal drugs in our store

• Alizin
• Oxytocin
• Dexamethasone
• Megestrol acetate
• Cloprostenol

Before buying the drug, be sure to familiarize yourself with its purpose, and contraindications, as well as special instructions or notes for the medicinal substance. 

Please note that some drugs require compliance with the temperature regime during transportation.