When your vet hands you a prescription, the instructions might seem straightforward: "Give once daily" or "Twice a day with food." But there's more nuance to medication scheduling than meets the eye, and understanding the reasoning behind it can make a real difference in your pet's treatment.
What "once daily" really means
Once daily (SID in veterinary shorthand) means every 24 hours, ideally at the same time each day. This maintains a consistent level of the drug in your pet's bloodstream. If you give a dose at 8 AM one day and 6 PM the next, you're creating peaks and valleys that can reduce effectiveness or increase side effects.
Twice daily (BID)
Twice daily means every 12 hours. If you give the morning dose at 7 AM, the evening dose should be around 7 PM. A common mistake is giving both doses during waking hours (say, 8 AM and 5 PM), which creates a 9-hour gap followed by a 15-hour gap — not ideal for maintaining steady drug levels.
Other common frequencies
- Every 8 hours (TID) — Three times daily, evenly spaced. This one requires some planning, such as 7 AM, 3 PM, and 11 PM.
- Every other day — Common for steroids being tapered. Mark your calendar carefully.
- Weekly — Typical for some flea/tick preventives or certain supplements. Easy to forget without a reminder.
- Monthly — Heartworm preventives and some flea treatments. Set a recurring reminder so you never miss a month.
With food or without?
This instruction matters more than many pet owners realize. Some medications absorb better on an empty stomach, while others can cause nausea without food. A few drugs interact with specific nutrients — for example, certain thyroid medications are less effective when given with calcium-rich foods. Always follow the "with food" or "on an empty stomach" instructions precisely.
What to do when you miss a dose
It happens to everyone. The general rule: if you remember within a few hours, give the dose. If it's almost time for the next dose, skip the missed one and resume the regular schedule. Never double up to "make up" for a missed dose unless your vet specifically instructs you to. When in doubt, call your vet's office.
How Pet Dose helps
Setting up your pet's medication in Pet Dose takes just a minute. Enter the frequency, choose the times, and the app does the rest — sending reminders at exactly the right moments and letting you confirm each dose with a single tap. The calendar view shows your adherence history at a glance, so you always know where you stand.