Fridge medicines at a glance

What does cold-chain mean for pet medicines?

Cold-chain means a medicine is kept within its fridge temperature range at every step, from the manufacturer to the pharmacy, through delivery and in your home. For most fridge medicines that range is 2°C to 8°C. Vaccines and insulin are typical examples.

Temperature matters because medicines have to be stored correctly to maintain their quality. A medicine that has been too warm or frozen may not work as it should, even if it looks normal.

Any supplier of veterinary medicines must store them as the label says, including during transport, and keep temperature records to prove it. At home, the same storage rules apply.

Which pet medicines need the fridge?

Insulin and vaccines usually do, along with some injections. Most tablets, chews and spot-ons don’t. Check the storage line on your pet’s box or leaflet, usually worded “Store in a refrigerator (2°C to 8°C)”.

Lost the leaflet? Every authorised product’s instructions are on the VMD Product Information Database.

How should you store pet fridge medicines at home?

Store pet fridge medicines in your fridge at 2°C to 8°C, in their original box, and take them out only when you’re about to use them. Keep them on a middle shelf, away from the back wall and any freezer compartment, where items can get cold enough to freeze. (C4)

Vet practices must take fridge medicines out only for immediate use and check fridge temperatures every day. At home, a min/max fridge thermometer on the middle shelf shows the lowest and highest temperatures since you last checked. (C4)

• Keep the medicine in its box, which also protects it from light.
• If the label says store upright, keep it standing in its box.
• Keep it away from food, ideally in a sealed tub of its own.
• Don’t overfill the fridge. Air needs room to circulate to keep every shelf cold. (C4)
• Don’t store it in the fridge door, where the temperature changes each time you open it. (C4)
• Keep it out of reach of children and pets, even inside the fridge.

Can pet medicine go in the freezer?

No, not unless the label says so. Fridge medicines labelled “Do not freeze” can be damaged by freezing, even if they look fine once thawed. If a medicine has frozen by accident, don’t use it. Check with your vet or our pharmacy team first.

Domestic fridges can build up ice at the back, which can freeze anything touching it. Vet medicine inspectors flag ice build-up as a storage risk for this reason.

What changes once a fridge medicine is opened?

Once opened, many medicines have a shorter “use within” period, and some have different storage rules. For injectable medicines the period is usually 28 days after opening, but it can be shorter or longer, and some must be used straight away.

Write the date you opened it on the box. Once the use-within period ends, the medicine has expired, whatever the box date says.

What if pet medicine was left out of the fridge or frozen?

If a fridge medicine has been out longer than its label allows, has frozen by accident, or you aren’t sure, don’t use it and don’t bin it yet. Follow these steps.

1. Put it back in the fridge, in its box, to stop it getting any warmer.
2. Write “do not use” on the box, which stops anyone giving it by mistake.
3. Note how long it was out and how warm it got. A min/max thermometer reading helps.
4. Call your vet or our pharmacy team. They’ll tell you whether it can still be used.

Check the medicine before every dose, too. If it looks different from usual, such as clumped, cloudy, discoloured or with particles in it, don’t use it. Looking normal doesn’t prove it’s fine after being too warm or frozen. (C5)

How do you travel with pet fridge medicines?

Carry fridge medicines in a cool bag with cool packs, wrapped in a tea towel or cloth to stop them touching the packs directly. Put them back in a fridge as soon as you arrive. (C5)

• Never leave medicine in a parked car.
• Pack only the doses you need for the trip, and keep the rest in your home fridge.
• Take the box or leaflet with you for the storage rules.
• Travelling in hot weather? See keeping pets safe in a heatwave.

What should you do in a power cut?

Keep the fridge door shut. A closed fridge stays cold for some time, and every opening lets warm air in. (C5)

If the power is off for hours, or the fridge thermometer reads above 8°C when it comes back, treat the medicine as possibly warm. Check with your vet or our pharmacy team before using it.

How does Ashcroft 4 Pets send fridge medicines?

Fridge medicines leave our pharmacy in an insulated box with cool packs, sent by Royal Mail Special Delivery Guaranteed by 1pm.

We dispatch them Monday to Thursday only, which means they never sit in a depot over the weekend.

Be in to take the parcel and put the medicine straight in your fridge. If you can’t be home, choose a delivery day when you can, rather than having it left on a doorstep.

What if your fridge medicine arrives warm or late?

If a fridge medicine arrives warm, late or with damaged packaging, don’t use it. Put it in the fridge, keep all the packaging, and contact our pharmacy team the same day with photos. Our pharmacist will check the details and arrange a replacement where the medicine can’t be used.

What counts as warm? The cool packs have fully thawed and the box feels at room temperature, or the medicine itself feels warm to the touch.

Can you return fridge medicines?

Fridge medicines can’t be returned once dispatched, as nobody can confirm they were kept at the right temperature after leaving us. This doesn’t affect your rights if an item arrives faulty, damaged or not as ordered.

Unwanted or out-of-date fridge medicine still needs safe disposal: see how to dispose of pet medication.

When should you speak to your vet?

Call your vet if your pet has had a dose from medicine that may have been too warm or frozen, and seems unwell or isn’t responding as usual. Call them too if you’ve missed a dose because medicine had to be thrown away.

Check with your vet or our pharmacy team before you:

• use medicine that was left out of the fridge or frozen by accident
• use medicine from a parcel that arrived warm
• prepare doses in advance, such as filling syringes ahead of time
• change how you store a fridge medicine, for example for a holiday

Frequently asked questions

What temperature should pet fridge medicine be stored at?

Between 2°C and 8°C, unless the label says otherwise. Keep it in its box on a middle shelf.

How long can pet medicine be out of the fridge?

It depends on the product. Some labels allow a set time out of the fridge and some allow none. If you’re unsure, don’t use it until you’ve checked with your vet or pharmacy.

Can I put pet medicine back in the fridge after it’s been left out?

Put it back in the fridge to stop it getting any warmer, then check with your vet or pharmacy before using it. Whether it’s still usable depends on the product and how long it was out.

Can I use pet medicine that has frozen?

No, not if the label says “Do not freeze”. Freezing can damage it even if it looks normal once thawed.