As early as the 1840s, bird sellers prepared and sold medicines for caged birds. By the 1870s, medicines for other pets began to appear. Makers included pet shop owners, breeders and fanciers, druggists, traveling salesmen, doctors, and veterinarians.

By the 1890s, some companies used the same marketing methods used for patent medicines for people: posters, fancy display cases for stores, advertisements in newspapers and magazines, and free booklets describing symptoms and treatments.

Limitations of Over-the-Counter Medicines - Were small-animal patent medicines ever effective? For infectious diseases such as distemper, pet owners had few options until the 1930s. Some medicines relieved suffering by sedating the patient. Others may have suppressed symptoms temporarily.

Mange Specific Skin Disease treatment
Box and tin, 1910s
Collection of Dr. Michael and Vicki M. Smith

Tonics and Supplements - Tonics may have helped by providing necessary vitamins and minerals. Still, medicine makers made promises that their mixtures could not keep, so, just like remedies for people, patent medicines for pets were regulated by the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906.

Pet-a-Gree® Natural Vitamins and Minerals
Rich Products Corp.
Rockford, Illinois, 1950s