Ursodiol (ur-soe-dye-ole) is a medication that you may recognize under two different names: Ursodeoxycholic acid or Actigall ®.

This medication is used to help remove or prevent gallstones containing cholesterol in not only humans but also in dogs or cats as well! This medication may also be used to treat liver or gallbladder disease in pets.

The gallbladder, which is a small organ located underneath the liver, stores a substance called bile. Bile is secreted into the intestines in a response to food to aid in the digestion of fatty food. Problems in the liver or gallbladder may cause the accumulation of cholesterol within the gallbladder and saturate the bile found within the gallbladder. As a result, this may cause the formation of gallbladder stones or cholethiasis.

As a bile acid, ursodiol will decrease the amount of cholesterol that is secreted by the liver and reabsorbed in the intestines. By decreasing the overall cholesterol, the amount of cholesterol in the bile or bile stones will be decreased as well.

Ursodiol is a prescription product that is only commercially made in strengths from 250-500 mg. However, dosing of ursodiol is typically weight-based and may require a lower or higher strength than those found commercially.

Patient-specific medications may be available in compounding specialty pharmacies. Compounding pharmacies are specialized pharmacies that prepare personalized medications for patients and pets and can meet patient-specific needs such as flavor, dosage form, or strength.