Medication details

Cats who suffer from a variety of GI ( GI ) disorder may benefit from regular use of cisapride , a medicament that can help your computed tomography manage GI ailments such as inveterate constipation ormegacolon . If other handling option have failed to fully improve your true cat ’s gut health , talk with your veterinarian about the use of cisapride .

What come is everything you want to live about cisapride , including what it ’s used for in Caterpillar , potential side effects , and how to give this medication .

What Is Cisapride?

Cisapride is a gastrointestinal promotility ( or prokinetic ) drug , which imply it helps move take in food for thought ( and later feces ) in the right-hand direction — downward through the GI tract .

Cisapride is a generic medication that can only be obtained via a ethical drug from your veterinarian . It was originally uncommitted for human usage but was withdraw from the even market in 2000 due to potentially fatal cardiac complication . In multitude , cisapride can extend the QT separation in the spunk , mean electric activity of the substance becomes irregular and can progress to unnatural inwardness rhythms ( ventricular arrhythmias ) that can get fainting ( syncope ) and sudden death .

Fortunately , such cardiac issues from cisapride use appear to be extremely rare in dogs and cats and have not been documented by the veterinary community of interests . However , since cisapride no longer has FDA favourable reception , it is not commercially available in North America . It must be buy only from your regular ex-serviceman or compounding pharmacy as a generic drug with “ off - recording label ” use in dogs and cats .

Tabby cat resting

Is Cisapride Safe for Cats?

Cisapride is turn over an overall dependable medicament in the bulk of cats when used at a right dosage as recommend by a veterinarian .

What Does Cisapride for Cats Look Like?

Since cisapride is available only in compound shape , it may be phrase in a multifariousness of shipway . Cisapride is primarily usable in unwritten form as a flavored or unflavoured liquid , capsule , or tablet . Tablets may be even , chewable , mini - tabs , or melt tabs . Some compounding pharmacies may also make cisapride in a transdermic colloidal gel that is applied locally . However , oral forms run to be more in force , as they are more readily absorbed by the soundbox .

How Does Cisapride Work?

Normally , suave brawn automatically press to push food downwardly through the digestive tract ; this is referred to as peristalsis . However , some true cat have disorders that slow the movement of gut body process , leading to afflicted GI function . Cisapride acts directly on the stomach , lowly intestine , and large intestine ( colon ) to belt along the transit of have food through the GI pathway and facilitates shitting . It also increases vermiculation in the downcast gorge to help prevent reflux .

In poor , cisapride keeps the GI tract make a motion in the good charge , help cats avoid consequence like chronic constipation and fecal impacted tooth .

Cisapride is a congeneric of a medication promise metoclopramide . However , cisapride is considered superior because it turn on the colon , whereas metoclopramide has no colonic influence . Additionally , metoclopramide can cut through over into the mental capacity and cause hyperexcitability . Cisapride does not cross the blood - brain roadblock .

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What Is Cisapride Used for in Cats?

As discussed earlier , Cisapride ’s chief use is to keep the gut move at a normal speed in the right direction by enhancing still musculus function . Thus , it is utile for a miscellany of aesculapian precondition in cats such as :

learn on for further account on how cisapride can help Arabian tea with these issue :

Esophagitis

Cisapride boil down esophageal reflux and risk of esophageal stenosis formation .

Primary gastric stasis disorders

Examples of elemental stomachal stasis disorders in cats admit delay gastric emptying and enteral ileus .

delay stomachic evacuate : This condition appears when the heftiness and nerves of the stomach do not stimulate normal contraction to move ingested food for thought out of the venter and into the small-scale bowel for further processing . Delayed stomachal evacuation can lead to continuing disgorgement .

Intestinal ileus : This concern to a lack of move in the main of the small gut .

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Though cisapride can aid belittle disgorgement from these disorders by preventing food from backing up in the stomach , pet parents should note that cisapride does not have further anti - nausea properties . It should not be used as an anti - emetic substitute for other instances that initiation sickness in cats .

Chronic constipation and bloating

If diet changes , faecal matter softeners or laxatives , and bulking agents such as roughage supplements have failed to improve your cat ’s impairment military issue , your veterinarian may impart cisapride as a mode to further amend the ease of your CT ’s intestine movements .

Megacolon

This disorder leave from impairment of the muscles and nerves that hold in bowel function . Megacolon is secondary to damage from stretching of the colon due to chronic constipation or fecal obstruction ( i.e. obstipation ) . Megacolon preclude the colon from abandon faeces , which can lead to difficultness defecating and bowel obstruction .

Certain urinary retention disorders

Cisapride can help strengthen bladder muscle condensation to facilitate urine voiding .

Hairballs

Cisapride is also on occasion used for hairball issues in cat .

How to GiveCisapride to Cats

As remark , Cisparide is available in multiple formulas , such as soft chews , capsules , pad , and liquids . Your Arabian tea may have a unique preference as to which medicinal drug formulation they will most well tolerate . Some cats are easy to give pill or capsule while others may more pronto take over a syringe of liquified medication instead . Some cats may prefer a flavored medicinal drug , such as tuna . Ask your combination pharmacy what varieties are uncommitted .

Cisapride is typically dispense every 8 - 12 hours , depending on your vet ’s instructions . Though cisapride can be give with or without nutrient , it is best to give it 15 - 30 minutes prior to a meal , since concentration improves with food . what is more , food reduce the likeliness of GI upset as a likely side effect from this medicament .

Cats will experience outcome within a few hour following dosing , and those effects will stop within 24 minute of discontinuance of this drug .

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Cisapride for CatsSide Effects

Luckily , cisapride is generally well allow with minimum side effects in cats , including those with kidney disease . However , some kitties may get mild GI symptoms such as :

Cisapride should be avoided if increase gastrointestinal motility can lead to impairment of the GI nerve tract due to preexisting conditions , which include :

Furthermore , cisapride should be used with cautiousness in meaning or nursing cats . Cisapride has the potential to make loss of early pregnancy . This drug is also excreted in Milk River and could potentially cause outlet in kitten . Cisapride should only be used in these scenario if its welfare to the female cat outweigh any likely risk to her kitten .

Soft chews (compounded)

Moreover , severe cardiac effects of cisapride have been established in humans . Though not observed in cats , cats using cisapride should still be monitored for any cardiac abnormality as a safeguard .

Symptoms of Too Much Cisapride in Cats

Toxicity in cats is rarefied and tends to only hap at super high doses of cisapride . unreassuring signs include :

If you notice the above signs in your cat or suspect they may have been exposed to an overdose of cisapride , call your veterinary without delay or the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at 888 - 426 - 4435 .

If toxic condition has fall out , your vet may recommend to have vomiting and dole out activate charcoal as well as allow supportive care to bring off symptoms .

Cisapride mini melts (compounded)

Reactions with Other Drugs and Medications

Because of cisapride ’s effect at speeding up the transit sentence through the gut , it can increase the immersion of other unwritten medications your cat may be taking . Always go over your Caterpillar ’s full lean of medicinal drug and appurtenance with your veterinarian prior to starting cisapride .

Cisapride can interact negatively with certain medications , such as those listed below . Therefore , coincidental manipulation should be ward off and hash out with your ex-serviceman :

CisaprideDosefor Cats

Only your vet should mastermind you as to the accurate dose and relative frequency of cisapride your cat should have . Each individual bozo is different base on a variety of factors , such as the cat ’s weight and exact GI disorder and its austereness .

Your cat ’s cisapride acid may need to be bit by bit increased or otherwise modified by your veterinary surgeon to optimise its effect . However , best-loved parents should never align their computerized axial tomography ’s Lucy in the sky with diamonds on their own without a vet ’s guidance .

What If My Cat Misses a Dose of Cisapride?

If your cat accidentally miss a Venus’s curse of cisapride , simply hold back and give it when the next dose is due and resume the official communications protocol move forward . Do not double up or give additional doses not dictate by your vet .

Costof Cisapride for Cats

The price of cisapride varies widely depending on your cat ’s dose ( milligrams want as well as frequence ) , the formulation you choose from your compounding pharmacy , as well as your geographic placement . On average , you could require to give $ 45-$80 for a 30 - mean solar day supplying of your cat ’s cisapride based on the said variables .

CisaprideStorageInstructions

Cisapride should be protected from light and moisture in a tight , sealed container . Unless specified otherwise on your compounded ware , this medication should be stored at room temperature .