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Cerenia for Cats (Use, Injection & Side Effects FULLY explained)
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Cerenia is a safe use anti-emetic drug also known as maropitant citrate (brand name: Cerenia®). Maropitant is an inhibitor of the NK1 receptor and was designed to treat motion sickness and eliminate the nausea sensation.
It was primarily made as a medicine for dogs and puppies, then in 2012, the FDA approved it for cats. Cerenia is widely used by vets around the world given its high effectiveness.
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What is Cerenia for Cats?
Cerenia is designed to inhibit the processes in the brain that cause nausea and vomiting. The chemoreceptor trigger zone is the place in the brain where vomiting is initiated.
Certain substances stimulate this zone, making it send impulses to the main vomiting center in the brain, called the medulla.
Cerenia inhibits these impulses, stopping the nausea feeling.
More specifically, for vomiting to take place, substance P (a key neurotransmitter) must bind to NK1 receptors. Cerenia has a similar structure and function to substance P, which allows it to bind to NK1 receptors.
But since Cerenia doesn't cause the stimulation that substance P causes, it disrupts the vomiting process. As a result, the animal stops vomiting and gets rid of the nausea feeling.
How Can Cerenia Help Your Cat?
Here are some of the most important uses of Cerenia for cats:
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Cerenia Injection
Cerenia is mostly administered to cats in the form of subcutaneous injection, 1mg to 1kg of body weight, and one dose per day.
Your vet may also recommend you use intravenous shots. Depending on the severity of the symptoms, the treatment may take up to 5 days (5 injections).
If nausea is a one-time thing that occurs because of a stressful situation or food poisoning, one injection may be enough to stop it.
Cerenia For Cats Tablets
You can find Cerenia in oral form in pet pharmacies, but they are designed for dogs.
Some DVM argues that dog tablets can be administered to cats as well, but you better err on the side of caution.
Give your kitty Cerenia tablets only with the approval and recommendation of a trusted veterinary surgeon.
The advantage of tablets is that they don't cause pain. However, you may have a hard time convincing your kitty to ingest the tablet.
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Cerenia tablets for cats should be given with a small amount of cat food.
In case of injection, it's you who introduces the drug into the cat's body. Moreover, since they have to pass first through the digestive system, tablets need more time to take effect.
Cerenia Side Effects
There are some common side effects caused by Cerenia.
The cat may experience pain when being administered the injection, which is often accompanied by vocalization.
The pain doesn't last for long.
Your cat will stop meowing a couple of minutes after taking the injection, which will also mean that the pain has gone.
If your cat can't resist the pain, freeze the Cerenia injection before administering it. A cold solution causes less pain and discomfort than a warm one.
Another possible adverse reaction is lethargy and even depression.
This is mostly caused by the sharp pain upon injection which may increase the stress levels in your cat.
If Cerenia is in the form of intramuscular injection, your furball may experience muscle tremor which doesn't last for long either.
There are also side effects that are very rare, but still, they can happen in 1-3% of cats. Here is fever, swelling in the injection area, dyspnea, and anorexia.
Some owners with sensitive skin may develop an allergic reaction after touching a Cerenia tablet.
So if you have sensitive skin, you should wear gloves when handling the tablets. If you don't wear gloves, wash your hands after giving your cat the medicine.
Rarer possible side effects can also include decreased appetite, diarrhea, allergic skin reactions, balance issues, Hematuria (blood in the urine), Hypersalivation (excessive drooling), and convulsions.
Drug Interactions with Cerenia
There is little research on the interaction of Cerenia with other drugs of the same kind. Cerenia is a protein-bound drug.
Other medications that fall into this category are NSAIDs, sulfa class antibiotics, and anticonvulsants.
Concurrent use of Cerenia with one of these drugs increases the risk of the above-mentioned adverse reactions.
That's why try to avoid taking protein-bound medications at the same time. If you have no choice but adminestering for example NSAID along with Cerenia, you have to monitor your feline closely afterward.
Is Cerenia Safe For Cats (Risks)
Side effects of Cerenia on pregnant cats and kittens are relatively unknown as there are few studies on this subject.
However, a cat must be at least 16 weeks of age when taking maropitant. There is no evidence proving that it is safe to give your cat a Cerenia when it's vomiting because of ingestion of toxins or bowel obstruction.
The main concern of vets regarding Cerenia is that it masks an underlying disease by forcing vomiting to stop, giving the wrong impression that the problem is gone.
It should be used with caution in cats that have heart or liver disease, or pets that are pregnant or nursing.
Seeing that your cat doesn't vomit anymore is not a sign that it has recovered from a gastrointestinal disorder, kidney failure, or an infection.
When you notice that your kitty feels ill and vomits, give it Cerenia to reduce its struggle then take it to the vet to get it diagnosed.
If your feline is afflicted with hepatic dysfunction, you should be more careful in administering Cerenia, since it is metabolized by the liver.
Specialists recommend giving only half of the dose or even 25% to such cats.
One more thing, if you skip a dose, do not increase the next dose.
Keep it 1mg/1kg, then administer the skipped one when you finish the rest of the injections.
Read this next: How To Give Your Cat Medicine Properly!
FAQs
Will Cerenia stop your cat's vomiting?
Cerenia can be only prescribed by a licensed veterinarian. While it is advertised as a highly potent product against nausea, it's not suitable for all cases of vomiting. The decision for administering a maropitant to treat an individual case of vomiting should be taken only by a professional. This guarantees that the drug will take its effect. Also, administering Cerenia to your cat on an empty stomach can cause more vomiting and nausea.
Can Cerenia help cats that struggle with weight loss?
Weight loss is caused by many things. Cerenia will help only if the cause of weight loss is frequent vomiting. Consult your vet to find out the exact reason your kitty is getting slimmer.
Is Cerenia safe for cats?
As long as you give it to a cat that is older than 16 weeks, Cerenia is safe. Your kitty may feel unwell upon injection and a few minutes after it given the pain reaction. Luckily, the pain disappears quickly and it isn't a threat to your pet's health. Studies showed that cats didn't feel bad even after being given a dose that exceeded five times the recommended dose for 15 days. This doesn't mean, though, that you should give your feline larger doses to treat it faster. Don't test its limits, as the risk of side effects is still high. The recommended dose of 1mg/1kg is enough to stop the vomiting, be sure of that.
How long does it take for maropitant citrate to prove its effect?
Cerenia takes effect relatively fast. The vomiting will stop within 30 minutes to 2 hours. The injectable solution works more rapidly than tablets because it is introduced directly into the circulatory system.
What if you miss a dose of Cerenia?
Cerenia should be taken once per day. If you miss a dose, leave it for the next day. Do not increase the next-day dose. Just extend the treatment course by one day to administer the skipped shot. While doubling up on a Cerenia dose is not dangerous for your cat, this will make your kitty's body used to 2mg/1kg, so next time you administer it 1mg/1kg the effect will be minimal.
Does Cerenia make cats sleepy or drowsiness?
Very few cats get sleepy after maropitant injection. Only one in 50 cats can experience long-lasting lethargy and sleepiness. Short-lasting lethargy is possible as a result of the pain the cat feels during injection which can make it become apathetic for a while.
Where can you buy Cerenia for cats?
Cerenia can be bought from a pet drug store only if you have a prescription from a vet.
Does Cerenia stimulate appetite?
Maropitant can help cats that lost appetite due to repeated vomiting to start eating again. Of course, if your feline suffers from a serious gastrointestinal disorder that makes it lose appetite, Cerenia won't help much. It may remove nausea and vomiting episodes, but there might be other factors out there that don't allow your cat to enjoy its meals.
Cerenia for Cats Summary
Cerenia is a highly potent medication that helps cats deal with acute vomiting and get rid of nausea.
It's also good at reducing vomiting in cats that suffer from a severe conditions. It's imperative to focus on the underlying disease even after giving your cat Cerenia.
Always stay in touch with your vet to get your furball's disease monitored and properly treated.
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