Antidiarrheal drugs
- * Indicates product not licensed for use in this species.
- Causes of diarrhea, include diet, infection, neoplasia/dysplasia, inflammation, drug treatment and stress.
- Treatment must address causative agent, supportive therapy (fluid
/electrolyte replacement ), and diet . - Antibacterials can be useful, eg if poorly absorbed from gastrointestinal tract (neomycin , some sulfonamides, some nitrofurans , dihydrostreptomycin ); or if diarrhea related to systemic conditions, especially in neonates - ideally base selection on bacterial sensitivity tests.
Adsorbents
- Given by mouth to adsorb toxins (and note, possibly drugs) → prevent mucosal irritation and erosion.
- See also treatment of poisoning .
- Ispaghula husk * and sterculia : absorb water → increase fecal mass.
- Bismuth salts , charcoal and kaolin : available in compound preparations, for non-specific diarrhea, variable in their absorption of different kinds of toxins.
Antidiarrheal drugs that reduce motility
- Opioid derivatives → decrease intestinal motility but increase segmental contractions for treatment of non-specific acute and chronic diarrhea.
May exacerbate diarrhea by increasing retention time of enterotoxins. - Metabolized in liver; can have sedative effect.
- Loperamide * .
Drugs used in the treatment of chronic diarrhea
- Sulfasalazine * : for chronic colitis and maintenance of remission.
Prolonged treatment with mesalazine, olsalazine or sulfasalazine can lead to irreversible keratoconjunctivitis sicca .
If canine dose of sulfasalazine used in cats this may induce salicylate poisoning. - Corticosteroids : to control inflammatory bowel disease , including lymphocytic-plasmacytic or eosinophilic infiltrates.
Sources
Publications
Refereed papers
- Recent references from PubMed .
- Hickman M A et al (2008) Safety, pharmacokinetics and use of the novel NK-1 receptor antagonist maropitant (Cerenia) for the prevention of emesis and motion sickness in cats. J Vet Pharmacol Ther 31 (3), 220-229 PubMed .
- Ho C M et al (2001) Effects of dexamethasone on emesis in cats sedated with xylazine hydrochloride. Am J Vet Res 62 (8), 1218-1221 PubMed .
- Colby E D, McCarthy L E, Borison H L (1981) Emetic action of xylazine on the chemoreceptor trigger zone for vomiting in cats. J Vet Pharmacol Ther 4 (2), 93-96.
