Cimetidine Tablets

Dogs and cats can develop inflammation in their stomachs, leading to gastritis. Sometimes, a licensed vet prescribes cimetidine tablets as a supplement to treat such stomach lining discomfort. You can use this medication to treat abomasal inflammation, gastric ulcers, and duodenal ulcers in your pets. This medication can also protect the esophagus from inflammation, making cimetidine tablets a good treatment option for acid reflux. Cimetidine therapy is beneficial for uremic dogs and cats as it can suppress the immunoreactive parathyroid hormone. These pills can also block neurotransmitter histamines that trigger inflammatory responses. Hence, you can give your pets cimetidine as an antihistamine medication for stomach ulcers after consulting the vet.

Emil Syska, a former medical director at Terrace Healthcare Center, says that cimetidine is an H2 (histamine-2) receptor antagonist. That means this class of medication works by blocking the H2 receptors in a dog’s or cat’s stomach. Hence, cimetidine is not an antibiotic. Instead, it’s an extra-label drug used as a gastric acid-reducer supplement for your pets. Licensed vets prescribe this drug as a short-term treatment option for ulcers, gastritis, and acid reflux. Since cimetidine isn’t an antibiotic, vets use it as an anti-ulcer medication to keep stomach health in check in a dog or cat. These pills can also help prevent mast cell tumors in your pet.

Long-term treatment with cimetidine has been proven to reduce vomiting among dogs with chronic gastritis. Moreover, regular use can reduce the buildup of excess stomach acid. Even though cimetidine is well-tolerated by most dogs, cats might develop serious side effects. According to Mark Thirkell, a veterinarian since 1986, cats metabolize drugs in a different manner than other species. Usually, cimetidine acts as an antacid in cats while being an anti-nausea drug for dogs. Only a licensed vet will determine if your cat can digest or if it’s safe to give them this acid-reducer.

You can buy this medication either in tablet, injectable, or liquid form. For cimetidine to work for your cats and dogs, you need to administer it in the prescribed quantity. The normal dosage is 3 to 5 mg per pound, depending on your pet’s age, symptoms, and weight. Once put on this medication, you must give your pet one dosage every six to eight hours. Remember to give the medicine 30 minutes before a meal, two to four times a day. When administered correctly, the effects of cimetidine can be seen within one to two hours. However, as compared to other acid-reducing drugs, cimetidine is less effective in animals. It takes longer to work, and the effects don’t last long, requiring more doses per day. Even then, completing the course is crucial to avoid relapse and treat any stomach conditions.

Even though cimetidine is a fairly safe drug to give your pets under vet supervision, some might develop side effects. Hence, you should ensure that your pet isn’t hypersensitive to antihistamines or anti-inflammatory drugs before administering cimetidine. It can lead your pets to develop labored breathing, respiratory failures, and tachycardia. Treating and administering this drug to older pets should be done with caution and supervision. This medication can also interact with other drugs, like sucralfate, diazepam, antacids, digoxin, and metoclopramide. Hence, vets recommend a consultation before administering this drug to pets with blood diseases. If administered without proper caution, cimetidine might also cause your pet to develop heartbeat irregularities, confusion, and allergic reactions.

No, cimetidine isn’t banned. You can buy this medication as an over-the-counter drug if you’ve got a prescription from a reputed and licensed vet. Some people confuse cimetidine tablets with Zantac, which was also used to treat ulcers in a cat’s or dog’s small intestines. The FDA discontinued the use of Zantac because it had impurities that caused health complications like cancer. As a precaution, researchers tested a wide range of anti-ulcer drugs for pets to ensure their effectiveness. Cimetidine was one of those medications, and the FDA didn’t find any impurities in these tablets. While cimetidine is safe for human use, the FDA hasn’t approved its use as a veterinary medication. Even then, vets consider it safe and legal to use cimetidine under regulation and supervision to treat an animal’s intestinal discomfort. The vet will only recommend this compounded formulation if other FDA-approved medications aren’t working for your pet or they’re allergic to the ingredients.