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Can 10mg of Amitriptyline given daily at bedtime to a 10 year old female cat have adverse affects?
November 10, 2009 | Tagged boxing day | Leave a Comment
She currently has about 2 weeks left of a Prednisolone prescription left. She took 5mg. once daily for 7 days, and is now taking 1/2 pill every other day till gone. (15 tablets). The vet gave the first dose at 3 and by 5 she couldn’t have a BM without falling over and couldn’t jump up on the chair. Her pupils are huge and I can hear and see her fast breathing. She even feels kinda stiff and her purr is quiet. This is not my cat. She usually loves to cuddle up and have me rub her belly, but its like she doesn’t even see me. I am suppose to give this for 2 months along with Royal Canine urinary formula food. She has a lot of crystals in her urine and there is blood in it. They sent a urine sample to a lab to see if they could grow bacteria and nothing happened. On our first vet visit, they gave her a round of amoxicillin and a shot of an antibiotic. She goes frequently and in small amounts. She squats in her box longer than when she is actually going so it appears she feels she still has to go. Anyone with any of these experiences too? Any help or ideas are welcome. Thanks.
Why the heck would anyone give a cat amitriptyline?
The cat probably has cystitis…i had a cat that after a million urine and blood tests came back with a diagnosis of idiopathic cystitis..meaning no apparant reason for it.
Why would a vet put her on prednisone for this also????…If she is fast breathing and acting that strangely and you love your cat go to an er and have her checked out NOW.
sunshine10 | Nov 09, 2009
I don’t know anything about Prednisone, but I know that Amitriptyline is not something I would want to take myself. It has some bad side affects in humans – hallucinations, confusion or delirium, fast or irregular heartbeat, mask-like face, eye pain, stiffness of arms and legs – and just plain not being there. So perhaps it is affecting your cat this way. Hang in there, I hope your cat gets better soon!
Ate_a_bug | Nov 09, 2009
Take her to a pet ER immediately, now!!, not the same vet!!! Afterwards switch vets.
? | Nov 09, 2009
Hi there… veterinarians will prescribe amitriptyline to help reduce inflammation in the urinary lining and steroids as well as prednisone.
Please do note that prednisone taken at great lengths is taxing on the kidneys and can produce long-term side effects so hopefully your veterinarian will monitor this carefully. You can read more about the effects and side effects from the following website: http://www.nativeremedies.com/petalive/a rticles/prednisone-cats-uses-effects.htm l
Because your kitty hasn’t been feeling well lately, her behaviour will also change which is possibly why she hasn’t been affectionate.
Crystals and hematuria (blood in urine) are generally an indication of cystitis and can be managed with not only the medication your cat is already receiving but also through diet.
Cystitis that appears to be treatment resistant may be due to feline idiopathic cystitis (FIC). Both medications your cat is receiving will partially manage this, but more critically the urinary disorder is also best managed with diet too.
I have a cat who was diagnosed with Feline Interstitial Idiopathic Cystitis (FIC). FIC is commonly seen in cats between the ages of 1 – 10 years of age and can be caused by several factors, and combinations of these factors, which include obesity, stress, alkaline urinary pH, water and fibre intake in the animal’s diet, and possibly high ash and magnesium content in the animal’s diet thought this hasn’t been substantiated. Recurrence is common with FIC cats so preventive measures such a canned food diet to keep hydration levels high plus any other ways to encourage more water consumption is a must, easy access to multiple litter boxes in addition to regular check ups as well as supplementation with prescriptions depending on the severity of the condition.
Cats who eat dry cat foods tend to suffer from recurring episodes and this seems to be a common denominator with cats diagnosed with various types of FIC. The idea is to acidify the urine (like cranberry juice does for humans) because cats with FIC have urine pH that is more alkaline so your goal is to reverse this and canned foods have been known to achieve this with positive results.
Additionally, it’s important to schedule feed a cat so you can monitor servings taken in during the day http://www.vet.cornell.edu/fhc/news/feed .htm which seems to keep the urine from becoming more alkaline.
Furthermore, for cats who suffer from FIC the hydration in the canned products helps metabolize food better and are also completely devoid of carbohydrates, which is more optimal for the feline’s body and while at the same acidifies the urine pH which is perfect for cats who have Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disorders (FLUTD). When cats eat raw meat in the wild they get hydration from the fresh meat juices as well as some roughage from the animals who are natural herbivores. We are have been exposed to so many commercial ads regarding dry food for cats, but in reality it’s the manufacturer’s who benefit rather than the cats. Cats are not naturally designed to eat dry–the products were designed for convenience for the owner.
All seafood cat food products should be avoided as they are high in phosphorous and turns urine pH more alkaline so canned meat products should only be used (e.g. chicken, turkey, beef, etc). You’ll have to read the labels on each of the canned food as many manufacturers add some type of fish to flavour the food which you want to avoid. Premium cat foods such as Wellness, Innova EVO, California Natural, Wysong, Life Abundance do not have any fish ingredients.
Furthermore, your veterinarian could continue to explore which other medications can help reduce the inflammation of the bladder. What works for one cat may not for another. We used Amitriptyline has helped reduce inflammation as well with great success and mixed water in with the canned food to increase moisture has reduce his recurrences with the FIC.
Here are some websites that I’ve researched to help prepare us for the long road ahead to minimize the repeat episodes:
FLUTD/FIC:
http://www.petplace.com/cats/feline-idio pathic-cystitis-fic/page1.aspx
http://www.cat-world.com.au/urolithiasis -in-cats
http://www.vet.uga.edu/sams/courses/urol ogy/lectures/Lecture06_FelineIdiopathicC ystitis.pdf
d Seattle d | Nov 10, 2009