Mirtazapine Use in Dogs As an Appetite Stimulant
Mirtazapine is the generic name for the brand name drug, Remeron. It's used to treat moderate and severe depression in humans, but is most useful for dogs because of its other properties. Veterinarians generally prescribe mirtazapine to dogs experiencing loss of appetite and nausea associated with other medical illnesses to stimulate appetite.
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How Mirtazapine Works
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According to Mar Vista Animal Medical Center, mirtazapine causes a side effect that stimulates appetite when given to dogs. Its antinausea properties actually intercept and block signals from the intestine and stomach to the brain that otherwise would trigger nausea. As a result, the dog doesn't experience these effects.
Use
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The drug is usually administered to dogs suffering from a condition like stomach disease, renal failure or other conditions whose treatment causes the dog to lose its appetite or feel queasy. It's also prescribed to dogs being treated for cancer with chemotherapy to ease an unsettled stomach--a symptom commonly associated with chemotherapy treatment.
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Dosage
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Veterinarians generally prescribe mirtazapine once a day to stimulate appetite, which makes it easy and convenient for dog owners to administer. When the drug is prescribed to accompany treatment for kidney or liver disease, the dosage may be reduced further, as these conditions prevent the body from fully eliminating the drug as waste. Veterinary Partner claims it's possible for up to 30 percent of the drug to remain in the body after normal elimination due to impaired liver and/or kidney function. Under these circumstances, either a veterinarian or pharmacist can reduce the dosage or extend the dosing schedule.
Side Effects
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One potential yet rare side effect is serotonin syndrome, caused when serotonin levels--a chemical found in the brain--become elevated. This usually occurs when mirtazapine is used as part of a combination of other serotonin-increasing medications. Monitor your dog for elevated heart rate, tremors, dilated pupils, difficulty breathing, fever or high blood pressure, which all can be signs of serotonin syndrome. Hyperactivity also can be a sign in some dogs.
Drug Interactions
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Mirtazapine is useful as part of drug therapy to stimulate appetite when another drug used to treat an underlying illness causes appetite loss or it's caused by the illness itself. However, the drug should not be used in combination with other antidepressants like Prozac that are meant to increase brain serotonin levels, which could results in serotonin syndrome.
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References
- Photo Credit dog image by Bube from Fotolia.com
