One of the things people don’t always realize is that dogs can get motion sickness, just like we do when traveling in cars, boats, planes, or subways. Because a puppy’s inner ear is less developed than an adult, they may be more prone to motion sickness. However, the conflict between visually perceived movement and the movement sensed by the vestibular system can also affect adult dogs. If your vet has prescribed Cerenia for your dog, here are some things you should know.
What Is Cerenia & What Does It Do?
Veterinarians often prescribe Cerenia for dogs that regularly suffer from motion sickness and a variety of other upset stomach issues. Not only does it control the symptoms of motion sickness, but it can also prevent them from happening in the first place.
What Is Cerenia for Dogs?
The first FDA-approved drug for use in dogs with nausea, Cerenia also has pain relief, anti-inflammatory, and anxiety-reducing properties. A digestive medicine for dogs used mainly for motion sickness, it is also used to treat acute or sudden onset of vomiting. It is cleared for use in dogs older than sixteen weeks suffering from motion sickness as well as for dogs older than eight weeks who suffer from acute vomiting.
What Does Cerenia for Dogs Do?
Cerenia has two primary uses: treating nausea and vomiting due to diseases that cause acute vomiting and treating vomiting caused by motion sickness.
Conditions That Can Cause Acute Vomiting
- Acute pancreatitis
- Gastroenteritis
- Kidney failure
- Cholangitis
- Chemotherapy
- Gastrointestinal obstruction
- Central nervous system (CNS) disease
- Uremia
- Hypercalcemia
In addition to treating the vomiting and nausea caused by these conditions, Cerenia can also prevent vomiting in dogs treated with opioids for pain relief.
Vomiting Caused by Motion Sickness
Cerenia for dogs is mainly used to treat motion sickness. Given by mouth two hours prior to travel with your dog, Cerenia can effectively keep your dog from throwing up. Maropitant citrate, the active ingredient in Cerenia, competes with the neurotransmitter that communicates with the brain’s vomiting center.
Symptoms of Motion Sickness in Dogs
When traveling with your dog, keep an eye on them to see if they are suffering from motion sickness and may be nauseous. Dogs are experts at hiding their stomach pains, so you’ll have to monitor their reactions. However, if your dog seems anxious, unhappy, and doesn’t want to get in the car, it may be because they’ve gotten motion sickness in the past or at least felt physically uncomfortable in the car. Motion sickness in dogs can happen when traveling in a vehicle of any type.
Motion sickness signs to watch for include:
- Whining
- Excessive lip licking
- Yawning
- Drooling
- Trembling/shaking
- Excessive panting
- Vomiting
How Cerenia for Dogs Works
Cerenia helps prevent and manage vomiting. Nausea from motion sickness is caused by the complex relationship between the eyes and the vestibular system located in the ear. The vestibular system is responsible for collecting and processing information about balance and motion. When the vestibular system feels something different than the eyes see, nausea and vomiting can occur.
When this occurs, the brain sends signals that trigger vomiting. Cerenia prevents these signals from being sent. It competitively antagonizes substance P, a neurotransmitter responsible for triggering nausea and vomiting. This keeps your dog from feeling or getting sick.
How to Administer Cerenia for Dogs
Cerenia can be administered by mouth or by injection. If by injection, your vet will administer it to your dog at their practice. Vets also administer Cerenia injections prior to surgery when pre-anesthetic opioids are used. Below we will discuss how to administer Cerenia by mouth.
How much Cerenia you should give your dog is governed by the age of your dog and why your vet prescribed it for them. When Cerenia is used as a treatment for acute vomiting caused by a disease, condition, or side effect from different medication, the youngest your dog can be to take Cerenia is two months of age. If your vet has prescribed it as a treatment for motion sickness, your dog has to be at least four months of age.
Cerenia is taken by mouth in tablet form and comes in 16 mg, 24 mg, 60 mg, and 160 mg strengths. The pills should be given with food two hours prior to travel. Give Cerenia on an empty stomach, your dog should not have eaten an hour prior to administering the drug.
As with most drugs, how much you administer to your dog depends on how much they weigh. The dosage for Cerenia is currently set at about 2 mg/kg body weight, once daily for two days, if needed. You must then wait three days before giving your dog Cerenia again in a two-day period.
Here are the dosage for amounts for motion sickness according to your dog’s weight.
· 2.0-2.2 lbs — half of a 16 mg pill (8 mg)
· 2.3-3.3 lbs — half of a 24 mg pill (12 mg)
· 3.4-4.4 lbs — one 16 mg pill
· 4.5-6.6 lbs — one 24 mg pill
· 6.7-8.8 lbs — two 16 mg pills (32 mg)
· 8.9-13.2 lbs — two 24 mg pills (48 mg)
· 13.3-16.5 lbs — one 60 mg pill
· 16.6-22.0 lbs — half of a 160 mg pill (80 mg)
· 22.1-33.0 lbs — two 60 mg pills (120 mg)
· 33.1-44.0 lbs — one 160 mg pill
· 44.1-66.0 lbs — one and half 160 mg pills (240 mg)
· 66.1-88.0 lbs — two 160-mg pills (320 mg)
· 88.1-132.0 lbs — three 160 mg pills (480 mg)
When treating acute vomiting due to other medication or a disease, Cerenia doses are a little different. The guidelines state when your dog is two months to seven months old, you can administer a dose once each day. The dosage is determined by their weight and can be given for five consecutive days. If your dog is older than seven months, you can administer a dose once a day until the vomiting stops or according to your vet’s instructions. Here are the recommended doses based on weight:
· 2.2-8.8 lbs — half of a 16 mg pill (8 mg)
· 8.9-17.6 lbs — one 16 mg pill
· 17.7-26.4 lbs — one 24 mg pill
· 26.5-52.8 lbs — two 24 mg pills (48 mg)
· 52.9-66.0 lbs — one 60 mg pill
· 66.1-132.0 lbs — two 60 mg pills (120 mg)
Wrap the pill in a bit of deli meat to give to your dog. If you hide the pill in foods such as sausage or cheese can delay the absorption of the drug.
What If You Forget a Dose
If you miss or forget a dose, give them their regular dose as soon as you realize you forgot. If you remember close to the time of their next regular dose, or a few hours prior, skip the missed dose completely and administer the next pill at the regular time. Never double the Cerenia dose, even if you forgot one.
What to Do in the Event of an Overdose
In the case of an accidental overdose of Cerenia, immediately take your dog to your vet to get medical attention. It will most likely be safe, but occasionally some dogs react badly to too much Cerenia. Signs of an overdose include:
- Diarrhea
- Irregular breathing
- Bloody stool
- Tremors
- Loss of appetite
When an overdose is suspected, it is important to seek medical advice and attention from your vet immediately.
Potential Side Effects of Cerenia
Maropitant citrate, the active ingredient in Cerenia, has proven to be much safer than other anti-nausea drugs because it targets a specific neurotransmitter. In addition, it doesn’t bind other CNS receptors, only ones that transmit signals to the vomiting center. However, although it is highly specific, this doesn’t mean that are no side effects.
There are many possible side effects that your dog could experience when they take Cerenia. Possible side effects include:
- Loss of appetite
- Drowsiness
- Lethargy or weakness
- Watery bowel movement
- Increased salivation or drooling
Cerenia has also been known to cause life-threatening anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, in 1 out of 10,000 dogs. Anaphylaxis causes the immune system to release a flood of chemicals that can cause your dog to go into shock. Although this reaction is very rare, knowing the signs of anaphylaxis will help you take quick action, just in case.
Signs of anaphylaxis include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Swelling of the lips, tongue, and face
- Skin changes, such as rash
Contact your vet right away if your dog has any of these symptoms.
Things to Know about Cerenia
It can be a little nerve-wracking to give your dog a medication or drug you haven’t used before, but Cerenia is safe when you stick to the guidelines. Most importantly, it is approved by the FDA as safe and effective for dogs, so there is no need to worry.
As we’ve mentioned above, the dosage amount and course of treatment are different depending on what condition is being treated. This means when treating motion sickness, Cerenia should be given once daily for two days in a row. You must then wait three days to give it again if needed.
For acute vomiting, Cerenia can be administered for five days in a row consecutively, with one dose a day. We have set out the amounts you need to give your dog based on their weight further on. You should always administer the Cerenia drug with a small amount of food, like a bit of deli meat. Your dog will need to have an empty stomach an hour before administering it.
Your vet will also go over these guidelines with you when they prescribe Cerenia for your dog.
What You Should Tell Your Vet Before They Prescribe Cerenia
Cerenia works to stop vomiting, but there are some diagnoses you should mention to your vet when discussing the drug. If your dog has a pre-existing diagnosis of liver dysfunction, seizures, epilepsy, kidney disease, or cardiovascular problems, let your vet know. You should also tell your vet if your dog is taking other medications since certain drugs can interact with Cerenia.
Tell your vet if your dog is pregnant, lactating, or nursing. There have very few studies on the effects of Cerenia in these cases, so you won’t want to take any chances. In addition, let your vet know if your dog has ever eaten a toxic substance, as your vet may decide to give them a different anti-nausea drug in place of Cerenia.
We’d like to reiterate that Cerenia is safe, and these points are not meant to scare you. It is always better to act with an abundance of caution when it comes to medication for your dog. Tell your vet anything you think might interfere with the effectiveness of Cerenia or cause an adverse reaction.
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