Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Meloxicam and lifespan in older cats with kidney disease
By Gowan, Richard A et al.·Published in Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery·2012·The Cat Clinic, 1 Miller Street, Prahran, Melbourne, Australia, Australia·View original on Crossref →
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Original publication title: A retrospective analysis of the effects of meloxicam on the longevity of aged cats with and without overt chronic kidney disease
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study looked at how long older cats lived when treated with meloxicam, a common pain medication, especially focusing on those with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Cats over 7 years old were treated for more than six months, and the results showed that those with CKD lived an average of 18.6 years, while those without lived about 22 years. Importantly, the study found that meloxicam did not shorten the lifespan of cats with stable CKD, even in more advanced stages. This suggests that meloxicam can be a good option for managing pain in older cats without negatively impacting their longevity.
People also search for: cat kidney disease treatment · meloxicam for cats · how long do cats live with kidney disease
Abstract
The study sought to examine the effect of long-term meloxicam treatment on the survival of cats with and without naturally-occurring chronic kidney disease at the initiation of therapy. The databases of two feline-only clinics were searched for cats older than 7 years that had been treated continuously with meloxicam for a period of longer than 6 months. Only cats with complete medical records available for review were recruited into the study.The median longevity in the renal group was 18.6 years [95% confidence interval (CI) 17.5–19.2] and the non-renal group was 22 years [95% CI 18.5–23.8]. The median longevity after diagnosis of CKD was 1608 days [95% confidence interval 1344–1919] which compares favourably to previously published survival times of cats with CKD. In both groups the most common cause of death was neoplasia. Long-term treatment with oral meloxicam did not appear to reduce the lifespan of cats with pre-existent stable CKD, even for cats in IRIS stages II and III. Therefore, to address the need for both quality of life and longevity in cats with chronic painful conditions, meloxicam should be considered as a part of the therapeutic regimen.
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Search related cases →Original publication on Crossref: https://doi.org/10.1177/1098612x12454418