Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Side effects of mycophenolate mofetil in dogs with immune disease
By Fukushima, Kenjiro et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2021·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: A retrospective study of adverse effects of mycophenolate mofetil administration to dogs with immune-mediated disease.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of 131 dogs with immune-mediated diseases, like anemia and skin conditions, were treated with a medication called mycophenolate mofetil (MMF). While most dogs did well, about 34 of them experienced side effects, mainly gastrointestinal issues like vomiting or diarrhea. Some dogs also had low blood cell counts, which can lead to other health problems. It's important for pet owners to be aware of these potential side effects when their veterinarian prescribes MMF, as monitoring may be needed during treatment.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Information regarding adverse events (AEs) of mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is limited. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the types and frequency of potential AEs of MMF in dogs with immune-mediated disease. ANIMALS: One hundred thirty-one dogs treated with MMF for management of suspected immune-mediated disease. METHODS: Retrospective study. Medical records were reviewed to find and group suspect AEs in gastrointestinal (GI), hematologic, and other categories. Age, dosage, body weight, and sex were analyzed between dogs with and without AEs by using the Mann-Whitney U-test and chi-squared test. RESULTS: The median starting dosage of MMF was 17.5 mg/kg/day (interquartile range [IQR] = 15.1-20.6 mg/kg/day) and the median treatment duration was 56 days (IQR = 14-236 days). Mycophenolate mofetil was prescribed for immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (n = 31), immune-mediated thrombocytopenia (n = 31), pemphigus foliaceus (n = 15), immune-mediated polyarthritis (n = 12), and others (n = 42). Overall, potential AEs of MMF were observed in 34 of 131 dogs (GI 24.4% [31/127], neutropenia 4% [3/76], anemia 4% [1/25], thrombocytopenia 4.0% [1/25], and dermatologic 1.5% [2/131]). There were no significant differences among dogs with (n = 37) or without potential AEs (n = 94) in regards to sex, age, body weight, or dosage of MMF (P = .06, .13, .24, and .26, respectively). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: In the dogs administered MMF, GI AEs were most common. Since potential hematologic and dermatologic AEs developed in a few dogs, clinicians should be aware of these when prescribing MMF to dogs with immune-mediated disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34231261/