Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Capromorelin helps cats with kidney disease gain weight safely
By Wofford, Jessica A et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2025·Elanco Animal Health, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Capromorelin promotes weight gain in cats with unintended weight loss: a randomized, masked, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A study found that capromorelin, a medication, helped cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who were losing weight. In the trial, 176 cats were given either capromorelin or a placebo for 55 days. The cats receiving capromorelin gained an average of 0.25 kg, while those on the placebo lost weight. Most cats tolerated the treatment well, although some experienced increased saliva production. Overall, capromorelin proved to be a safe and effective option for helping cats with CKD maintain or gain weight.
People also search for: cat weight loss treatment · chronic kidney disease in cats · capromorelin for cats · how to help my cat gain weight
Abstract
ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of capromorelin to manage weight loss in cats with unintended weight loss, as occurs in chronic kidney disease (CKD), in a randomized, masked, placebo-controlled, multicenter clinical field study.MethodsA total of 176 client-owned cats with existing CKD and unintended weight loss of 5% or more were enrolled. Cats were randomized 2:1 to receive capromorelin or a vehicle placebo orally once daily for 55 days. Changes in body weight and safety parameters were monitored throughout the study.ResultsBody weight increased progressively with time in the capromorelin group and decreased in the placebo group. For the effectiveness population data sample (n = 112), mean change in body weight from day 0 to day 55 was +5.18% (95% confidence interval [CI] 3.45-6.91) with capromorelin and -1.65% (95% CI -3.82 to 0.55) with placebo. The treatment effect (capromorelin minus placebo) from day 0 to day 55 was +6.81% (95% CI 4.21-9.42) with<0.0001, representing +0.25 kg (95% CI 0.15-0.35) body weight. Hypersalivation was observed only in the capromorelin group (<0.0001). For all other adverse events (AEs), there was no significant difference between the treatment groups: in the capromorelin group 96/118 (81.4%) cats and in the placebo group 41/58 (70.7%) cats had at least one reported AE ( = 0.3650).Conclusions and relevanceCapromorelin was safe and effective, and provides a valuable new option to maintain or increase body weight in cats with CKD.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41204815/