Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Low-dose meloxicam effects on cats with kidney disease
By KuKanich, Kate et al.·Published in Journal of feline medicine and surgery·2021·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effects of low-dose meloxicam in cats with chronic kidney disease.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 21 cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) were given either a low dose of meloxicam, a pain relief medication, or a placebo over six months to see how it affected their kidney function. While the meloxicam did not cause a decline in kidney function, some cats experienced gastrointestinal side effects, and those on meloxicam had higher levels of protein in their urine, which can be a concern for kidney health. This suggests that while meloxicam may help with pain, it should be used carefully in cats with CKD, and their protein levels should be monitored closely.
People also search for: cat kidney disease treatment · meloxicam for cats with kidney disease · cat protein in urine causes
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Meloxicam therapy may benefit cats with degenerative joint disease, and retrospective studies suggest it could slow kidney disease progression and increase survival. This study aimed to prospectively evaluate the renal effects of low-dose meloxicam treatment (0.02 mg/kg/day) over 6 months in cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD). METHODS: Twenty-one cats with stable International Renal Interest Society stage 2 or 3 CKD were recruited and randomized to placebo or meloxicam groups. Cats were evaluated at baseline and at 1, 3 and 6 months, including blood pressure, chemistry, symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA), glomerular filtration rate (GFR), urinalysis, urine protein:creatinine ratio (UPC), urine transforming growth factor-beta (β):creatinine ratio, urine clusterin, urine cystatin B and serum inosine. RESULTS: No statistical difference was observed in systolic blood pressure, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, SDMA, GFR, urine transforming growth factor-β:creatinine ratio, urine clusterin, urine cystatin B or serum inosine in cats receiving meloxicam vs placebo. Mean UPC was greater in the meloxicam group (0.33) than the placebo group (0.1) at 6 months ( = 0.006). Four cats had meloxicam discontinued owing to potential (mainly gastrointestinal) adverse effects. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: No decline in renal excretory function was observed when meloxicam was administered to cats with CKD. However, gastrointestinal adverse effects were observed, and cats that received meloxicam had greater proteinuria at 6 months than cats that received placebo. As proteinuria is associated with negative outcomes (progression of azotemia and hypertension) in cats with CKD, this finding suggests that meloxicam should be used with caution in cats with CKD and UPC monitored. Until further research is available, clinicians should weigh the risk of potential increased proteinuria against quality of life benefits when considering meloxicam for analgesia in cats with renal disease.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32594827/