Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Gastrointestinal side effects in dogs after vincristine
By Mason, S L et al.·Published in The Journal of small animal practice·2014·School of Veterinary Science, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Gastrointestinal toxicity after vincristine or cyclophosphamide administered with or without maropitant in dogs: a prospective randomised controlled study.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs undergoing chemotherapy with vincristine or cyclophosphamide experienced mild side effects like lethargy, loss of appetite, diarrhea, and vomiting. In a study, some dogs were given maropitant (Cerenia) to see if it would help reduce these symptoms, but it didn’t make a difference compared to those who didn’t receive it. Most dogs had manageable side effects, and the researchers concluded that while chemotherapy can cause these issues, maropitant isn't necessary for all dogs. If your dog is receiving chemotherapy, talk to your vet about the best way to manage any side effects.
People also search for: dog chemotherapy side effects · Cerenia for dogs vomiting · vincristine side effects in dogs
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To assess the prevalence of gastrointestinal toxicity in dogs receiving chemotherapy with vincristine and cyclophosphamide and the efficacy of maropitant citrate (Cerenia™, Zoetis) in reducing these events. METHODS: Dogs receiving chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide or vincristine were randomised to either receive maropitant or not in the period immediately after treatment and for 4 days afterwards. Owners completed a diary of adverse events following treatment. RESULTS: Adverse events occurred in 40/58 (69%) dogs in the vincristine group. Most of these adverse events were mild and included: lethargy (62%), appetite loss (43%), diarrhoea (34%) and vomiting (24%). Adverse events occurred in 34/42 (81%) dogs treated with cyclophosphamide. Most of these adverse events were mild and included: lethargy (62%), diarrhoea (36%), appetite loss (36%) and vomiting (21%). There was no difference in total clinical score, vomiting, diarrhoea, appetite loss or lethargy score between dogs treated with maropitant and non-treated dogs in either the vincristine or cyclophosphamide groups. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE: Chemotherapy-related side effects are frequent but usually mild in dogs receiving vincristine or cyclophosphamide. Prophylactic administration of maropitant does not reduce the frequency of adverse events and maropitant should be administered only as required for individual cases.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24920169/