Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Prazosin linked to more repeat urethral blockages in cats
By Conway, David S et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2022·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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Prazosin administration increases the rate of recurrent urethral obstruction in cats: 388 cases.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of 388 cats with urethral obstruction were treated with a medication called prazosin to see if it would help prevent future blockages. While prazosin did not seem to affect the immediate risk of blockage before the cats went home, a higher number of cats treated with prazosin developed recurrent blockages within two weeks compared to those who did not receive the medication. The study suggests that prazosin may not be the best choice for preventing future urethral obstructions in cats, and veterinarians should consider other treatment options.
People also search for: cat urethral obstruction treatment · prazosin side effects in cats · why does my cat keep getting blocked
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine if prazosin administration decreased the rate of recurrent urethral obstruction (rUO) before hospital discharge and within 14 days. ANIMALS: 388 cats with urethral obstruction. PROCEDURES: Veterinarians who either always or never prescribed prazosin (generally, 0.5 to 1 mg, PO, q 12 h for 14 days) were recruited to complete observational surveys. Patient data and characteristics of relieving the obstruction, including perception of a gritty feel within urethra or difficulty unobstructing the cat, were recorded. The rate of development of rUO before hospital discharge and by day 14 was compared between cats that received or did not receive prazosin with the Fisher exact test. Other variables were similarly compared between cats with and without rUO. RESULTS: 302 (78%) cats received prazosin, while 86 (22%) did not. There was no association between prazosin administration and risk of rUO prior to discharge, with 34 of 302 (11.3%) cats receiving prazosin and 5 or 86 (5.8%) not receiving prazosin developing rUO. Within 14 days, a significantly higher proportion of prazosin-treated cats (73/302 [24%]) developed an rUO, compared with the proportion of non-prazosin-treated cats (and 11/86 [13%]). The perception of a "gritty feeling urethra" or difficulty of performing the catheterization was associated with increased risk of rUO. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Prazosin administration increased the likelihood of rUO by 14 days; ongoing investigation of other therapies to decrease rUO in cats is warranted. Without specific indications, the use of prazosin for the prevention of rUO should be discouraged.
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/35290210/