Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Risk of stomach bleeding in dogs using eye NSAID drops
By Van Vertloo, Laura R et al.·Published in Veterinary ophthalmology·2023·Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences, 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 We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above.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: Retrospective evaluation of the incidence of gastrointestinal bleeding in dogs receiving ophthalmic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs receiving eye drops containing nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) developed gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding at a rate similar to dogs taking oral NSAIDs or steroids. In the study, 10% of dogs using topical NSAIDs experienced GI bleeding, which is comparable to the rates seen in those on systemic NSAIDs and glucocorticoids. Notably, severe bleeding was only found in dogs treated with ketorolac, one type of topical NSAID. If your dog is on these medications, it's important to monitor for signs of GI issues, especially if they have other risk factors.
People also search for: dog eye drops side effects · GI bleeding in dogs · ketorolac for dogs risks
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To report the incidence of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding and associated risk factors in a population of dogs receiving ophthalmic nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). ANIMAL STUDIED: Medical records of dogs prescribed ophthalmic NSAIDs (cases), dogs receiving systemic NSAIDs alone and dogs receiving systemic prednisone alone (controls). PROCEDURES: Data were collected retrospectively from the medical records of 204 dogs prescribed ophthalmic NSAIDs (diclofenac, ketorolac, or flurbiprofen), which were subdivided based on if they received any concurrent systemic NSAIDs or glucocorticoids, 136 dogs receiving a systemic NSAID (carprofen or meloxicam) alone, and 151 dogs receiving a systemic glucocorticoid (prednisone) alone at a referral hospital from 2015 to 2019. RESULTS: Gastrointestinal bleeds developed in 8/79 (10.1%) of topical NSAID-only cases, 10/136 (7.4%) of systemic NSAID controls, and 14/151 (9.3%) of systemic glucocorticoid controls, with no significant difference between the three groups (p = .6103). There were no significant differences in GI bleed rates between cases treated with ketorolac, diclofenac, or flurbiprofen (p = .160), although severe GI bleeding was only seen in ketorolac-treated dogs. Presence of a known concurrent risk factor for GI bleeding was significantly associated with the development of GI bleed in dogs on ophthalmic NSAIDs (p = .032). CONCLUSIONS: Dogs treated with ophthalmic NSAIDs developed GI bleeding at a frequency comparable to dogs receiving systemic NSAIDs or systemic glucocorticoids alone, suggesting that dogs receiving ophthalmic NSAIDs may be at increased risk of GI bleeding.
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/37659073/