Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Propofol injection helps stressed cats eat more soon after treatment
By Fredley, Victry et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2020·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Subhypnotic dose of intravenous propofol stimulates appetite in cats with stress-induced anorexia.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of shelter cats suffering from stress-induced anorexia (loss of appetite due to stress) were given either a small dose of intravenous propofol or a saline placebo to see if it would help them eat. The cats that received propofol ate an average of 31 grams of food within 30 minutes, while those given the placebo barely ate anything. This suggests that propofol can effectively stimulate appetite in stressed cats for a short time. If your cat is not eating due to stress, discussing this treatment option with your veterinarian might be helpful.
People also search for: cat not eating stress · propofol appetite stimulation cat · how to help my cat eat again
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Stress-induced anorexia is common in cats. While medications are available to stimulate appetite, many require oral administration, have delayed onset-of-action or cause adverse side effects. The aim of this study was to determine whether cats diagnosed with stress-induced anorexia given a subhypnotic dose of intravenous propofol would have increased short-term appetite as compared to those given placebo. METHODS: Anorexic shelter cats received either 1 mg/kg propofol or 1 mL saline placebo and then presented with various commercial cat foods. Grams of food consumed was measured at 15 and 30 min, and total grams compared between treatment and control groups using the Wilcoxon rank-sum test. 12 cats were enrolled, with six cats randomly assigned to each group. RESULTS: The median amount consumed by the treatment group was 31 g (range: 0-72), with the median for the four cats (67 per cent) who consumed food being 45 g (range: 26-72), or 49 per cent of their daily maintenance calorie requirement. The median amount consumed by control cats was 0 g (range: 0-5), with one cat consuming food. Total grams consumed was different between treatment and control groups (P=0.05). CONCLUSION: A subhypnotic dose of intravenous propofol increased appetite in cats with stress-induced anorexia for a 30 min period.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32376730/