The association between injectable non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and acute kidney injury in dogs and cats.

Abstract

Over the past 20 years, injectable non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have become widely adopted to provide routine analgesia to dogs and cats, including perioperatively. This is despite growing evidence associating their use with acute kidney injury, particularly in relation to the use of meloxicam in cats. In this Perspective, we summarise the evidence obtained from pharmacovigilance agencies and the veterinary literature, examine why proponents of injectable NSAIDs appear to discard this evidence, and discuss whether injectable NSAIDs are an obligatory component of multimodal analgesia. Finally, we offer alternative analgesic drug regimens and call for further research that could be undertaken before injectable NSAIDs can be used safely in dogs and cats.