Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
How often giving famotidine affects stomach acid in cats
By Golly, Elizabeth et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2019·Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: The frequency of oral famotidine administration influences its effect on gastric pH in cats over time.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of healthy cats was given famotidine, a medication often used to reduce stomach acid, either twice daily or every other day for two weeks. The study found that cats receiving famotidine every day showed a decrease in its effectiveness over time, meaning their stomach acid levels were not as well controlled by the end of the treatment period. In contrast, those receiving the medication every other day maintained better stomach acid control throughout the study. This suggests that giving famotidine less frequently may be more effective for long-term treatment in cats.
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Abstract
BACKGROUND: Famotidine is commonly administered to cats. Prolonged famotidine administration results in decreased efficacy in humans, dogs, and cows, but the long-term effects in cats are unknown. OBJECTIVES: To compare the effect of 2 oral administration frequencies of famotidine, twice daily (Group 1) and twice daily every second day (Group 2), on intragastric pH and serum gastrin concentrations in cats. We hypothesized a diminished effect on intragastric pH would be observed over time in Group 1 but not Group 2. ANIMALS: Sixteen healthy cats. METHODS: Randomized, 2-factor repeated measures crossover design. Cats received 0.5-1.24 mg/kg (median, 0.87 mg/kg) famotidine twice daily or twice daily every second day for 14 consecutive days. Intragastric pH monitoring was used to record intragastric pH on treatment days 1-3 and 11-13. Mean pH and mean percentage time (MPT) intragastric pH was ≥3 and 4 were compared between and within treatment groups by analysis of variance. RESULTS: Significant treatment group by time interactions were observed for mean intragastric pH, MPT intragastric pH ≥3 and 4 (P = .009, P = .02, P = .005, respectively). Interaction post hoc tests identified significant decreases in mean intragastric pH (P = .001), MPT ≥3 (P = .001), and MPT ≥4 (P = .001) on day 13 compared to day 1 in Group 1 but not in Group 2. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE: Oral famotidine administration results in a diminished effect on intragastric pH in healthy cats when given twice daily every day.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30746763/