Selecting Appropriate Drugs for Cats

Veterinarians often extrapolate oral medication dosing information for dogs to treat cats with similar health conditions. However, important differences between these species, including gastrointestinal tract pH and intestinal transit time, are not well defined. These differences could have a dramatic effect on how a medication performs in the body and could lead to treatment failure in cats. To improve dosing and appropriate medication selection for cats, researchers will accumulate and use state-of-the-art technology to compare stomach and intestinal pH and transit times in cats and dogs. This valuable information will help guide treatment and development of oral medications specifically intended for use in the cat. Findings also will assist veterinarians who need to extrapolate dog dosing recommendations for their cat patients.