Mirtazipine for Dogs? Anyone have any experience with it?

[DawnCt1]

One of my friends suggested this for Jude for nausea and as an appetite stimulant. It is an antidepressant and as far as I can see, has no adverse drug interaction with the drugs that he is currently taking; sucralafate, famotidine, Duramaxx and Tramadol. I have a call into his previous owner who is a vet but I was wondering if anyone has experience with it. Thanks.

 

[dcentity2000]

Mirtazapine is a strong antidepressant of the NaSSA type with significant sedative properties in humans. If other antidepressants don't work for you, chances are this one will. I have no idea what it would do to a dog.



Rich::

 

[DawnCt1]

Mirtazapine is a strong antidepressant of the NaSSA type with significant sedative properties in humans. If other antidepressants don't work for you, chances are this one will. I have no idea what it would do to a dog.



Rich::

Here is what I found on this particular web site that is relevant to Jude's problems. He has urinary tract cancer. (TCC)
http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&A=2552

Background

Mirtazapine was developed for human use as an antidepressant for moderate to severe depression. It is not a tricyclic antidepressant like clomipramine or amitriptyline but is a member of the “tetracyclic” class because it has four chemical rings, rather than three, in its structure. Mirtazapine acts to increase norepinephrine and serotonin in the brain, though there is some question as to how this is actually accomplished. Norepinephrine is a stimulating neurotransmitter and serotonin is a neurotransmitter associated with relaxation and comfort, thus increasing the brain levels of these substances could be helpful in treating depression.

While there is certainly a call for anti-anxiety medications in veterinary medicine, it is generally the side effects that make mirtazapine such a desirable medication for animals. Mirtazapine has strong anti-nausea properties by acting on the neuroreceptors in the intestine and stomach that communicate with the vomit center of the brain. It also acts as a strong appetite stimulant. Obviously, a medication that addresses both nausea and appetite loss is boon to the treatment of many medical conditions. Apparently mirtazepine increases central nervous system serotonin but antagonizes serotonin-activity in the gastro-intestinal tract, which is how it exerts the effects that we like.

Mirtazapine comes in a regular formula as well as a rapid-dissolving formula. Either may be used in animals.

How This Medication Is Used

Mirtazapine is used in the treatment of conditions where poor appetite and nausea go together such as in the treatment of intestinal/stomach disease, liver or kidney disease, or any other condition involving both nausea and appetite loss. Mirtazapine can also be used to alleviate the nausea/appetite loss that accompanies the treatment of cancer by chemotherapy.

In dogs, mirtazapine is generally given once a day, a relatively convenient dosing schedule compared to other medications. Even better, cats are given mirtazapine twice a week.

In the event of liver disease or kidney disease, the clearance of this drug from the body is reduced by approximately 30% so ideally the dose should also be reduced. In cats, it is difficult to reduce the dose as the smallest tablet manufactured cannot be accurately cut much smaller than the regular dosing schedule allows. In this situation, a compounding pharmacy could be employed to create a lower dose, or the dosing schedule can be stretched out. This is especially important for cats with liver disease.

Mirtazapine also has antihistamine properties but it is unlikely to be used for these when so many other antihistamines are more readily available.

Side Effects

 

[DawnCt1]

His previous owner (vet) just called back. She has used it in cats but has limited experience with dogs but sees no reason why we couldn't try it. The dose for Jude is 15 mg. Wish us luck.

 

[JessicaR]

Hi Dawn,

After reading up on Mirtazapine it sounds like your friend made an excellent suggestion! Please let us know how Jude handles this drug. I hope his nausea is controlled and his appetite increases.

I have a question, I was wondering about. The Vet that was Judes former owner, how did you come to adopt Jude? Just curious.

I'm hoping Jude is having a better time of it now since Tramadol was added.

 

[Tarheel Tink]

We use it at our animal hospital in both dogs and cats as an appetite stimulant in certain cases. I hope that it helps.

 

[minkydog]

I don't know about using it in dogs, but I take mirtazapine for depression and I can vouch for it as an appetite stimulant.

 

[DawnCt1]

Hi Dawn,

After reading up on Mirtazapine it sounds like your friend made an excellent suggestion! Please let us know how Jude handles this drug. I hope his nausea is controlled and his appetite increases.

I have a question, I was wondering about. The Vet that was Judes former owner, how did you come to adopt Jude? Just curious.

I'm hoping Jude is having a better time of it now since Tramadol was added.

His former owner began breeding standard poodles when she was a either in pre vet or veterinary school. Her family always had poodles so they really love the breed. I adopted my first standard poodle, Annie when she was a student, which is how I came to know her. She keeps tabs on all her puppies that she puts up for adoption and they are sold with a spay/neuter contract. She had driven her female dog all the way to Tennessee for a natural breeding with a top male in the country at the time. She is meticulous about all of the screening, hips, eyes, endocrine, skin, etc and has always had those tests pre breeding. She doesn't breed often, every other year, takes the dogs she does keep to show. All become champions. Jude earned his American and Canadian championship within a very short time. She keeps an intact male for stud, but decided a few years ago to end Jude's line when he developed a seizure disorder at the age of five or six. After Annie's death she offered me Jude. She had nine poodles at the time, a set of twins and worked full time. It was very difficult for her to part with Jude but she had to keep her matriarch who was elderly but very much loved, as are all her dogs. She had to keep the females that were going to be her "moms", and a stud male, plus the puppies that she selected to bring to show. I took Jude just over three years ago. She calls me on his birthday every year. She calls me three times a week to see how she is. She spent 15 minutes alone with Jude talking to him before I took him. I have no doubt that she loves him as much as I do but knows that I could give him a better home. Since he was neutered late, he had male behaviors that would allow him and the new stud dog be loose without human supervision, so Jude was crated for short parts of the day or the other dog was. Jude is happy being an only child and as heart broken as I am, with his show biz days behind him, I KNOW that I have provided him with a wonderful, loving home, that someone who is home during the day with one dog and 4 sons can do. I know that she knows that, and I have no doubt that should the opportunity arise, she would offer me another one of her retired dogs.

 

[DawnCt1]

I was concerned that the mirtazapine would be like most antidepressants in humans; take some time before they reached their ability to be effective. I called Jude's vet who actually has been handling his care and he ordered Periactin, (cyproheptadine). I am concerned that if it takes a couple of weeks, he won't have a couple of weeks. Wish us luck.

 

[dcentity2000]

Mirtazapine in humans makes you want to eat sugar by the bag load! I can only imagine the same applies to dogs as well.

From my website:

Major side effects include sedation (54%), a dry mouth (25%), an increased appetite (17%), weight gain (12%) and dizziness (7%). The most serious side effect is agranulocytosis but this is very rare indeed; the chance of experiencing this is approximately one in one thousand. Mirtazapine is relatively safe in overdose. Mirtazapine’s sedative effects are strongest (typically) roughly at 15mg.

Rich::

 

[DawnCt1]

Mirtazapine in humans makes you want to eat sugar by the bag load! I can only imagine the same applies to dogs as well.

From my website:





Rich::

At this point Jude can have anything he wants. I cook for him and sometimes he eats it, sometimes he won't. Last night we had turkey. He loved it. Sometimes he won't even look at it. I have tried every kind of gourmet dog food there is. Sometimes he will eat it, sometimes he won't. At noon, he finished at some turkey. At dinner we had steak so he ate that. I would love it if he were hungry and would eat. I hand feed him, feed him from different dishes, in different rooms, on the dishwasher door because he thinks that's a big deal, so if I can increase his appetite without having a net loss (diarrhea) than that's what we do. He likes Boar's Head chicken. The boys don't get that, but Jude does.

 

[minkydog]

Dawn, I have been taking Mirtazipine for over a year and it doesn't sedate me at all. I gained weight at first, but later I lost over 42-lb. I doubt Jude will be doing weight watchers any time soon, though. Incidently, when I started the mirtazipine it started working within 3 days. Hope that works for Jude.

ETA: I never ate sugar by the bagful.

 

[JessicaR]

Thanks for the back history on how Jude came to you. He sure is a sweet boy! I hope he had a better day today.