There are many conflicting statements on the Web about the possibility of using No-Shpy for cats. Someone assures that this drug is dangerous to the life of the animal, giving it is simply impractical. But, despite this, many veterinarians prescribe this medicine daily for their furry patients. This article will figure out whether it is possible to use No-Shpu for cats. Instructions for use, indications and contraindications will be presented in the article. You can also find out about analogues of this drug.
What is No-Shpa?
This is a strong antispasmodic, which is very popular and trusted. This medicine is designed for humans, but it is widely used in veterinary medicine. The drug is very strong, and you can not prescribe it yourself for your animal. There are no prescribed No-Shpy dosages for cats in the manual, except for a specialist no one can calculate them correctly. What threatens an overdose of the animal? More on this later, but for now, let's look at the composition of the drug.
Composition and form of release
The drug is available in two forms - tablets and injection.
The tablets are small, round, convex on both sides. The color of the tablets is yellow with a slight orange or yellowish tint. Composition of tablets:
- the active substance is drotaverine hydrochloride, this is the basis of the tablet, its 40 mg;
- as auxiliary substances: lactose monohydrate, magnesium stearate, povidone, talc, corn starch.
The composition of the solution for injection:
- the main active ingredient is also drotaurinum, its 40 mg in one ampoule;
- excipients: water for injection, sodium metabisulfate, ethanol.
Can I use No-Shpu for cats?
Despite the many negative reviews about the drug on the Internet, many veterinarians still prescribe this drug. Without it, many diseases of cats are very painful, and the animal needs our help.
Which is better - injections or pills?
Most often, this medicine is prescribed in the form of injections, and this causes outrage among many cat owners. It is believed that drotaverine in the form of a solution for injection causes the animal to complete or partial paralysis of the hind legs. Some believe that it is better to use Papaverine, but this is not so, because this drug also belongs to antispasmodics, and it has exactly the same effect on cats.
Regardless of the drug administered, the animal may have an individual intolerance to the components, an allergy, and a neurological reaction may occur to the drug.
In addition, the No-Shpy injection is very painful, and the animal may fall into a state of shock. At the slightest excess of the dosage of “No-Shpy”, a cat may have irreversible, terrible consequences.
Some veterinarians prescribe the drug in pill form. But not everything is so smooth with him. The tablets have a disgusting, bitter taste, and not a single cat will willingly swallow it. But still bitterness is better than the possible consequences of injections.
The appointment of "No-Shpy" animals
Usually prescribed "No-Shpu" cats with:
- cystitis;
- urethritis;
- urolithiasis;
- kidney disease and many others.
The medicine effectively and quickly eliminates spasms of smooth muscle of organs, thereby relieving pain syndromes. Often, the drug is also used for gastrointestinal diseases (gastritis, ulcer, colitis, constipation or diarrhea).
For any pain and in any form, the dose of No-Shpy to cats should be calculated individually, and only a veterinarian can do this! It seems to a person that the medicine is harmless, and it is difficult to take it in excess. There are a lot of pills for a cat, and an overdose can cause the death of the animal.
How to give a cat an injection, dosage
To minimize possible negative reactions of the body, the needle must be inserted as deep as possible into the muscle, and the medicine should be administered slowly. The dosage is important here. "No-Shpa" in ampoules for cats is a less preferred option, but if the veterinarian prescribed the injections, then there are reasons for this.
For one kilogram of animal, 0.1 mg of solution is calculated. One No-Shpa ampoule contains 2 ml, not 0.2, which is the mistake of many inexperienced cat owners who are about to inject an animal for the first time. Typically, the injection is carried out twice a day with an interval of 12 hours. But still the exact dosage, the number of injections per day and the treatment period will be prescribed only by a doctor.
As for the treatment of acute cystitis in cats, the dosage of the drug may be greater - 0.2 mg per kilogram of animal weight. But No-Shpa is not the only drug prescribed for the disease; the medicine is used in complex therapy. The described drug alleviates the condition of the animal, relieving cramping, reducing or eliminating pain at all.
Tablets: how to give, dosage
The dosage in No-Shpy tablets for a cat is calculated in the same way as in the case of injections. For one kilogram of weight, 0.1 mg of the drug is required. One tablet is 40 mg!
The pills are very bitter, and the cat itself will not swallow them. Therefore, you need to trick. Some give the cat "No-Shpu" in tablets, wrapped in bread crumb, or a favorite treat. Some recommend crushing the drug, add sugar, water, and force the animal into the mouth - under the root of the tongue. After this, it is advisable to give the cat to drink more liquid so that the smallest particles of the medicine remaining on the tongue do not cause vomiting with their bitterness. Also, after taking the pill, you need to give a treat, so the cat will calm down faster, and even swallow the smallest particles of the medicine with food.
Pills act more slowly than injections, and a gag reflex is possible, in which you have to give the medicine again, but in an even lower dose, since part of it still got into the stomach. That is why most veterinarians recommend injections.
Side effects and contraindications
Experts note that intramuscular administration of the drug provokes short-term oxygen starvation of the brain, vasodilation and a drop in blood pressure, which leads to paralysis of the hind limbs of the animal. But this happens extremely rarely, as long-term studies of the drug have shown, these side effects can occur only with the rapid administration of No-Shpa and an overdose of the drug.
"No-Shpa" is contraindicated for kittens under the age of three months. The drug can cause severe vomiting in babies.
It is important to know that the drug is by no means administered subcutaneously or intravenously. Such injections cause the death of the animal!
Even a small overdose of the drug as an injection can cause paralysis of the hind legs. But a correctly calculated dose often causes lameness, which lasts for one to two days. The fact is that the medicine is very painful, which is why the cat may limp after the injection.
After salvage, an animal may experience severe salivation. Allergic reactions to certain components of No-Shpa also occur in different ways.
Against the background of taking the drug, the body temperature of the animal can sharply increase. The cat in this case will become very lethargic, apathy will appear for everything, it will be tormented by thirst.
If any of the prescribed side effects appear, you must stop taking the drug. In this case, you will again need to contact the veterinarian so that he prescribes another medicine of the same action.
Analogs of No-Shpy
"No-Shpa" is not the only drug of its kind that has an analgesic effect, acting on smooth muscles. There are similar drugs, which, in turn, are cheaper.
But it is worth noting that all the analogues are based on drotaverin, and they have the same contraindications and side effects as No-Shpa, so it makes no sense to change one for the other.
Analogs:
- Drotaverinum;
- Spazmonet;
- Spazmol;
- "No-Shpa Forte."
It is worth noting that if the veterinarian ordered “No-Shpu” to be admitted, then there are reasons for that. It is worth using exactly the medicine that was prescribed by the doctor.
If side effects have appeared while taking No-Shpa, then you do not need to change this medicine to one of the prescribed analog drugs. Only the doctor will say which drug is worth taking in this case.