The drug "Heptral" refers to hepatoprotectors. It is used to treat liver diseases in humans. Recently, however, this medicine has been used in veterinary practice. After all, very few special hepatoprotectors for animals have been developed. Therefore, doctors recommend giving pets human preparations, but at a reduced dosage. "Heptral" for cats is prescribed for pathologies of the gallbladder and liver. How does this medicine affect the animal? And how to give a pill to a cat? We will consider these issues in the article.
Drug action
Heptral for cats is available in coated tablets (400 mg) and lyophilisate for injections (400 mg of powder and 2 ml of solvent). The active component of the drug is adamethionine 1,4-butanedisulfonate. It has the following effect on the animal's body:
- protects liver cells from harmful effects;
- improves outflow of bile;
- prevents congestion in the liver.
This is the most gentle drug for treating liver diseases in cats. It rarely causes unwanted effects. You can replace this medicine with other human hepatoprotectors only after consulting a veterinarian. Many medicines for humans can adversely affect the body of the animal.
Indications
The Heptral instruction for cats recommends using this remedy for the following diseases:
- cirrhosis of the liver;
- hepatitis (including viral origin);
- cholecystitis;
- intoxication;
- stagnation of bile (cholestasis).
This drug is effective in both early and advanced stages of the disease. However, in advanced cases, it is used as part of a comprehensive treatment along with other drugs. Taking medication must be combined with diet. During therapy, the animal needs to be given special food (hepatics). In the chronic form of the disease, a diet is prescribed for life.
Contraindications
Heptral for cats is a relatively safe drug. It has very few contraindications. This medicine should not be used if the animal is allergic to the components of the tablets.
Caution should be observed in the treatment of pregnant cats. During the gestation of young in many animals stagnation of bile in the liver is observed. In these cases, the veterinarian may prescribe Heptral, having previously assessed the possible benefits for the mother and the risk for future kittens. In this case, the recommended dosage must be carefully observed.
Unwanted effects
The use of Heptral for a cat in rare cases can lead to undesirable symptoms in the animal. Most often, allergic reactions are noted in pets: itching, redness of the skin, Quincke's edema.
In addition, in some cats, the drug can cause diarrhea and nausea. Hepatoprotector can provoke an exacerbation of chronic infections of the bladder. Therefore, for animals suffering from bacterial pathologies of the excretory organs, this medicine is prescribed in a reduced dosage.
How to give a cat medicine?
How to give Heptral to a cat? The dosage of the drug is determined by the veterinarian, it depends on the body weight of the animal. If the cat weighs about 3 kg, then she needs to enter 0.5-0.7 ml of solution twice a day. Injections are done intramuscularly. This is approximately 1/3 to 1/4 of the ampoule.
Heptral tablets in a cat should be given in an amount of 80 mg. This means that a 400 mg tablet should be divided into 5 parts. This drug is not recommended to grind into powder and mix into food. So it will be worse absorbed. It is better to put the tablet on the root of the animal’s tongue and massage the neck area a little. This will help the pet swallow the medicine.
However, veterinarians believe that it is preferable to use a hepatoprotector in the form of injections. The tablet shell is designed to protect the active component from the aggressive effects of gastric juice. When the pill is cut, its coating is destroyed, and as a result, the effectiveness of the drug is somewhat reduced.
In addition, Heptral for cats in ampoules is much faster. The course of treatment with injections of the drug is about 7-10 days. Therapy with tablets can be delayed up to 30 days.
After treatment, it is necessary to do a blood test for biochemical parameters (bilirubin, urea and liver enzymes). If the level of these substances remains elevated, then therapy is continued. At the same time, other drugs are added to Heptral.
Testimonials of veterinarians and cat owners
How effective is Heptral for cats? Veterinarians believe that this drug (especially in the form of injections) can quickly improve the condition of the animal. According to experts, this tool is non-toxic and harmless. It is prescribed not only for the treatment of pathologies of the hepatobiliary system, but also for the restoration of the liver after parasitic infestations. In this case, it is necessary to regularly take a blood test for liver enzymes in order to monitor the effectiveness of the treatment.
Veterinarians emphasize that the drug "Heptral" is usually prescribed for serious damage to the liver and gall bladder. In milder cases and for prevention, experts recommend taking a special hepatoprotector for cats "Hepatovet".
You can find many positive reviews about the drug from the owners of cats. This medicine helps with hepatitis caused by poisoning. Animal owners note that the pet's well-being improved after 4-5 days of therapy. Cats became more active and mobile, stopped giving up food, and the effects of intoxication disappeared. It is important to note that in these cases the hepatoprotector was used as an injection. This is what made it possible to quickly cure the animal.
You can also find negative reviews about the drug. Owners of animals report that cats experienced a significant improvement in their well-being during treatment. But after the course of therapy, all signs of the disease returned again.
Typically, in such cases, the drug was used to treat advanced forms of liver cirrhosis or hepatitis, when the pet has already developed ascites (abdominal dropsy). If the disease has passed into such a difficult stage, then it can no longer be cured only by taking Heptral and following a diet. It is necessary to take diuretics, and sometimes abdominal puncture. Hepatoprotectors in such cases are used only as part of complex treatment.