Gastrointestinal protectants in dogs and cats

The ACVIM has published a consensus opinion about the administration of gastrointestinal protectants to dogs and cats in other to define the clinical use of these drugs routinely.

Besides some comparisons between human and veterinary medicine, this document also details the mechanism of action and clinical efficacy of various gastrointestinal protectants, highlighting their clinical use in different diseases.

Antacids may partially short-term neutralize the gastric acid but there is not enough evidence to recommend their use for gastroduodenal ulceration and erosion (GUE). In this case, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), like omeprazole, are preferable. Nevertheless, dose should be decreased after prolonged use of more than three weeks.

They also suggest that misoprostol is associated to gastric lesions reduction in dogs treated with high-dose aspirin but there is no evidence of its beneficial effects in dogs and cats diagnosed with GUE induced by glucocorticoids administration.

Another conclusion is that prophylactic use of gastroprotectant drugs in dogs and cats with nonerosive gastritis, hepatic disease without gastrointestinal bleeding and renal disease has not been proven to be beneficial.

Besides the benefits of gastrointestinal protectants defined in this statement being largely based on extrapolation from human medicine or researches in healthy pets, this document has a lot of helpful data for veterinarians who want to provide the best treatments to their patients.

Marks, S., Kook, P., Papich M., Tolbert M., Willard M. ACVIM consensus statements: Support fot rational administration of gastrointestinal protectants to dogs and cats. Vet Intern Med. 2018; 32:1823–1840. DOI: 10.1111/jvim.15292