Product title
Vendor
$19.99 | $24.99
Product title
Vendor
$19.99 | $24.99
Product title
Vendor
$19.99 | $24.99
Product title
Vendor
$19.99 | $24.99
Prescription Appetite Stimulant Tablets for Sick Dogs and Cats
Product Description
Mirtazapine 15mg Tablets are a prescription medication that veterinarians use primarily as an appetite stimulant and anti-nausea aid in dogs and cats dealing with chronic illness. Although it was originally developed as an antidepressant, its ability to boost appetite and settle nausea is what makes it genuinely useful in veterinary practice. It is commonly prescribed for pets with kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease, liver disease, and cancer-related inappetence, as well as those struggling with chemotherapy-associated nausea. Your vet will determine the right dosing schedule for your pet's species and condition.
Benefits
- Appetite Stimulation in Chronic Illness: Reliably increases food intake in dogs and cats with illness-related anorexia from kidney disease, IBD, liver disease, and cancer.
- Antiemetic Properties: Blocks serotonin and histamine receptors involved in the vomiting reflex, reducing nausea signals from the gut and brain simultaneously.
- Chemotherapy Nausea and Appetite Support: Helps ease nausea and bring appetite back in pets going through cancer chemotherapy treatment.
- Behavioral Applications: Used off-label for separation anxiety in dogs and urine spraying and interstitial cystitis-related stress in cats.
- GI Prokinetic Effect: Improves gastric emptying and colonic motility in dogs, providing additional gastrointestinal management benefits alongside appetite stimulation.
Ingredients
Active Ingredients
Mirtazapine 15mg
How to Use
Mirtazapine 15mg Tablets are a prescription-only medication. A valid veterinarian prescription is required to purchase this product.
Please follow your veterinarian's specific instructions for the dosage and administration of this medication for your pet.
Disclaimer: Dosage and administration of this medication must be determined by a licensed veterinarian. Always consult your veterinarian before administering or adjusting any prescription medication for your pet.
Tucking it inside a soft pill pocket or wrapping it in a pill wrap treat is one of the easiest ways to make the whole process stress-free.
Shop Pill Pockets for Dogs | Shop Pill Pockets for Cats
Additional Information
Precautions
- Avoid With MAOIs: Do not use within at least 14 days of selegiline, amitraz-containing flea collars, linezolid, or any monoamine oxidase inhibitor.
- Avoid With Cyproheptadine: Do not combine with cyproheptadine, as it directly works against mirtazapine's effects and will significantly reduce how well the medication performs.
- Serotonin Syndrome Risk: Combining with SSRIs, trazodone, tramadol, or other serotonergic drugs without close veterinary oversight carries a real risk of serotonin syndrome.
- Caution in Heart Disease: Use carefully in pets with pre-existing cardiac conditions or significant blood pressure changes, as mirtazapine can influence heart rate and pressure.
- Caution in Kidney and Liver Disease: Pets with hepatic or renal impairment need careful management on this medication, as reduced organ function affects how the drug is cleared.
- Avoid in Pregnancy: Safety in pregnant, lactating, or breeding animals has not been established; use only under direct veterinary guidance in these cases.
- Check for Drug Interactions: Before starting treatment, make sure your vet knows if your pet is currently on clonidine, diazepam, tramadol, amitraz, selegiline, or fluvoxamine.
Possible Side Effects
- Increased Appetite: Appetite stimulation is the primary intended effect in veterinary use and is expected and desirable in most treatment contexts.
- Sedation and Behavioral Changes: Drowsiness, altered behaviour, and shifts in activity level are commonly reported, particularly when first starting treatment.
- Vocalization in Cats: Unusual howling and increased vocalisation are well-documented and commonly reported reactions in cats receiving mirtazapine.
- Elevated Liver Enzymes in Cats: Some cats develop raised liver enzyme values during treatment, making periodic bloodwork an important part of ongoing monitoring.
- Serotonin Syndrome Signs: Tremors, agitation, vocalisation, panting, vomiting, rapid heart rate, and incoordination point to a serious reaction needing immediate emergency veterinary care.
Storage Information
- Room Temperature Storage: Store tablets in a tightly closed container away from heat and humidity, keeping conditions stable and consistent between doses.
- Protect from Moisture and Heat: A dark, dry storage location away from direct sunlight is the best way to keep these tablets at their full strength.
- Keep Out of Reach: Always store this medication somewhere secure and out of reach of children and untreated pets.
Note: For generic medications, the product image shown may not reflect the actual item received. Generic medications can vary in size, color, and shape between orders depending on the manufacturer. Additionally, your medication may arrive packaged in a HardyPaw Pharmacy vial.
Shipping & Return
We offer ground, express, and priority delivery; see our shipping policy for details.
For return instructions or product concerns, please refer to our detailed refund policy.
Prescription items are NON-RETURNABLE and NON-REFUNDABLE.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What conditions does mirtazapine treat in dogs and cats?
Ans: Mirtazapine is most often used to tackle poor appetite and nausea in pets dealing with kidney disease, IBD, liver disease, cancer, or chemotherapy side effects. It also has off-label uses for separation anxiety in dogs and stress-related conditions in cats. Your vet will confirm whether it is the right choice for your pet's situation.
Q2: Why is the dosing frequency different for dogs and cats?
Ans: Cats hold onto mirtazapine in their system considerably longer than dogs do, which means they need it less often to maintain a consistent effect. Giving a cat the same frequency as a dog risks the medication building up to levels that increase the chance of side effects. Your vet will set the schedule that is right for your pet's species and individual response.
Q3: Why does mirtazapine cause vocalization in cats?
Ans: Cats on mirtazapine quite commonly start howling or vocalising more than usual, particularly in the hours after a dose. The exact reason is not fully understood, but it is tied to how the medication interacts with certain receptor systems in the feline brain. It tends to ease off as drug levels drop, but if it is severe or prolonged, your vet is worth consulting.
Q4: Why should mirtazapine never be combined with cyproheptadine?
Ans: Cyproheptadine works on the exact same receptors that mirtazapine relies on to stimulate appetite and reduce nausea, so giving both together essentially undoes what mirtazapine is trying to achieve. The two cancel each other out rather than complement one another. Interestingly, this is also why cyproheptadine is sometimes used as an emergency countermeasure when mirtazapine has been given in excess.
Q5: What are the signs of mirtazapine overdose in cats and dogs?
Ans: A pet that has had too much mirtazapine may show tremors, agitation, excessive vocalisation, panting, vomiting, a racing heart rate, or poor coordination. These are signs that something serious is going on and the situation needs veterinary attention straight away. Do not wait to see whether things settle on their own before reaching out to your vet or an emergency clinic.