Itraconazole For Cats - Dosage and Administration
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Fungi are very resistant organisms that can access an animal and/or human’s body through skin wounds, the respiratory tract or by ingestion. Sporothrix schenckii, for example, is a fungus which can cause sporotrichosis in cats. If not treated in time, it can be fatal. Itraconazole is one of the most common forms of treatment for sporotrichosis in cats.
For more about Itraconazole for cats, its dosage and administration, keep reading here at AnimalWised.
Contents
Itraconazole for cats
Itraconazole is an antifungal agent derived from the Imidazole organic compound. Itraconazole is generally used as the treatment of choice for certain fungal diseases. Itraconazole is often prescribed for a wide variety of fungal infections, such as superficial, subcutaneous and systemic mycosis, as well as dermatophytosis, malassezia and sporotrichosis in cats.
In severe cases, it is prescribed with the addition of potassium iodide which, together with Itraconazole, stimulates the activity of certain defense cells in the organism.
For more, we recommend reading our article where we discuss everything you need to know about sporotrichosis in cats and dogs.
Itraconazole dose for cats
Itraconazole requires a veterinary prescription. Itraconazole for cats dosage or Itrafungol for cats dosing will depend on the severity of the sporotrichosis. Factors which may determine this dosage include a cat’s age, weight, age and health status.
The duration of the treatment will depend directly on the adjacent cause, the cat’s body response to the medication and/or on the possible development of itraconazole side effects.
Itraconazole for cats: oral administration
Itraconazole comes in oral solution (Itrafungol for cats) or tablet form. Itraconazole or itraconazolw oral solution for cats is is administered orally and it is recommended to offer it together with food, in order to facilitate absorption.
Once Itraconazole treatment has begun, it should not be stopped or interrupted. Additionally, your cat’s Itraconazole dosage should not be increased or decreased, unless indicated by your veterinarian. Even if you notice a decrease in symptoms, treatment should continue to avoid the reappearance of fungi.
If, for whatever reason you’ve missed a dose, do not re-administer. In this case, you should continue treatment as normal.
For more, read how to give a cat a pill.
Itraconazole side effects for cats
Itraconazole is a relatively safe and effective drug, provided it is prescribed by a veterinarian and all recommendations are strictly followed. As a precaution, this drug should not be administered to cats with hypersensitivity to the drug, liver problems and kidney problems. In addition, caution needs to be taken with pregnant cats and kittens. Most importantly, the indiscriminate use of this drug can result in a Itraconazole overdose which can carry serious repercussions, such as hepatitis or liver failure.
Compared to other antifungals, Itraconazole has the least side effects. Itraconazole side effects include:
- Decrease in appetite
- Weight-loss
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Jaundice
If any of these above symptoms are noticed, you should contact your veterinarian immediately. Depending on the side effects, a professional may choose to lower the dose, increase the administration interval and/or stop the treatment entirely.
This article is purely informative. AnimalWised does not have the authority to prescribe any veterinary treatment or create a diagnosis. We invite you to take your pet to the veterinarian if they are suffering from any condition or pain.
If you want to read similar articles to Itraconazole For Cats - Dosage and Administration, we recommend you visit our Skin problems category.
- Costa, EO, Agentes antifúngicos y antivirales. En el caso de las mujeres, Farmacología aplicada a la Medicina Veterinaria. 4ed Río de Janeiro, 2006.
- (2014) Feline sporotrichosis: epidemiológicos y clínicos. La mayoría de las personas que sufren de esta enfermedad. Micología Médica, 53 (1), pp15-21.
- Gremião. (2017) Zoonetic Epidemic of Sporotrichosis: Cat To Human Transmission. PLoS Pathog. 13 (1): e1006077.
- Lloret A. et al (2013) SPOROTRICHOSIS IN CATS ABCD pautas sobre prevención y gestión. De la medicina de la medicina y la cirugía, 15, pp619-623.
- Imágenes 1 y 2: Gremião ID Menezes RC, TM Schubach, Figueiredo AB, MC Cavalcanti, Pereira SA (2014) Feline esporotricosis: aspectos epidemiológicos y clínicos. Micología Médica, 53 (1), pp15-21.
- Imágenes 3 y 4: Lloret A. et al (2013) esporotricosis en las directrices CATS ABCD sobre la prevención y la gestión. De la medicina de la medicina y la cirugía, 15, pp619-623.
