Cerenia maropitant citrate is FDA approved medicine for treating nausea and vomiting in pets, including cats and dogs. The most common forms available for cat use are Cerenia injectables and tablets.
Administrating the safe dosage of CERENIA® is essential for your pet. Incorrect dosages can cause toxic reactions and lead your feline friend to severe health complications.
This medicine should be used and sold by a professional licensed veterinarian.
This blog post is an ultimate guide about Cerenia for cats, its safe dosage, benefits, side effects and safe serving ideas.
Caution: Topical exposure to the Cerenia can cause an allergic reaction in humans. Make sure to wear a glove when administering the drug to your pet and wash the hand thoroughly with soap after administration.
What is Cerenia?
Cerenia (maropitant citrate) is a neurokinin-1 (NK1) receptor antagonist for treating vomiting and nausea in dogs and cats. There are many off-the-label medicines for treating vomiting, nausea, and motion sickness in pets. But Cerenia (maropitant citrate) is the first FDA-Approved medication for treating such issues in pets, including cats and dogs.
Early in 2017, Cereina was first approved for dogs, not felines. Finally, in 2012 Cerenia was approved for felines as well.
Remember that FDA only approved Cerenia Injectable for cats. Tablets from the drug can cause complications. You can only use Cerenia tablets off the label with your veterinarian’s advice only.
A veterinarian should diagnose the actual cause of the vomiting in pets. Many times vomiting could be a sign of any underlying health issue that needs to be properly and timely diagnosed and treated.
Cerenia dosage for cats:
The safe and recommended dosage of Cerenia Injectable for cats is 0.1 mL/kg (0.1 cc/kg) or 0.046 ml/ lbs once daily for five consecutive days to treat feline vomiting. This means that a 5 kg (11lbs) dog can take 0.5cc Injectable. In cats, the oral formulation is used to treat vomiting and motion sickness. Cerenia Tablets is dosed orally at approximately 0.5 mg per pound (1 mg/kg) once daily.
Remember that for felines, CERENIA® Injectable should be used intravenously over 1-2 minutes or subcutaneously. Each mL contains 10 mg of maropitant as maropitant citrate.
Cerenia Tablets usually come in 16, 24, 60 or 160 mg of maropitant citrate per tablet.
The use of Cerenia Tablets for cats is off the label and not approved by the FDA. You must use the tablet form with your veterinarian’s advice only.
Cerenia Injectables Dosage Chart for Cats
| Cat Body Weigt in kg | Cat Body Weigt in lb | Cerenia Injectables Dosage |
|---|---|---|
| 2 kg | 4 lbs | 0.2 cc |
| 4 kg | 9 lbs | 0.4 cc |
| 6 kg | 13 lbs | 0.6 cc |
| 8 kg | 17 lbs | 0.8 cc |
| 10 kg | 22 lbs | 1 cc |
| 12 kg | 26 lbs | 1.2 cc |
| 14 kg | 31 lbs | 1.4 cc |
| 16 kg | 35 lbs | 1.6 cc |
| 18 kg | 40 lbs | 1.8 cc |
| 20 kg | 44 lbs | 2 cc |
Cerenia Tablets For Cats Dosage Chart
| Cat Weight | Cerenia 16 mg | Cerenia 24 mg | Cerenia 60 mg |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 kg | 1/8 Tablet | * | * |
| 4 kg | 1/4 Tablet | * | * |
| 6 kg | 1/3 Tablet | 1/6 Tablet | * |
| 8 kg | 1/2 Tablet | 1/4 Tablet | * |
| 10 kg | 1/2 Tablet | 1/4 Tablet | * |
| 12 kg | 1/2 Tablet | 1/2 Tablet | * |
| 14 kg | 1 Tablet | 1/2 Tablet | * |
| 16 kg | 1 Tablet | 1/2 Tablet | 1/4 Tablet |
| 18 kg | 1 Tablet | 1/2 Tablet | 1/4 Tablet |
| 20 kg | 1, 1/4 Tablet | 1/2 Tablet | 1/3 Tablet |
| 25 kg | 1, 1/2 Tablet | 1 Tablet | 1/3 Tablet |
| 30 kg | 1, 1/2 Tablet | 1 Tablet | 1/2 Tablet |
Remember that cerenia tablets 16mg, 24mg, 60mg, or 120mg should be used with your vet prescription only.
Cerenia Dosage Calculator For Felines
Common uses of Cerenia Injectable in felines
In felines, cerenia is mainly used to treat and control vomiting due to motion sickness. Else the medicine can also be used to treat vomiting caused by other health issues.
Some conditions that make a kitty throw up need other treatment alongside the Cerenia. Your vet will diagnose and treat the health issue accordingly.
Which cats should not take Cerenia?
Cerenia should not be given to cats having heart or liver issues, kidney diseases, gastrointestinal obstruction, felines allergic to the medicine, or suffering from ingested toxins.
Pregnant, lactating pets intended for breeding feline younger than 4-6 weeks should take medicine with the veterinarian’s advice only.
Possible Side Effects
As with any medicine, cerenia, too, has some potential side effects for cats. The most common reported side effects of Cerenia in cats are:
- Drooling
- Salivation
- Lethargy
- Restlessness
- Drowsiness
- Dehydration
- Lack of appetite
- Movements of eyes
- Diarrhea
If you observe any of the above-mentioned side effects after administrating the drug to your kitty, stop giving the treatment further and contact your veterinarian for gentle advice.
Cerenia overdose Toxicity in cats
Overdosing of CERENIA® can be poisonous to cats and can be fatal. Never overdose your pet on any medicine.
Mostly Reported overdosing symptoms of Cerenia in felines are:
- Dilated people
- Exessive Drolling
- Pale Gums
- Loss conscious
- Severe vomiting and diarrhea
- Seizures
- Collapse
- Death
How to give Cerenia to cats?
For cats, the cerenia injectable (Recommended) is given intravenously over 1-2 minutes or subcutaneously.
To give cerenia Tablets (Off-label) for the prevention of motion sickness, feed your kitty 3 hours before the trip, then wait for an hour and administer a safe dose of cerenia tablet to your kitty (2 hours before Travel).
You can give the pill hiding in a small feline treat or food for easy administration.
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How much time does cerenia take to start its effect in pets?
Cerenia injectable intravenously will start quickly within 10-15 minutes. However, the tablet form of the drug can take 2-3 hours to start its effect when absorbed in the bloodstream.
