Hydrochlorothiazide
“This page provides important general information for pet owners whose animals have been prescribed Hydrochlorothiazide during a consultation by Dr Noor in Perth.”
Hydrochlorothiazide for pets in Perth
(hye-droe-klor-oh-thye-a-zide)
Description:
This medicine helps the body get rid of extra water by increasing urination.
Other Names for this Medication:
- Microzide®
Common Dosage Forms:
- For animals: there is no standard veterinary-made form.
- For people:
- it comes as 25 mg and 50 mg tablets, and 12.5 mg capsules.
- This drug is also included in some combination products that contain more than one medicine, such as spironolactone (Aldactazide®), enalapril, and others.
It is meant to answer common questions, but it does not replace advice from a medical professional.
If you still have questions or need additional details about this medicine, speak with your veterinarian or your pharmacist.
Key Information
- When your pet first starts this medicine, it may need to urinate more often than usual.
- You may give this medicine either with food or without food.
- Make sure your pet can always reach fresh, clean drinking water.
- Help your pet keep eating normally.
- If your pet throws up or seems unwell after getting the dose on an empty stomach, give the next dose with food or a small treat.
- If the vomiting does not stop, contact your veterinarian.
- This medicine can affect the levels of salts in the blood.
- Because of that, your veterinarian will want to check your pet’s blood more often while your pet is taking it.
- Do not skip these follow-up appointments.
- Call your veterinarian right away if you notice any of the following:
- very strong thirst
- weakness
- fainting or collapsing
- a head tilt
- not urinating
- a very fast heartbeat
How is this medication useful?
Hydrochlorothiazide is a “water pill,” meaning it helps the kidneys remove extra water and salt from the body.
- In small pets, it may be used for:
- high blood pressure
- heart failure
- calcium-based stones in the kidneys or bladder
- an uncommon condition called nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (this is not sugar diabetes)
- In horses, it may be used for a condition called hyperkalemic periodic paralysis (HYPP), because it can help lower the amount of potassium in the blood.
You and your veterinarian can talk about why this medicine is the best option.
What should I tell my veterinarian to see if this medication can be safely given?
Many different factors can change how this medicine works for your pet.
Share the following information with your veterinarian so you can make the best choices together.
- Some medicines can interact badly with hydrochlorothiazide.
- Tell your veterinarian and pharmacist about everything your pet takes, including prescription medicines, over-the-counter products, vitamins, supplements, and herbal products.
- Also provide the dose amount and the timing schedule for each one.
- Tell your veterinarian about any health problems your pet has now, or has had in the past.
- If your pet has been treated before for the same problem, explain what was used and whether it helped or did not help.
- This medicine is considered fairly safe for use during pregnancy, but it is usually advised not to use it in nursing mothers because it may decrease milk production.
- If your pet is pregnant or nursing, discuss the possible risks of using this medicine with your veterinarian.
- Tell your veterinarian and pharmacist about any side effects your pet has had from medicines in the past.
- This includes allergic reactions, not wanting to eat, diarrhea, itching, or hair loss.
How long until I will know if this medication is working, and how long will the effects of this medication last?
You should expect this medicine to start helping your pet feel better within 1 to 2 hours.
After that, the signs you are seeing should begin to improve.
This medicine does not last long in the body.
Its action usually ends within 24 hours.
However, the helpful effects may last longer if your pet’s kidneys and/or liver are not working as well.
When should this medication not be used or be used very carefully?
No medicine is completely safe for every patient.
Your veterinarian will talk with you about any special concerns for your pet.
This drug SHOULD NOT be used in patients:
- That are unable to make urine.
- That have previously had an allergy or a severe reaction to this medicine or to other similar medicines (for example, chlorothiazide).
This drug should be used WITH CAUTION in patients:
- With serious kidney or liver disease.
- With diabetes mellitus (sugar diabetes) or other problems where body water, blood sugar, or blood salts are not balanced.
- That have an allergy to “sulfa” medicines; hydrochlorothiazide is related to sulfa drugs and may trigger an allergic reaction.
- Talk with your veterinarian about whether this medicine is the right choice.
- That are vomiting or have diarrhea.
If any of the above describes your pet, speak with your veterinarian about the possible benefits compared with the possible risks.
What are the side effects of this medication?
Common, but not serious side effects include:
You usually do not need to worry if you notice these signs, unless they are severe, get worse, or do not go away.
If that happens, contact your veterinarian.
- Your pet may urinate more often.
- Because of the increased need to urinate, some pets may seem unsettled or unable to relax.
- Make sure your pet has more chances to go outside or use the bathroom, especially when starting this medicine or when the dose is raised.
- Throwing up or loose stool can happen.
Side effects that may be serious or indicate a serious problem:
If you notice any of these, contact your veterinarian immediately.
- Very strong thirst, weakness, fainting or collapsing, not urinating, or a very fast heartbeat.
- Pale gums.
- In rare cases, hydrochlorothiazide can cause anemia (too few red blood cells) or other blood-related problems.
If my animal gets too much of this medication (an overdose), what should I do?
Giving too much hydrochlorothiazide can be dangerous.
It may cause dehydration, low blood pressure, abnormal blood salt levels, coma, or seizures.
If you see an overdose happen, or you think it may have happened, contact your veterinarian right away or call an animal poison control service for guidance.
How should this medication be given?
For this medicine to work properly, give it exactly the way your veterinarian instructed.
It is also helpful to read the prescription label each time so you confirm you are giving it correctly.
- Unless your veterinarian gives different instructions, your pet should have plenty of food and fresh, clean water available while taking hydrochlorothiazide.
- This medicine can be given with food or without food.
- If your pet vomits or seems sick after a dose given on an empty stomach, give the next dose with food or a small treat.
- If vomiting continues, contact your veterinarian.
- When starting this medicine, your pet may need to urinate more often than normal.
- If your pet takes this medicine more than once daily, try not to give the last dose too close to bedtime.
- This can help reduce the need to wake up to let your pet urinate.
- Your veterinarian can recommend the best dosing times to help avoid this issue.
- If your pet is receiving a specially made liquid version, measure it with care.
- Your veterinarian or pharmacist can provide special measuring spoons or dosing syringes.
- If you are having trouble giving the medicine, contact your veterinarian or pharmacist for ideas to make dosing easier and less stressful.
- This medicine may be used for different lengths of time depending on the situation.
- Make sure you understand how long your veterinarian wants your pet to keep taking it.
- You may need prescription refills before treatment is finished.
- Do not stop this medicine without speaking with your veterinarian, because there may be important reasons to keep using it.
What should I do if I miss giving a dose of this medication?
- If you forget a dose, give it as soon as you remember.
- If it is almost time for the next scheduled dose, do not give the missed dose.
- Instead, give the next dose at the regular time.
- Then continue with the normal schedule.
- Do not give two doses at once and do not give extra doses.
How should I store this medication?
- Keep hydrochlorothiazide tablets or capsules in the original prescription container, or in a child-resistant and light-resistant pill organizer.
- Store at room temperature.
- If you have an oral liquid form, protect it from freezing.
- Keep this medicine out of reach of children and away from animals.
If your veterinarian or pharmacist prepared a special custom form for your pet, follow the storage directions and the expiration date listed for that product.
Can handling this medication be hazardous to me, my family, or other animals?
- No special handling steps are required unless you are allergic to this medicine.
- Wash your hands after touching any medication.
- If a person has a severe allergy to sulfa medicines, they should wear disposable gloves when handling hydrochlorothiazide tablets.
How should I dispose of this medication if I don’t use it all?
- Do not put this medicine into the toilet and do not pour it into a sink drain.
- If your area has a medication “take-back” program, use that option.
- If there is no take-back program:
- combine the medicine with used coffee grounds or cat litter.
- This helps make it unappealing to children and animals and harder for others to recognize.
- Put the mixture into a sealable plastic bag so it will not leak.
- Throw the sealed bag into your household trash.
- Do not keep leftover medicine to use later.
- Do not give leftover medicine to anyone else.
What other information is important for this medication?
- This medicine may be prohibited in some animal competitions.
- Check the rules before entering your animal in a competition while your animal is receiving this medicine.
- Your veterinarian will need to recheck your animal from time to time, including exams and blood tests.
- Do not miss these follow-up visits.
- If you have more questions about this medicine, contact your veterinarian or pharmacist.
“Disclaimer: The information on this page is provided as general educational material only. Every animal’s health situation is unique, and treatment decisions must be based on a full veterinary assessment. Always follow the specific instructions given during your consultation, and contact the prescribing veterinarian if you have any concerns.”