Losartan
“This page provides important general information for pet owners whose animals have been prescribed Losartan for pets in Perth during a consultation by Dr Noor.”
Losartan for pets
(loe-sar-tan)
Description:
This medicine is an angiotensin-II receptor blocker (ARB). This is a type of drug used to help manage blood pressure and related problems.
Other Names for this Medication:
- Cozaar®
Common Dosage Forms:
- For animals: there are no standard veterinary-made forms.
- For people: tablets come in 25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg strengths.
This handout does not include every possible detail about this medicine. It is meant to answer common questions, but it does not replace medical guidance. If you still have questions or need additional details about this medicine, contact your veterinarian or your pharmacist.
Key Information
- You can give this medicine either with food or without food.
- Because this medicine has not been used very much in dogs or cats, the full range of side effects is not well understood. Watch your pet closely for any problems and tell your veterinarian if you notice anything.
- Side effects that could happen include:
- loose stool (diarrhea)
- throwing up (vomiting)
- not wanting to eat
- being unusually tired
- blood pressure dropping too low (which may show as fainting, weakness, or getting tired easily)
- Side effects that could happen include:
- This medicine has been linked to birth defects, so it must not be used in animals that are pregnant.
- If someone in the home is pregnant, they must take extra care not to swallow the tablets.
- They should also wear disposable gloves when giving the dose and wash their hands after handling the tablets.
How is this medication useful?
Losartan for pets is used in dogs and cats to help manage high blood pressure and to treat certain types of kidney and heart problems. It may also allow the dose of other blood pressure medicines to be reduced, which can lessen side effects from those other medicines.
This medicine, and other drugs in the same group (ARB’s), have not been used often in animals. Because of that, what we know about how well they work and what unwanted effects they may cause is still being learned.
What should I tell my veterinarian to see if this medication can be safely given?
Many different factors can change how well this medicine works for your pet. Talk with your veterinarian about the points below so you can make treatment choices together.
- Make sure your veterinarian and pharmacist know every product your animal is taking (including vitamins, supplements, and herbal products).
- Also share the dose amount and the timing schedule for each one.
- Tell your veterinarian about any health problems your animal has now, and any illnesses or conditions your animal has had in the past.
- If your animal has been treated before for the same problem, explain what was used and whether it helped or did not help.
- If your animal is nursing, discuss with your veterinarian what risks may come with using this medicine.
- Tell your veterinarian and pharmacist about any past medicine-related problems your animal has had, including side effects or allergic-type reactions such as not eating, 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?
This medicine should begin to act within 1 to 2 hours. Even so, you usually will not be able to see the effect just by watching your pet. Your veterinarian will need to do additional tests to check whether the medicine is working the way it should.
The action of this medicine does not last long. In general, it stops working within 24 hours. However, the helpful effects may last longer if your animal’s kidneys and/or liver are not working normally.
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 related to using this medicine for your animal.
If your animal fits any of the situations listed below, speak with your veterinarian about the risks compared with the possible benefits.
- Animals that are dehydrated.
- Animals that have low blood pressure.
- Animals that have previously had an allergic reaction to this medicine or to similar medicines (for example: candesartan, irbesartan, olmesartan, telmisartan, valsartan).
- Animals that are pregnant.
- Animals with serious liver problems.
What are the side effects of this medication?
Since this medicine has not been used often in dogs or cats, you should watch closely for any side effects and report them to your veterinarian.
Common but usually not serious side effects include:
Contact your veterinarian if any of these problems are severe, get worse, or do not go away.
- Loose stool (diarrhea), vomiting, not wanting to eat.
Side effects that may be serious or indicate a serious problem:
If you notice any of the signs below, contact your veterinarian right away.
- Being very tired and having low blood pressure (for example: weakness or not being able to exercise).
- Collapsing (passing out).
- Energy level that is much lower than normal, or not being able to exercise.
If my animal gets too much of this medication (an overdose), what should I do?
Taking too much losartan can be dangerous. If you see an overdose happen, or you think it may have happened, call your veterinarian or contact an animal poison control center immediately for instructions.
How should this medication be given?
For this medicine to work properly, it must be given exactly the way your veterinarian prescribed it. It is also smart to read the prescription label each time so you confirm you are giving it correctly.
- This medicine can be given with food or without food.
- If your animal throws up or seems unwell after getting the dose on an empty stomach, try giving the next dose with food or a small treat.
- If vomiting keeps happening, contact your veterinarian.
- If your pet is using a specially made liquid version of this medicine, measure each dose with care.
- Your veterinarian or pharmacist can provide special spoons or dosing syringes to help.
- If giving the medicine is difficult, contact your veterinarian or pharmacist for ideas to make dosing easier and to reduce stress during medication time.
- This medicine may be used for different lengths of time depending on the situation.
- Make sure you clearly understand how long your veterinarian wants your animal to keep taking it.
- You may need prescription refills before the full course of treatment is finished.
- Do not stop this medicine without speaking to your veterinarian first, because there may be important reasons to continue.
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 one. 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 this medicine at room temperature.
- Store it in the original prescription container that is resistant to children and light, or in another approved dose organizer (such as a pill minder).
- If your veterinarian or pharmacist prepared a special (compounded) version for your animal, follow the storage directions and the expiration date provided for that product.
- Store this medicine where children and other animals cannot reach it.
Can handling this medication be hazardous to me, my family, or other animals?
Because this medicine can cause birth defects, it must not be used in pregnant animals. People who are pregnant should not handle this medicine. If avoiding contact is not possible, it is strongly recommended that disposable gloves be used when handling it. Do not use the same gloves again. After use, throw the gloves away in the trash.
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 community medication “take-back” option, use that.
- 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 people to recognize if they search through trash.
- Put the mixture into a sealable plastic bag so it will not leak, and then place it in the regular garbage.
- Do not keep extra medicine for later use, and do not give leftover medicine to anyone else.
What other information is important for this medication?
- While your animal is taking this medicine, your veterinarian will need to check blood tests and measure blood pressure from time to time.
- Keep all of these follow-up appointments.
- Giving this medicine may not be permitted in some animal competitions.
- Review the rules before entering your animal in a competition while your animal is receiving this medicine.
- 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.”