Spironolactone
“This page provides important general information for pet owners whose animals have been prescribed Spironolactone for pets in Perth during a consultation by Dr Noor.”
Spironolactone for pets
(speer-on-oh-lak-tone)
Description:
This medicine is a “water pill” type medicine (a drug that increases urination).
Other Names for this Medication:
- Aldactone®
Common Dosage Forms:
- For animals: there is no standard veterinary-made product.
- For people: tablets come as 25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg.
- This medicine can also be specially prepared by a pharmacy into a liquid that is taken by mouth.
This handout does not include every possible detail about this medicine. It is meant to answer common questions, but it does not replace advice from a veterinarian. If you need more details or have questions, speak with your veterinarian or your pharmacist.
Key Information
- Spironolactone can be given either with food or without food. If your pet throws up or seems unwell when the dose is given on an empty stomach, give the next dose with food or a small snack. If vomiting keeps happening, call your veterinarian.
- This medicine is often used together with other medicines for heart failure. It may also be used to help with signs linked to liver disease.
- Your pet must always be able to reach fresh, clean water while taking this medicine, because spironolactone will make your pet drink more and pee more.
- This medicine can change the levels of salts in the blood. Because of that, your veterinarian will need to do regular blood tests to help keep your pet safe.
- Call your veterinarian right away if your pet gets skin sores, or (in cats) itchy skin on the face, or has ongoing or severe poor appetite, vomiting, or diarrhea. Also contact your veterinarian immediately if your pet seems very tired, breathes faster or with more effort, has trouble walking or staying balanced, or stops drinking or stops peeing.
- The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) lists spironolactone as a hazardous drug. Think about wearing gloves when giving this medicine to your dog, especially if you are pregnant.
How is this medication useful?
Spironolactone is a medicine that helps the kidneys remove extra fluid and salt from the body. It is used along with other medicines to manage heart failure and to reduce extra strain on the heart. It may also help protect the heart muscle. In dogs, it may also be used for fluid buildup in the belly that can happen with end-stage liver failure. This medicine is not officially approved for use in animals. In some situations, veterinarians may prescribe medicines containing this drug for different animal species or for different conditions. 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 factors can change how this medicine works for your pet. Talk with your veterinarian about the points below so you can make treatment choices together.
- Other medicines can affect spironolactone. Tell your veterinarian and pharmacist about everything your pet 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 pet has now, or has had before.
- If your pet has been treated before for the same problem, tell your veterinarian what was used and whether it helped or did not help.
- If possible, spironolactone should not be used in pregnant or nursing animals, because it may cause birth defects. If your pet is pregnant or nursing, discuss the risks of this medicine with your veterinarian.
- Tell your veterinarian and pharmacist about any past side effects your pet has had from medicines. 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?
- This medicine should begin to act within 1 to 2 hours. Even so, you may not be able to see the effects just by watching your pet. Your veterinarian will need to do additional tests to check whether the medicine is working the right way.
- This medicine does not last long in the body. Its action stops within 24 hours. The helpful effects may last longer if your pet’s kidneys and/or liver do not work 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.
If your pet fits any of the situations listed below, talk with your veterinarian about the risks compared with the possible benefits.
- Pets that cannot make urine, or that have severe kidney disease.
- Pets that have previously had an allergic reaction to this medicine.
- Pets that already have high potassium levels.
- Pets that are pregnant or nursing.
- Pets with decreased kidney function.
- Pets with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (diabetes) or other problems where body water, blood sugar, or blood salts are not balanced.
- Pets that are vomiting or have diarrhea.
What are the side effects of this medication?
Common but not serious side effects include:
You do not need to be highly worried if you notice these effects, unless they are severe, get worse, or do not go away. If that happens, contact your veterinarian.
- Drinking more than usual and needing to pee more often.
- Low energy. This is usually temporary and should get better over time.
- Changes in body water and salt levels.
- Spironolactone can cause breast enlargement in men. It is not known whether this happens in animals, but if your pet’s nipples or breast area becomes larger, contact your veterinarian.
- Vomiting and/or diarrhea.
- Cats: severe, very itchy sores on the face. This is seen most often in Maine coon cats.
- Drinking a lot but not peeing.
- Severe weakness or collapse; unable to stand up.
- A fast heartbeat.
Contact your veterinarian immediately if you notice any of these effects.
If my animal gets too much of this medication (an overdose), what should I do?
Giving too much spironolactone can be dangerous. 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. These services are available 24 hours a day. A consultation fee is charged.
How should this medication be given?
For this medicine to work properly, give it exactly the way your veterinarian prescribed it. Always read the prescription label so you confirm you are giving it correctly.
- Unless your veterinarian gives different instructions, your pet should always have plenty of fresh, clean water available while taking this medicine.
- This medicine can be given with food or without food. If your pet vomits or seems sick when it is given on an empty stomach, give the next dose with food or a small treat. If vomiting continues, contact your veterinarian.
- Because this medicine may make your pet pee more than usual, try not to give the last dose of the day within a few hours of bedtime. This can help reduce the need for nighttime bathroom trips. Your veterinarian can recommend the best dosing times for your pet. Never take away water to try to reduce how often your pet needs to pee.
- If your pet is using a specially made liquid form, measure each dose with care. Your veterinarian or pharmacist can provide special measuring spoons or oral syringes.
- If giving the medicine is difficult, contact your veterinarian or pharmacist for advice on how to give doses and make medication time less stressful.
- This medicine may be used for different lengths of time. Make sure you understand how long your veterinarian wants your pet to stay on it. You may need refills before treatment is finished. Do not stop this medicine without speaking to your veterinarian first, 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 dose, do not give the missed dose. Instead, give the next dose at the normal time. Then continue with the usual schedule. Do not give two doses at once and do not give extra doses.
How should I store this medication?
- Keep spironolactone tablets at room temperature in a tightly closed container that keeps out light. Protect the tablets from moisture.
- If your veterinarian or pharmacist has prepared a special form for your pet, follow the storage directions and the expiration date written for that product. Liquid forms made by compounding are usually kept in the refrigerator and should be protected from light and from freezing.
- Store this medicine where children and other animals cannot reach it.
- After handling any medicine, wash your hands.
Can handling this medication be hazardous to me, my family, or other animals?
- The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) lists spironolactone as a hazardous drug. Consider wearing gloves when giving this medicine to your dog, especially if you are pregnant.
- If the medicine gets on skin by accident, wash the area well with water. Keep it away from the eyes. If a person swallows this medicine by accident, contact a doctor immediately.
- Keep this medicine, and all medicines, out of reach of children and other animals.
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.
- If your area has a community medicine “take-back” program, use that.
- If there is no take-back option:
- combine the medicine with used coffee grounds or cat litter so it is unpleasant to children and animals and not easy to recognize.
- Put that mixture into a sealable plastic bag so it will not leak, and place it in the household trash.
Do not keep extra medicine for later use, and do not give it to anyone else.
What other information is important for this medication?
- This medicine may be banned in some animal competitions. Check the rules before entering your animal in a competition or performance while your animal is receiving this medicine.
- While your pet is taking this medicine, your veterinarian will need to do checkups and blood tests from time to time to monitor your pet. Do not skip these follow-up appointments.
- 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.”