Maropitant citrate as an adjunct to visceral analgesia in dogs and cats – review

Abstract

Pain is a complex multifactorial experience associated with tissue damage that causes suffering and reduces an animal’s quality of life. Maropitant citrate is a antagonist specific to the NK-1 receptor which selectively inhibits the production of substance P, a mediator involved in the signals responsible for emesis. For this reason, maropitant was initially developed for the treatment of vomiting in dogs and cats. However, substance P also has a role in the neural pathways responsible for the modulation of harmful stimuli involved in nociception and inflammation. Recent research into this role shows that maropitant citrate may be an alternative treatment for visceral pain in dogs and cats. Most of these studies have shown a reduction in the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of allogenated anesthetics agents with the use of maropitant citrate. This review describes studies into the potential use of maropitant citrate in anesthetic protocols in animals.