Safety of Cartrophen Vet in the dog: review of adverse reaction reports in the UK

Abstract

Suspected adverse reactions (SARs) reported for Cartrophen Vet (100 mg sodium pentosan polysulphate/ml) to the Veterinary Medicines Directorate in the UK for the period January 1991 to October 1999 were reviewed. Of the 161 reports, 28 were probably product related, 54 were possibly product related, 71 were unlikely to be related and eight were unclassified. An estimated real incidence of adverse reactions probably and possibly associated with Cartrophen Vet of 0.074 per cent on an individual dose basis was calculated (assuming only 10 per cent were documented due to underreporting). Sixty-two SARs (38.5 per cent) documented emesis, 22 (35.5 per cent) of which were product related (onset five to 15 minutes after administration). Sixty-eight SARs (42.2 per cent) documented general changes to demeanour, 10 (14.7 per cent) were product related (lethargy and/or mild depression and/or mild inappetence lasting up to two days after administration). Six SARs were considered likely to be associated with concurrently administered carprofen. Cartrophen Vet had a low incidence of side effects that were mild and transitory.

Acute and severe haemorrhage following pentosan polysulfate injection in a Cornish Rex

“… 10 , 11 However, it is still used widely as an off-label treatment for osteoarthritis in cats with similar anecdotal benefits to dogs. SARs to pentosan polysulfate in dogs were investigated in a systematic review in the UK by Hannon et al 12 in 2003, with data from 1991 to 1999. Haemorrhage and death were reported at 18% and 16.8% of the total SARs, respectively.…”

Veterinary pharmacovigilance. Part 3. Adverse effects of veterinary medicinal products in animals and on the environment

“…, 1980). Pentosan polysulphate, which is not a member of this class of drugs but is used in the treatment of osteoarthritis in dogs, has a low order of toxicity and adverse effects are limited to lethargy and changes in demeanour (Hannon et al. , 2003).…”

“…Anaemia, thrombocytopenia and pancytopenia have also been reported in dogs following phenylbutazone treatments (Watson et al, 1980). Pentosan polysulphate, which is not a member of this class of drugs but is used in the treatment of osteoarthritis in dogs, has a low order of toxicity and adverse effects are limited to lethargy and changes in demeanour (Hannon et al, 2003).…”

Transient Postoperative Hemorrhage from Elbow Arthroscopy Portals following Intra-Articular Pentosan Polysulfate Sodium Injection

“…Higher doses did not reportedly result in a toxic effect [15]. Another study reported suspected adverse reactions (SAR) attributed to Cartrophen Vet administration in the UK 16 . Over 8 years, the number of reported adverse effects was 161; for an adverse effect rate of 0.058% on a percourse basis, only 51% of those were classified as "likely" or "probably" related to Cartrophen Vet administration, leading adverse effects of Cartrophen Vet to be considered "overall mild and transitory" [16].…”