Anipryl for Dogs
This is a medication that has been used in recent years to treat Cushing's Disease, a condition that affects mostly dogs. The drug is only approved for dogs by the FDA. It has also been used with some success to treat other ailments related to aging, and has been approved for the treatment of cognitive problems relating to senility in dogs.
How does it work?
It basically rebalances the chemicals that are causing the symptoms of Cushing's, and there is some evidence to suggest that it will reduce the size of the pituitary tumors that are often the root cause of the disease. It was introduced in 1997 and is still somewhat new, and while it is very successful for many dogs it does not work on all of them. Your vet may want to monitor the dog's symptoms more closely when you're using this than with other drugs because while it has noticeable effects in reducing the symptoms, the effectiveness cannot always be identified by testing as was possible with prior drugs. However, it seems to have fewer side effects and many vets prefer it as a treatment for this reason. It generally only works on Cushing's that is caused by tumors of the pituitary gland (this is most cases, but sometimes it has other causes).
For the treatment of senility, it does not cure the cause but it noticeably improves the cognitive abilities of many senile dogs. However, you will have to continue using it for the rest of the dog's life to maintain the benefits.
What are the side effects ?
Some of the side effects that have been noticed include general lethargy, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, hyperactivity, and anorexia. You should be on the watch for these if administering it to your dog, especially if they get serious. If you see them it may be advisable to switch to other treatments, as there are several other available for Cushing's disease. However, it is a more recently introduced medication and generally has less side effects than the traditional treatments for Cushing's (which were more crude methods of treatment).
Where can I buy it?
Sources and Useful Links:
http://www.pfizerah.com/product_overview.asp?drug=AR&country=US&lang=EN&species=CN
http://vetmedicine.about.com/cs/diseasesall/a/aniprylseniors.htm
http://www.vetinfo4dogs.com/danipryl.html
http://marvistavet.com/html/l-deprenpituitary_treatment.html
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