This drug gives cats their appetite back which may be very useful because there are 9 million cats apparently losing weight in America because of a loss of appetite. Of course, the loss of appetite may be due to an underlying illness. However, simultaneously encouraging eating may well help the healing process while other drugs can be used to treat the illness.

Picture in public domain

Developed as a human antidepressant

The drug was initially developed as an antidepressant for people in the Netherlands. It gave people an appetite as an unwelcome side-effect. However, it has now been approved by the FDA for cats. It can be applied transdermally which means it is applied to the ear of the cat where it is absorbed through the skin.

Mirataz

All cat owners know the difficulty of giving pills for their cat. To be able to administer medication using an ointment which you place on the cat’s ear is a blessing. The drug is called Mirataz.

The drug has been known to vets for quite a long time. It has been applied in pill form but the latest development of making it a transdermal drug is a big advancement. This is because compliance was low in pill form.

One veterinarian says that weight loss is the number one reason why cats are taken to the vet. I am not sure if that is correct because we know that there is an epidemic of cat obesity. And underweight cats are not the number one illness symptom far as I’m aware in the USA.

The drug has been developed by Kindred Bio. The business’s CEO Denise Bevers is, of course, delighted. Of the 9 million cats suffering from appetite loss only 3 million are treated successfully. This drug gives cats their appetite back and it should greatly improve that statistic.