Evaluation of the Efficacy of Transdermal Administration of Maropitant in Managing Vomiting in Cats

Abstract

Background. Antiemetic maropitant is a widely used medication for treating acute and chronic vomiting in cats. It is available as tablets or injectable solution (Cerenia®). The oral and injectable routes being especially difficult to pursue in cats experiencing vomiting and nausea, the transdermal administration might be an efficient alternative. The hypothesis of this study was that transdermal maropitant would achieve therapeutic serum concentrations with minimal short-term adverse effects. Case description. There were 8 cats enrolled in this study, weighing between 3 and 8 kg, more than 6 months old, experiencing at least two episodes of vomiting in the last 72 hours. Compounded transdermal maropitant in a liposomal hydrophilic emulsion vehicle was administered at a dosage of 4 mg/cat QD, applied on the inner pinna of the ear during five consecutive days. Monitoring and evaluation of vomiting frequency and nausea were performed. A significant decrease in vomiting frequency was observed in 6 of the 8 enrolled cats. A reduction of nausea, associated with an improvement of the appetite, was observed in some cases. Conclusion. Transdermal application of maropitant to cats experiencing vomiting seems to be a good alternative to existing oral medication, taking into account the difficulty of oral administration in these cases. Further studies are necessary to determine dosing and pharmacokinetics.