FDA approves new NSAID for cats

http://trends.aahanet.org/VetNewsArticle.aspx?key=b8f6b38b-0cf0-4a90-b256-631861244eae

The drug is called robenacoxib, a non-steroidal anti-Inflammatory drug, (NSAID), the only NSAID approved for use in cats (not counting metacam one time injection) It is sold by Novartis Animal Health under the brand name Onsior.

The drug is an oral tablet medication approved for us as post-surgical pain relief for up to three days, in cats weighing at least 5.5 pounds.

The vet that gave me this information also advises that no one use it for their own cats until it has been around for at least a year. He says that FDA testing for animal drugs involves a very small number of test animals and is not done long term (because of costs). Once a drug has been on the market for a year or so and has been used in a lot of animals, more will be known about any adverse effects.

If it does turn out to be relatively safe, perhaps it can some day be used for cats suffering chronic pain, such as arthritis or other diseases. That's what is really needed. There are already good short term pain relief drugs for cats, buprenex is very effective, easy to dose and cheap.