부산대학교 도서관

Simple Summary: Imepitoin is a medication that can be used to treat anxiety in dogs. Previous studies have shown that imepitoin when given at a dose of 30 mg/kg PO BID (milligram per kilogram of body weight by mouth twice a day), can reduce noise-related anxiety in dogs. However, this dosage may be higher than needed for some dogs. We aimed to determine how safe and effective this medication is for the treatment of storm-related fear and anxiety in dogs when started at a lower dose (10 mg/kg PO BID) and, if needed, when increased to a higher dose of 20 or 30 mg/kg PO BID. We determined the three dosages were safe and reduced clinical signs of storm related fear and anxiety in this study design. More side effects were seen in the 20 mg/kg PO BID group than in the 10 mg/kg PO BID group, which supports the use of this medication at an individually titrated dose starting at 10 mg/kg PO BID. Imepitoin is a low-affinity partial agonist for benzodiazepine binding sites of gamma-aminobutyric acid receptors with anxiolytic effects. It has been shown to reduce anxiety during noise-related events in dogs when given at 30 mg/kg PO BID, although this dose was associated with ataxia and increased appetite in some cases. The objective of this study was to assess its safety and efficacy for storm anxiety when started at 10 mg/kg PO BID and titrated to effect up to 30 mg/kg PO BID during storm season. Significant decreases in anxiety scores were seen in weekly surveys and storm logs (SLs) at 10, 20 and 30 mg/kg PO BID. Serious adverse events (AEs) were not reported in any subject. Ataxia was the most commonly reported non-serious AE (14/33), followed by increased hunger (13/33). The frequency of AEs was higher in the 20 mg/kg PO BID group than in the 10 mg/kg group PO BID. No clinically significant changes were seen in lab work pre- and post-study. In conclusion, Imepitoin given during storm season at doses ranging from 10 to 30 mg/kg PO BID reduced clinical signs of fear and anxiety during storms for the dogs in this study. These findings support the use of an individually titrated dose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]