My cat is on Diazepam (valium) and Clomicalm (anti-depressants) due to anxiety/depression. It’s been a week and for the first couple of days she was very zonked out and didn’t really move around but she’s perked up a bit now and seems better but she is eating loads and loads and has twice messed herself. I had noticed that she wasn’t going to the toilet much and thought maybe a side affect was constipation. Last night she pooped loads in the bathroom – she didn’t even make it to the litter tray. As far as her eating, it is way more than she usually eats and as I have two others it’s quite difficult to keep tabs on what they’re eating. She seems to eat everything that gets put down and then wants more. I was wondering if anyone else had experience of this medication and what side affects they noticed? I tried ringing the vet but the number keeps being engaged – plus I don’t want to hassle them unnecessarily.
Answer:
How do you know if your cats depressed? Miaow I don’t feel like catching mice today.
How do you know if your cats depressed? Miaow I don’t feel like catching mice today.
I think u should ring the vet. No one will have a better answer then ur own cats vet!! Keep trying. Hope everything goes ok with ur cat
You might find some kind of advice that may help you on this site:
http://www.catchannel.com/experts/arnold_plotnick/article_cat_question_1.aspx
Valium/diazepam is a well-known appetite stimulant in cats (and it does the same thing in people to a degree). Since she’s likely to eat anything you put down right now, you’re going to have to limit her food intake. You may need to feed the other two cats seperately (in a different room), and you definitely cannot leave food out all the time for your cats when one of them is taking valium. I’d strongly suggest keeping your cat on this drug for as short a time as possible, as there is also potential for liver damage in cats with this medication. Good luck.
Not my cat – but my dog was. She is probably just settling in – his appetite increased as soon as the medication started to kick in. It did settle – but my dog and cat always clear the plate!
Sorry to hear how low she is – have to say that your veterinary surgeon is the best person to ring for advice, I had trouble getting through to mine today about something but perseverance pays off, they are used to phone calls from worried humans.
my tortie was on diazepam but not for anxiety or depression she had idiopathethic cystitis ended up with prozac but she died 18months ago from an unrelated illness. the diazepam made her alot she was always a small cat but she gained lots of weight but had digestive problems caused through. i know nothing of clomicalm. tho. i have used natural remedies such as bachs rescue remedy. bioforce do a variety of products for pets and denes if you are in the UK do some which have helped me in the past. i have also used serene um which is amino acids which helped a depressed mother cat recently(my beautiful norwegian forest cat couldn’t feed her kittens and was hospitalised and she was very depressed and my vet recommends that we use natural remedies to help her rather than medications. all my cats are given denes nerve tablets in October in time for fire works starting. Hope this info is useful and you precious pet gets better soon