CLIENT INFORMATION LEAFLET
Updated: March 2020
Sucralfate
■ Keep this leaflet safe, as you may need to refer to it again.
■ Please ask your vet or veterinary nurse if you have any further questions.
■ This medicine has been prescribed for your pet ONLY. Do not take it yourself or give it to another person
or any other animal; it may harm them even if their symptoms appear to be the same.
The medicine you have been given for your dog or cat is called sucralfate. It may have a trade name such as
Antepsin® or Carafate®, but often will just be called sucralfate.
What is sucralfate? getting low. If you do run out, contact pet shows any unusual symptoms whilst
Sucralfate belongs to a group of medicines your own vet for further advice and restart taking this medication, please contact
that are called mucosal protectants. These the course as soon as possible. your vet.
drugs form a barrier over ulcers in the
stomach and upper intestines to protect What should I do if I miss a dose? What should I do if my pet is unwell
them from further erosion and to help
If a dose is missed, give the medication as while taking sucralfate?
soon as possible. However, it is best to skip If your pet is unwell while receiving
stimulate ulcer healing. the missed dose if it is almost time for your medication, you should not give any
Why has my pet been prescribed pet’s next scheduled dose. DO NOT give further doses and should contact your vet
sucralfate? a double dose to make up for the missed as soon as possible for advice.
Sucralfate is used to help treat and prevent dose and do not exceed the total stated
dose in any one 24-hour period. What should I do if a person
ulcers of the stomach, oesophagus and
accidentally takes this drug?
upper small intestine. These ulcers can What should I do if my pet is If a person accidentally takes your pet’s
develop in a variety of diseases such as accidentally given too many doses? medicine, the person should be taken
intestinal disease, kidney failure or cancer. An overdose of sucralfate is unlikely to to the local hospital immediately. Take
They can also be a side effect of a group hurt your pet because very little of it is this leaflet and any remaining tablets or
of pain-relieving drugs called NSAIDs actually absorbed from the gut, and most suspension plus their container (even if it is
(non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) or of it will pass out of the body in the faeces. empty) with you.
large doses of steroids. Very occasionally, overdoses in people
have been known to cause indigestion, Whom do I contact if I want to know
How should I store sucralfate? more?
This medicine does not require special abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.
If you have any questions about this drug,
storage conditions. For safety, all Can my pet take sucralfate if I am or concerns about your pet’s health,
medicines should be kept out of the already giving them other drugs? contact your own vet. They will know
reach and sight of children. Tell your vet if you are giving your pet your pet’s medical history and will know
How do I give sucralfate to my pet? any other medications, even if you think about sucralfate.
Sucralfate is best given on its own, at they already know. This includes herbal
least 1 hour before any food, or 2 hours or off-the-shelf remedies from a pet
before other medications. It can be gently shop or pharmacy. Sucralfate should be
squirted into the side of your pet’s mouth, given at least 2 hours before H2 receptor
or tablets placed on the back of their antagonists such as cimetidine, ranitidine
tongue and then their mouth held closed and famotidine (also used to treat ulcers),
until the entire dose has been swallowed. phenytoin (used to control epilepsy) and
tetracycline (a type of antibiotic). Do not
How long will my pet need to take give sucralfate to your pet if they are
sucralfate? already taking fluoroquinolones (a group
Your vet will advise you on the length of of antibiotics) or digoxin (used to treat
time for which you will need to give this heart conditions).
medicine. This may vary between patients.
What are the possible side effects of
What should I do if I run out of sucralfate for my pet?
sucralfate? Side effects are very unlikely with
Try not to run out. Make sure you order sucralfate. However, in people it has been
more from your vet if your supply is known to cause constipation. If your
The Prescribing Cascade
This medicine is authorized for use in human patients and is used by vets under the ‘prescribing cascade’. The medicine is not authorized by the Veterinary Medicines
Directorate (VMD), an executive agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), for use in dogs/cats/pets. Your vet can explain the
‘prescribing cascade’ in further detail to you and also explain why they are prescribing this drug for your pet. You will be asked to sign a consent form stating that you
understand the reasons that the drug is being prescribed and its possible complications, before the treatment is issued.
© British Small Animal Veterinary Association 2020. While the editors and the BSAVA have made every effort in preparing this information leaflet, the contents and any
statements are made in good faith purely for general guidance and cannot be regarded as substitute for professional advice. The publishers, contributors and the BSAVA
do not take responsibility for the information provided on this leaflet and hence do not accept any liability for loss or expense incurred (by you or persons that you
disseminate the materials to) as a result of relying on content in this leaflet. To this end, you are advised to consult your vet and seek their professional advice before
taking any steps set out in this leaflet. If you are a vet, you must not rely on the contents in this leaflet without independently verifying the correctness and veracity of the
contents. BSAVA is not responsible for any alterations made to this document from the version supplied.
