warning....

[jdf]

July 31, 2003
Kaopectate Warning
J. Martin DVM has this alert for fellow veterinarians and pet owners: "Those of you who use Kaopectate to control diarrhea, especially in cats, need to be aware of the recent formula change. Due to concerns regarding lead levels in the old formulation the manufacturer of Kaopectate have changed the active ingredient to bismuth subsalicylate. Salicylates (e.g. aspirin, pepto bismol and now kaopectate) should only be administered to cats under veterinary supervision. Some dogs are also sensitive to salicylates."

http://vetmedicine.about.com/b/a/013885.htm

[Amandasmom]

Thanks for the info, I give my cat kaopectate. The vet suggested it about 3 years ago, I should ask if they still recommend it.

[ldvet]

I wondered what the reasoning was for the formula change. I personally do not like the new formulation. If I wanted Pepto Bismol, that's what I would buy. I don't think it works as well as the older Kaopectate.

[BoxerTom]

The state of CA was suing Pharmacia because the product delivered 25 ug lead/dose and they require a warning label for anything that contains more than 0.5 ug/dose. I guess it is difficult to reduce the lead level of the natural clay they use so they decided it was easier to remove the ingredient and go to bismuth.

[momPaws]

so is that the only concern....the "aspirin" component? Then why wouldn't it be ok (in small amt.) for a dog, since you can give buffered aspirin to a dog??