What is Maropitant used for?

Maropitant is indicated for: Acute vomiting, Motion sickness, visceral analgesia, vomiting.

Which species have cited Maropitant dosing data?

Maropitant dosing in the ExoticRx formulary covers 3 species: Cat (Domestic), Dog (Domestic), Sugar Glider.

Is Maropitant a controlled substance?

Maropitant is not federally scheduled in the US. Controlled-drug status differs by country — verify your local rules.

Maropitant

US brand names:Cerenia

Calculate dosage

Sourced from published veterinary references. Awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer — our editorial process.

Maropitant is dosed at 0.2 mg/kg SC q 24 h in sugar gliders, per Morrisey JK, Carpenter JW, et al. Formulary. In: Quesenberry KE, Orcutt CJ, Mans C, et al. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2021:620-630. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.712 (2026-08-01).. Verify against current literature before clinical use.

Drug Class

Analgesic

Routes

POSCIV

Indications

Acute vomitingMotion sicknessvisceral analgesiavomiting

Mechanism of Action

Blocks substance P at NK1 receptors in the vomiting center (CRTZ and nucleus tractus solitarius). Also provides visceral analgesia.

Side effects & warnings

SC injection may sting (refrigerate prior). Dogs and cats. May mask signs of GI obstruction. Visceral analgesic properties make it useful as part of multimodal analgesia.

Species with Maropitant dosing data (5 dose rules)

Cat (Domestic)Dog (Domestic)Sugar Glider

Species references:All Cat (Domestic) drugs All Dog (Domestic) drugs All Sugar Glider drugs

Evidence levels across 5 dose rules

Strong×3Moderate×1Weak×1

Each ExoticRx dose rule is graded by the strength of its primary evidence — see the editorial process.

Backed by 4 published sources

· CERENIA - Maropitant Citrate Injection [US Product Label for Dogs and Cats]. Zoetis Inc.; 2020. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=6aeda328-97c9-4868-8ecb-b3a4dcdbc0a0 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.827 (2026-08-01).
· CERENIA - Maropitant Citrate Tablet [US Product Label for Dogs]. Zoetis Inc.; 2020. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=6aeda328-97c9-4868-8ecb-b3a4dcdbc0a0 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.828 (2026-08-01).
· Maina E, Fontaine J. Use of maropitant for the control of pruritus in non-flea, non-food-induced feline hypersensitivity dermatitis: an open-label, uncontrolled pilot study. J Feline Med Surg. 2019;21(10):967-972. doi:10.1177/1098612x18811372 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.828 (2026-08-01).
· Morrisey JK, Carpenter JW, et al. Formulary. In: Quesenberry KE, Orcutt CJ, Mans C, et al. Ferrets, Rabbits, and Rodents: Clinical Medicine and Surgery, 4th ed., Elsevier, St. Louis, MO; 2021:620-630. — Verified against Carpenter's Exotic Animal Formulary, 6th Ed, p.712 (2026-08-01).

Sample dosing (2 of 5 cited rules)

A dog/cat sample is shown here. Cited dosing for all 3 species — reptiles, birds, pocket pets, livestock, and equine — is free on the per-species pages above. Pro adds the weight-based calculator for every species.

Species	Route	Dose	Frequency	Evidence	Source
Cat (Domestic)	SC	1 mg/kg	q24h	Strong	CERENIA - Maropitant Citrate Injection [US Product Label for Dogs and Cats]. Zoetis Inc.; 2020. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=6aeda328-97c9-4868-8ecb-b3a4dcdbc0a0 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.828 (2026-08-01).
Dog (Domestic)	SC	1 mg/kg	q24h	Strong	CERENIA - Maropitant Citrate Injection [US Product Label for Dogs and Cats]. Zoetis Inc.; 2020. https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=6aeda328-97c9-4868-8ecb-b3a4dcdbc0a0 — Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.827 (2026-08-01).

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Other formulations of Maropitant

Maropitant Injectable

Calculate Dosage for Maropitant