The active ingredient in Bexacat is called bexagliflozin. Bexagliflozin belongs to a class of drugs called sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors.

Bexacat is used to lower the amount of glucose (sugar) in the blood of otherwise healthy cats with diabetes mellitus not previously treated with insulin. Bexacat causes sugar to be passed out in the urine by preventing the kidneys from pulling sugar back into the blood.

No. Cats who are insulin dependent should not be treated with Bexacat because it may cause serious, sometimes fatal, side effects. Although it is not possible to determine if a cat is insulin dependent at the time of diagnosis, cats that have been treated previously may be at a higher risk of having insulin-dependent diabetes.

Give one tablet of Bexacat to your cat by mouth once daily, either with or without food. If you miss giving a tablet of Bexacat, give it as soon as you remember on the same day. Then continue giving Bexacat on your regular schedule. If you accidentally give your cat more than one tablet of Bexacat on the same day, contact your veterinarian if you see any side effects. If you see no side effects, keep giving Bexacat on your regular schedule. Do not skip a dose.

For cats weighing 6.6 lbs. (3.0 kg) or greater, the dosing amount is one tablet by mouth per day and will not change based on blood glucose (sugar) level.

You may see a decrease in the amount of thirst, urine and hunger in your cat, and your cat may gain weight.

The most common side effects include vomiting, diarrhea or runny stools, less interest in food or not eating, lack of energy and dehydration. Regular checkups by your veterinarian are needed to monitor for side effects and to tell if your cat’s blood sugar is responding to Bexacat as expected.

Serious side effects have occurred, with or without warning, and have sometimes led to death in cats treated with Bexacat. Serious side effects may require your cat to be hospitalized and to be given specific treatments, including insulin.

To report side effects in your cat, call Elanco US at 888-545-5973. For additional information about reporting side effects, contact FDA at 888-FDA-VETS or fda.gov/reportanimalae.

No. Bexacat is not approved for use in dogs.