# Evaluation of Veterinary Prescription of Gastroprotectants in Dogs in Spain

## TL;DR

This study examines how often Spanish veterinarians prescribe unnecessary stomach-protecting drugs to dogs and finds that overprescription remains a problem despite available guidelines.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into the patterns and justifications for gastroprotectant use among Spanish veterinarians.

## Key findings

- Proton pump inhibitors were the most commonly prescribed gastroprotectants, used by 50.6% of participants.
- Veterinarians with less experience and those in specialized fields were more likely to follow evidence-based guidelines.
- Overprescription of gastroprotectants for conditions without strong scientific support was documented.

## Abstract

Many medications designed to protect the gastrointestinal tract are given to dogs even when they are not really needed. In this study, we asked veterinarians in Spain who work with dogs about how and why they use these medications. A total of 265 professionals completed the questionnaire. Most of them reported that they regularly prescribed drugs that reduce stomach acid. Veterinarians with fewer years of experience, and those working in areas such as internal medicine, emergency or anaesthesia, were more likely to follow scientific guidelines when deciding whether to use these drugs. Those who prescribed them less often tended to rely more on international expert guidelines. Overall, even though many of the reasons veterinarians gave for using gastro-protective medications were supported by scientific evidence, the study also revealed that these drugs are still commonly used in situations where the benefits are uncertain.

The overprescription of gastroprotectants, in particular acid suppressants in dogs, is of increasing concern in veterinary medicine. There have been specific guidelines published to document the appropriate use of this class of drugs; however, the injudicious use of gastroprotectants continues to be a concern and is often not evidence-based. The primary objective of the present study was to evaluate the veterinary prescription of gastroprotectants for dogs in Spain. A survey employing a snowball recruitment effect was distributed among small animal medicine veterinarians practicing in Spain. A total of 265 veterinarians participated in the survey. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) were found to be the most commonly prescribed gastroprotectant utilised by 50.6% of the participants. Veterinarians with fewer years of clinical experience and those focusing on the fields of internal medicine, emergency, and anaesthesia were more likely to adhere to evidence-based guidelines in their prescribing practices. Those who prescribed gastroprotectants less frequently tended to rely on PPIs and on international consensus guidelines. Although the main indications in which Spanish veterinarians used gastroprotectants was supported by scientific evidence, the injudicious administration of this class of drugs for disorders lacking robust scientific evidence or recommendations was well documented.