Effects of a Single Oral Dose of Imepitoin on Veterinary Visit-Related Stress in Cats: An Open-Label Pilot Study

Stress associated with veterinary visits represents a significant concern for cats, as well as a primary challenge for both caregivers and veterinary practitioners. Based on previous in vitro and in vivo studies on imepitoin, this pilot study was conducted to explore its potential as an alternative treatment for stress associated with veterinary visits in cats. Cats were randomly allocated to receive imepitoin (n = 16) or placebo (n = 16) and were then evaluated using pre- and post-treatment physiological parameters, including heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), rectal temperature (RT), salivary cortisol and behavioural scores derived from the cat stress score (CSS) and cat examination response scale (CERS). Despite higher baseline HR in the imepitoin group, a greater reduction in HR from pre- to post-treatment was observed compared to placebo. RR decreased, and RT slightly increased over time, regardless of treatment. A differential pre-post change in cortisol was observed between groups, with a significant decrease in the imepitoin group. Behavioural scores demonstrated improvement in the imepitoin-treated group; however, observer bias inherent in the open-label design, together with the use of a single investigator for both treatment administration and outcome assessment, limits the interpretability of the behavioural findings. These exploratory observations suggest a potential role for imepitoin in mitigating clinic-associated stress in cats; however, confirmation in larger, well-controlled, blinded, and methodologically robust studies is required before any clinical application can be considered.