Prescribing overview
Bexacat requires careful selection; it cannot replace needed insulin.
Key prescribing checks
- Read the boxed warning and complete selection/monitoring instructions. Do not use in cats receiving insulin, previously treated with insulin, or with insulin-dependent diabetes.
- Diabetic ketoacidosis can occur with relatively normal glucose. New anorexia, lethargy, dehydration or weight loss requires immediate assessment for ketoacidosis regardless of a reassuring glucose reading.
- Screen for concurrent disease: the label warns against initiation with pancreatitis, anorexia, dehydration or lethargy and excludes evidence of liver disease or reduced renal function. Establish a follow-up and emergency plan before treatment.
Uses by species
Approval and evidence apply to the named product, species, route and indication. An extra-label use requires its own prescribing assessment; a human indication is not an animal approval.
Cats
US veterinary approved labelGlycemic control in otherwise healthy diabetic cats never treated with insulin
Insulin-treated/dependent cats and hepatic disease or reduced renal function are excluded.
Use / indication source ↗Pharmacology & pharmacokinetics
Mechanism and clinical role
Renal SGLT2 inhibition increases urinary glucose loss.
Absorption, distribution, metabolism and elimination
Healthy cats: median peak approximately 0.5 hours, half-life approximately 5 hours; persistent exposure occurred in some ill diabetic cats.
SAFETY REFERENCE · PRODUCT & SPECIES SPECIFIC
Contraindications & cautions
Contraindications identify circumstances where the source says a product should not be used. Precautions call for assessment or monitoring. Interactions identify combinations to review. They are distinct categories; this summary does not replace a full interaction check or the current product label.
Bexacat
US feline oral label updated May 2026.
Contraindications · when not to use
- Current/prior insulin treatment or insulin-dependent diabetes; evidence of hepatic disease or reduced renal function.
Precautions & monitoring
- Do not initiate with anorexia, dehydration, lethargy, pancreatitis evidence/history or ketoacidosis indicators. Potentially fatal ketoacidosis can occur with normal glucose. Persistent hypercalcemia, recurrent urinary infection, poor control or unresponsive diarrhea require label-directed reassessment; long-term urothelial carcinoma risk is warned. Breeding/pregnancy/lactation safety is unstudied.
Safety sources checked: . Selected label information; independent veterinary or veterinary-pharmacy review remains pending. A label for dogs, cats, horses or humans does not establish safety for another species.
Adverse effects
Potentially fatal ketoacidosis can occur despite normal glucose. GI signs, dehydration, urinary infections and pancreatitis are reported; long-term urothelial-carcinoma risk is warned.
These are selected source-reported effects, not incidence estimates or an exhaustive list. Spontaneous postmarketing reports do not by themselves establish frequency or causality.
Dosing & administration
| Species & indication | Labeled regimen | Eligibility & source |
|---|---|---|
| Cats ≥3 kg (6.6 lb)Restricted labeled diabetes indicationBexacat 15 mg tablet | One tablet Oral · Once daily, same approximate time Continued only with adequate response and monitoring | With or without food, regardless of glucose; complete pretreatment screening is mandatory. Verify full dosing label ↗ |
Do not initiate with anorexia, dehydration, lethargy or pancreatitis.
Extra-label prescribing and food-animal residue requirements are separate from labeled regimens. FDA extra-label-use guidance ↗
Drug & supplement interactions
This is a selected interaction reference, not an automated or comprehensive combination checker. Reconcile prescription drugs, nonprescription products, supplements and recent treatment changes.
Bexacat
US feline oral label updated May 2026.
- Concurrent volume-depleting drug use has not been evaluated.
Monitoring
Follow full label: BHBA, glucose/fructosamine, fPL, liver/lipids, weight; examinations and glucose curves at 2,4,8 weeks.
Client counseling
Give Client Information Sheet. Stop and urgently contact veterinarian for appetite loss, vomiting, diarrhea, lethargy or weakness.
This section supports the veterinary team's discharge discussion; it does not replace the product’s Client Information Sheet where one is required.
Storage & handling
Secure tablets; follow package storage conditions.
Brands, formulations & ingredient identity
Active ingredients
Bexagliflozin
Bexacat identifies a feline oral tablet. A glucose-lowering effect does not establish that the cat has enough insulin to avoid ketoacidosis.
Bexagliflozin and velagliflozin are different active drugs. Do not merge their product names or assume that switching between feline diabetes products preserves the same instructions.
Shared ingredients do not establish interchangeable concentrations, routes, release properties, species labeling or regional availability.
Bexacat
- Formulation
- Oral tablets
- Label / product scope
- Cats
Restricted feline diabetes indication with boxed ketoacidosis warning.
Product label / source ↗References & review status
Clinical reference updated October 16, 2026. Independent veterinary or veterinary-pharmacy review not yet completed. Evidence gaps remain explicitly identified; this page does not claim equivalence to a comprehensive, professionally reviewed veterinary formulary.
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