Heart, BP & diabetes · cat safety
Is amlodipine (BP tablet) toxic to cats?
Severe
No — amlodipine (Amlong and others) and other calcium channel blockers are dangerous in overdose. Some cats take amlodipine from a vet, at a cat dose; a human tablet can crash blood pressure and slow the heart, sometimes hours later. Go to a vet now with the strip.
Why severe: Narrow margin of safety: a small overdose can cause a very slow heart and severe low blood pressure (Pet Poison Helpline).
- Name
- Amlodipine and other calcium channel blockersalso Amlong, Amlodipine, S-amlodipine, Cilnidipine, Nifedipine, Diltiazem
- Hindi
- बीपी की दवा
What counts
Amlodipine, cilnidipine, nifedipine, diltiazem and verapamil tablets, including slow-release and combination BP tablets.
What's in it
Calcium channel blockers relax blood vessels and slow the heart; an overdose causes severe low blood pressure, a slow heart and, later, kidney injury (Pet Poison Helpline).
Brands it hides in
- Amlong, amlodipine and S-amlodipine strips
- Cilnidipine, nifedipine and diltiazem tablets
- Combination BP tablets (amlodipine with telmisartan or atenolol)
Symptoms to watch for
- Lethargy, weakness
- Low blood pressure — wobbliness, collapse
- Slow (sometimes fast) heartbeat
- Vomiting
- Later: kidney injury
Usually within 4 hours and lasting 24–48 hours (Merck); signs 'can be delayed by many hours' (Hayes 2018).
What to do — now
Go to a vet now — don't wait for signs. Delayed signs are common with these drugs.
- Take the strip, and say if it is slow-release.
- Don't make your cat vomit at home unless a vet tells you to.
- Never give your cat amlodipine from your own strip, even if a vet once prescribed it for the cat — the strengths differ.
Where Indian cats meet it
Amlodipine is among the most common BP medicines in Indian homes, often kept in open daily pill boxes.
Myth or fact
Myth“My cat's vet prescribed amlodipine, so a human tablet is fine”
FactVets do use these drugs in cats, but accidental overdose 'can result in severe, life-threatening poisoning' because the margin of safety is narrow (Pet Poison Helpline). Use only the cat's own prescription.
Sources
- Pet Poison Helpline: Calcium channel blockers
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Toxicoses from cardiovascular medications
- Hayes 2018, Vet Clin North Am: calcium channel blocker toxicity in dogs and cats (PubMed)
Facts last checked
General information for cat parents, not a diagnosis or a treatment plan. The facts come from ASPCA, Pet Poison Helpline, International Cat Care, the Merck Veterinary Manual and the other sources listed on every page — and we say so when the evidence comes from dogs or people. If your cat may have eaten something harmful, call your vet.