Vets’ Advice: Understanding the Tralieve NOAH Datasheet

Vets’ Advice: Tralieve NOAH

Tramadol is a centrally acting analgesic agent with a complex mode of action involving opioid, norepinephrine, and serotonin receptors. The analgesic potency of tramadol is about 1/10-1/6 of that of morphine. Unlike morphine, tramadol does not have depressing effects on respiration for an extensive analgesic dose range. Likewise, it does not affect gastrointestinal motility. The effects on the cardiovascular system tend to be mild.

Tralieve is a brand of prescription-only veterinary medicine containing the active ingredient tramadol. Tralieve is available in the form of tablets and also as a solution for injection. Tralieve was the first veterinary authorised formulation of tramadol for dogs available to prescribe in Great Britain.

Finding Information: Tramvetol and Tralieve NOAH datasheets

Since Tralieve was first marketed, another brand of tramadol tablets has become available, which is Tramvetol. This means that vets have a choice of tramadol products to prescribe to pet owners.

Information about the brands can be used to help with prescribing and purchasing decisions. A great deal of useful information can be found in the Veterinary Medicines Directorate’s Product Information Database; there you will find the Tralieve and Tramvetol SPCs (the official prescribing information on these products). You can also find the same prescribing information presented in the NOAH Compendium; there you will find the Tralieve NOAH datasheet and Tramvetol NOAH datasheet. You can also find the Tralieve NOAH datasheet and Tramvetol NOAH datasheet in the app version of the NOAH Compendium.

How to decide which brand to use

It is easy to compare the features of the two formulations by comparing the information in the Tralieve NOAH datasheet with that in the Tramvetol NOAH datasheet.

Do they have the same licensed uses?

When there are different brands of the same active ingredient, it is important to be aware that they might have different licensed uses. This could be an important consideration. Sometimes one brand of an active drug is licensed for more species than another. This can be an important factor in purchasing and prescribing decisions.

By comparing the licensed indications of the tramadol brands, you will see that they have identical licensed uses:  that is “the reduction of acute and chronic mild soft tissue and musculoskeletal pain” and the licensed dose is the same. You can find these details in the Tralieve NOAH datasheet and Tramvetol NOAH datasheet, in a section entitled Clinical Particulars’.

Are they available in the same dosage forms?

Sometimes different brands of the same active ingredient are available in different formulations (for example capsules and tablets). Sometimes they are available in a different range of tablet or capsule strengths. This is something that can influence choice.

In fact, there is a difference in this respect between the brands of veterinarian tramadol tablets. Tralieve tablets are available in two strengths: 20mg and 80mg, while Tramvetol is only available as a 50mg tablet. Tralieve tablets can be quartered whereas Tramvetol can only be halved. Consequently it is possible to give a wider range of doses and more dose increments with Tralieve than is possible with Tramvetol. It will be necessary to judge if this is an important difference in practice. (These details can be found in the Tralieve NOAH datasheet and Tramvetol NOAH datasheet in a section entitled Pharmaceutical form).

What about flavouring?

Including a flavouring in a tablet can help make a medicine more palatable to a dog. It is no surprise that dogs like meaty flavours. The Tralieve NOAH datasheet and Tramvetol NOAH datasheet can also be used to compare the formulations. Happily, both formulations contain flavouring. Tralieve is described as chicken whereas Tramvetol is described as having a meat flavour and also a characteristic meat odour. Whether this makes any difference to palatability is not obvious. (Flavouring details can be found in the Tralieve NOAH datasheet and Tramvetol NOAH datasheet).

The maker of Tralieve brand of tablets includes the word ‘chewable’ in the name, whereas Tramvetol is simply described as a tablet. This might imply that there is a difference in palatability. But in fact, as Veterinary Prescriber discovered in its investigation into Flavoured, Chewable and Palatable Medicines for Cats and Dogs, ‘chewable’ has no specific meaning in the context of veterinary medicines. This result was published as a learning module in the Virtual Veterinary Medicines Academy.

What else is there to compare?

There can also be differences between products in pack sizes and presentation (e.g. loose tablets versus blister packs). The Tralieve NOAH datasheet and Tramvetol NOAH datasheet may also help with this. However, it may be necessary to check with wholesalers about available pack sizes, because sometimes pack sizes mentioned in the SPC or datasheet are not marketed. Obviously the comparative cost of the products is another consideration. This should come after checking the clinical suitability of a product.

Keep up to date and keep your choices under review

Some of the characteristics discussed above will change from time to time. New products come along, giving more choice, new licensed indications might be added and formulations can change. This is why it is important to keep your medicines choices under review.

Veterinary Prescriber makes it easy to keep up to date, with the monthly Medicines News, new medicine reviews and product comparisons. Find out more about how we help practices make the most of medicines by visiting our website.