Pantoprazole
Pantoprazole sodium sesquihydrate
Also known as: Protonix · Pantoloc · Controloc · Zurcal · Pantozol · Pantop · Protium · Somac-MA · BY-1023 · SKF-96022
Reviewed by the VetSheet Veterinary TeamUpdated Apr 5, 2026Evidence-based veterinary reference
Doses are a clinical reference for licensed veterinary professionals. Always confirm against the current label and the individual patient.
Dosing by species
🌎 NA — North America🌍 EU — Europe
Dogs
| Indication | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Intravenous treatment of stress-related mucosal disease | 0.7-1 mg/kg | IV | once daily | — | 🌎 NA |
| Gastric acid suppression | 0.5-1 mg/kg | IV | q24h | — | 🌎 NA |
| All uses (ulcers, oesophagitis, hypersecretory conditions) | 0.7-1.0 mg/kg | IV | q24h | Not specified | 🌍 EU |
- Gastric acid suppression: Administer over 15 minutes
- All uses (ulcers, oesophagitis, hypersecretory conditions): Administer over 15 min. Oral dose not established but likely similar to IV dose.
Cats
| Indication | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gastric acid suppression | 0.5-1 mg/kg | IV | q24h | — | 🌎 NA |
| All uses (ulcers, oesophagitis, hypersecretory conditions) | 0.7-1.0 mg/kg | IV | q24h | Not specified | 🌍 EU |
- Gastric acid suppression: Administer over 15 minutes
- All uses (ulcers, oesophagitis, hypersecretory conditions): Administer over 15 min. Oral dose not established but likely similar to IV dose.
Horses
| Indication | Dose | Route | Frequency | Duration | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gastric acid suppression in neonatal foals | 1.5 mg/kg | IV | once daily | — | 🌎 NA |
- Gastric acid suppression in neonatal foals: From an experimental study evaluating normal neonatal foals. Further studies required for critically ill patients.
Doses are a clinical reference for licensed veterinary professionals. Always confirm against the current label and the individual patient.
Overview
Pantoprazole is a potent proton pump inhibitor (PPI) used to treat and prevent gastric acid-related pathologies, such as gastric ulcers, erosive esophagitis, and stress-related mucosal disease.
While omeprazole is the most widely recognized oral PPI in veterinary medicine, pantoprazole is highly valued in clinical practice for its intravenous (IV) formulation. This makes it an excellent choice for hospitalized, critically ill patients (e.g., dogs or cats with severe pancreatitis, parvoviral enteritis, or active gastrointestinal bleeding) who cannot tolerate oral medications or have compromised GI absorption.
- Clinical Pearl: Although its plasma half-life is very short (about 1 hour), its clinical effect lasts for 24 hours or more due to irreversible binding at the receptor site.
- It has also been shown to directly reduce in vitro counts of Helicobacter pylori and is utilized in some eradication protocols.
Mechanism of action
Pantoprazole is a substituted benzimidazole weak base. It accumulates in the highly acidic environment of the gastric parietal cell secretory canaliculi, where it is protonated and converted into its active sulfenamide form.
- Mechanism: The active form binds irreversibly via covalent disulfide bonds to the H+/K+ ATPase enzyme system (the "proton pump") at the secretory surface of gastric parietal cells.
- Pathway: Systemic circulation → Parietal cell → Acidic canaliculi → Active sulfenamide → Irreversible inhibition of H+/K+ ATPase → Profound suppression of both basal and stimulated gastric acid secretion.
Because the binding is irreversible, acid secretion only resumes when new proton pump enzymes are synthesized by the parietal cell, explaining the prolonged duration of action despite rapid systemic clearance.
Safety & warnings
Contraindications
- Known hypersensitivity to pantoprazole or other substituted benzimidazole PPIs
- Intramuscular (IM) or Subcutaneous (SQ) administration (parenteral form must be given IV)
- Intramuscular (IM) administration
- Subcutaneous (SC) administration
Adverse effects
- Diarrhea
- Headache (reported in humans)
- Hyperglycemia (rare, ~1% in humans)
- Injection site reactions (thrombophlebitis, abscess) with IV use
- Potential increased risk of community-acquired pneumonia (noted in human literature)
- Diarrhoea
- Hyperglycaemia (rare)
- Increased risk of pneumonia
- Thrombophlebitis (associated with IV injection)
Precautions
Parenteral pantoprazole MUST be administered IV; do not give IM or SQ. Reconstituted injection (4 mg/mL) must be administered intravenously over not less than 2 minutes. Use with caution in pregnant animals (FDA Category B in humans) though animal studies have not demonstrated teratogenic effects. May cause false-positive results for urine screening tests for THC.
Drug interactions
Decreased drug absorption due to increased gastric pH (these drugs require an acidic environment for optimal absorption)
May decrease the bioavailability of orally administered pantoprazole
Pantoprazole may increase the anticoagulant effect
Decreased absorption of itraconazole due to increased gastric pH
Decreased absorption of ketoconazole due to increased gastric pH
Monitoring
- Efficacy (resolution of clinical signs, improvement in gastric pH)
- Adverse effects (vomiting, diarrhea)
- Injection site reactions (thrombophlebitis, abscess) if used IV
- Resolution of clinical signs (vomiting, melena, regurgitation)
- Gastric pH (in critical care settings)
- IV catheter site for signs of thrombophlebitis
Pharmacokinetics
Absorption
Neonatal foals: Intragastric (IG) bioavailability is 41%. Humans: Rapidly absorbed orally with 77% bioavailability. Food reduces the rate but not the extent of absorption.
Distribution
Humans: 98% protein bound, primarily to albumin.
Metabolism
Metabolized in the liver, primarily by CYP2C19 isoenzymes. CYP3A4, 2D6, 2C9, and 1A2 are minor components. Metabolites do not have pharmacologic activity. Does not appear to clinically induce or inhibit these isoenzymes.
Elimination
Humans: About 71% excreted as metabolites in urine, remainder in feces. Elimination half-life is ~1 hour, but pharmacologic action persists >24 hours due to irreversible receptor binding.
Overdose
Limited information available in veterinary species. A single oral dose of 887 mg/kg was lethal in dogs, causing acute toxic signs including ataxia, hypo-activity, and tremor. In humans, single oral overdoses up to 600 mg have been reported without adversity. In the event of a large overdose, contact an animal poison control center for guidance.
Available products
Formulations
- Delayed-release tablets
- Delayed-release granules for suspension
- Lyophilized powder for injection
- 20 mg gastro-resistant tablet
- 40 mg gastro-resistant tablet
- 40 mg powder in vial for IV injection
Human-labeled
- Pantoprazole Sodium Delayed-Release Tablets: 20 mg & 40 mg (Protonix, generic)
- Pantoprazole Lyophilized Powder for Injection Solution: 40 mg in vials (Protonix I.V.)
- Pantoprazole Sodium Delayed-Release Granules for Suspension: 40 mg (Protonix)
- Protium 20 mg gastro-resistant tablets
- Protium 40 mg gastro-resistant tablets
- Pantoprazole 40 mg powder for injection
Regulatory status
Human authorized product used off-label in veterinary medicine under the cascade.
POM (Prescription Only Medicine). Human authorized product used off-label.
No regulatory data for: 🇺🇸 US · 🇭🇰 HK · 🇹🇼 TW · 🇯🇵 JP · 🇰🇷 KR · 🇦🇺 AU
Storage & stability
Delayed-release tablets: Store between 15-30°C. Powder for injection: Store protected from light at 20-25°C. Reconstitute with 10 mL of 0.9% NaCl for a 2-minute IV infusion (stable for 2 hours at room temp). For a 15-minute infusion, dilute further with 100 mL of D5W, 0.9% NaCl, or LRS to ~0.4 mg/mL (stable for 22 hours at room temp). Reconstituted solutions do not need light protection. Do not freeze. Discard if discoloration or precipitates are seen. Incompatible with midazolam and zinc-containing solutions.
Client information
Important: Tablets must be given whole; do not split, crush, or allow your pet to chew them. The special coating protects the drug from being destroyed by stomach acid before it can be absorbed.
- Administer exactly as directed by your veterinarian.
- Monitor for severe signs: If your pet develops bloody diarrhea, tarry-black stools (melena), or vomits blood (or material that looks like coffee grounds), contact your veterinarian immediately.
- Contact your veterinarian if vomiting or diarrhea persists or becomes severe.
VetSheet drug reference is intended for licensed veterinary professionals as a clinical decision-support aid, not a substitute for professional judgement or the manufacturer’s current label.