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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteBenazepril is an angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitor. In the UK, the veterinary product described in the current product information is Nelio 5 mg tablets for cats, which are indicated to reduce proteinuria (protein leaking into the urine) associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Its label gives a dose range per kilogram of body weight, but that figure describes the product, not a dose for your cat. Your veterinarian chooses the product, calculates the dose from your cat’s weight and condition, and decides how to monitor treatment. Do not change, stop, combine, or restart benazepril without speaking to the prescribing veterinarian, and do not substitute human benazepril tablets.
How benazepril works in cats
Benazepril is converted in the body to benazeprilat, the active form that inhibits ACE. Blocking ACE reduces the effects of angiotensin II and aldosterone, hormones that raise blood pressure and influence salt and water balance. The UK label’s stated feline indication is reduction of proteinuria associated with CKD, and that is the use this article focuses on. The label’s blood-pressure context is covered separately below.
According to the label, placebo-controlled field studies in cats with CKD showed lower urine protein and a lower urine protein-to-creatinine ratio (UPC), a standard measure of protein loss in the urine. Those are the findings the label reports; how they relate to long-term outcomes is addressed in the evidence section.
Dose, strength, and formulation
The figures below come from the UK Summary of Product Characteristics for Nelio 5 mg tablets for cats, revised October 2025. Approvals, formulations, and prescribing rules differ between countries and products, so compare these details with the label for the exact tablet your veterinarian dispenses.
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- Often used in combination with other medications to manage heart failure and high blood pressure in dogs and cats.
- Can also be used to help treat some forms of kidney disease and to reduce protein in the urine (proteinuria).
- Do not use this medication during pregnancy or in patients with an acute kidney injury.
- May be prescribed for other animal species; please consult your veterinarian.
- While this drug does not have an FDA-approved indication for all animal uses, it is commonly accepted for veterinarians to prescribe this medication for use in animals.
| Item | Label information (Nelio 5 mg tablets for cats, UK, revised October 2025) |
|---|---|
| Active substance and strength | Benazepril hydrochloride, equivalent to 5 mg per tablet |
| Dose range | 0.5–1.0 mg/kg orally, once daily; minimum 0.5 mg/kg |
| Food | May be given with or without food |
| Treatment duration | Stated as unlimited; the label sets no fixed course length |
| Tablet format | Scored; may be divided; the label stresses accurate body weight |
| Weight limit | Safety and efficacy not established in cats under 2.5 kg |
| Supply status | Prescription-only in the UK |
The dose is expressed in milligrams per kilogram. To turn it into a tablet amount, the veterinarian multiplies the cat’s measured body weight by the chosen mg/kg figure, then checks the result against the 5 mg tablet strength to see whether the amount can be given practically. If your vet asks you to divide tablets, ask them to show you how to do it so the portion is accurate. Human benazepril products are not a substitute for the veterinary tablet and should not be given to a cat without explicit dosing instructions from a veterinarian.
Side effects
The label groups adverse events by frequency. These categories describe how often they were reported in treated animals; they are not predictions for your individual cat.
| Event | Frequency category in the label |
|---|---|
| Diarrhea | Rare (1 to 10 animals per 10,000 treated) |
| Vomiting | Rare (1 to 10 animals per 10,000 treated) |
| Appetite loss (anorexia) | Rare (1 to 10 animals per 10,000 treated) |
| Dehydration | Rare (1 to 10 animals per 10,000 treated) |
| Lethargy | Rare (1 to 10 animals per 10,000 treated) |
| Elevated creatinine | Very rare (fewer than 1 per 10,000, including isolated reports) |
| Increased appetite | Frequency undetermined |
| Weight gain | Frequency undetermined |
Report vomiting, diarrhea, a cat that stops eating, or signs of dehydration to your veterinarian promptly rather than waiting for the next scheduled check, because these change the risk picture for an ACE inhibitor.
Creatinine rises early in treatment
The label notes that a moderate rise in creatinine at the start of ACE-inhibitor therapy in a cat with CKD can be compatible with a reduction in glomerular hypertension (pressure inside the kidney’s filtering units). When no other signs are present, it is not necessarily a reason to stop treatment. Interpreting the change depends on hydration, clinical condition, blood pressure, and other blood results, so it should be reviewed by your veterinarian rather than acted on at home.
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When benazepril should not be used
The label lists these situations as reasons not to use the product:
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- Often used in combination with other medications to manage heart failure and high blood pressure in dogs and cats.
- Can also be used to help treat some forms of kidney disease and to reduce protein in the urine (proteinuria).
- Do not use this medication during pregnancy or in patients with an acute kidney injury.
- May be prescribed for other animal species; please consult your veterinarian.
- While this drug does not have an FDA-approved indication for all animal uses, it is commonly accepted for veterinarians to prescribe this medication for use in animals.
- Known hypersensitivity to the active ingredient or any excipient in the tablet
- Hypotension (low blood pressure), hypovolemia (low blood volume), hyponatremia (low blood sodium), or acute renal failure
- Cardiac output failure caused by aortic or pulmonary stenosis
- Pregnancy or lactation; safety has not been established in breeding, pregnant, or lactating cats
Medicines and conditions that need extra caution
- NSAIDs (anti-inflammatory pain medicines) may reduce benazepril’s blood-pressure-lowering effect or impair kidney function.
- Other blood-pressure-lowering drugs, anesthetics, and sedatives can add to the risk of low blood pressure.
- Potassium-sparing diuretics: an interaction cannot be ruled out, and the label recommends monitoring plasma potassium when the two are used together.
- Drugs that block the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system (RAAS) carry risks of hypotension, high potassium (hyperkalemia), and worsening azotemia. The 2026 iCatCare consensus guideline advises particular caution in late-stage CKD or dehydration.
Monitoring during treatment
Monitoring is part of the treatment. The UK label recommends monitoring plasma creatinine, urea, and erythrocyte (red blood cell) counts during CKD therapy. The 2026 iCatCare consensus guideline, which covers ACE inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) used for proteinuria, proposes an early schedule:
| Timing | What to assess | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 weeks after starting | Clinical signs, systolic blood pressure, serum creatinine, potassium | Tolerance |
| About 4 weeks after starting or changing the dose | Clinical signs, blood pressure, UPC | Response |
| Thereafter | Longer-term checks at a three-month interval | Ongoing review |
The guideline states that a creatinine increase greater than 25–30% may warrant review of treatment and dosage. Your veterinarian will adapt this schedule to your cat; the table shows the consensus baseline, not a fixed order of tests.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Where benazepril fits in feline hypertension
For hypertension in cats with CKD, the 2026 consensus lists several options, including amlodipine, telmisartan, and ACE inhibitors such as benazepril. Its options table gives benazepril at 0.5–1.0 mg/kg every 24 hours. The same guideline says ACE inhibitors are not generally recommended as monotherapy for hypertension, especially when systolic blood pressure is above 180 mmHg. Benazepril alone is therefore not the standard treatment for every hypertensive cat.
Choosing among these options is a clinical decision that depends on several factors:
- Whether the goal is reducing proteinuria, controlling blood pressure, or both
- The cat’s hydration and how stable its CKD is, including any acute renal failure
- Measured UPC, systolic blood pressure, creatinine, and potassium, and how each option changes the monitoring needed
- Whether the drug class is an ACE inhibitor, an ARB, or a calcium-channel blocker, and whether it is used alone or combined with another drug
- Practical administration and how well the individual cat tolerates it
These are points to discuss with your veterinarian, not a self-selection guide.
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What the evidence shows, and what it does not
The trial behind the feline proteinuria indication is a 2006 randomized, double-blind, parallel-group study (King et al., 2006), recorded in PubMed. The reported details are:
- 192 cats with CKD, with 96 assigned to placebo and 96 to benazepril hydrochloride at 0.5–1.0 mg/kg once daily.
- Treatment periods of up to 1,119 days. This is the maximum reported in the trial abstract, not a required course or a guarantee of benefit.
- A significant decrease in UPC in the benazepril group (P = .005), with a larger effect in cats that started with higher UPC values.
The product label is explicit about what this evidence does not cover:
“No effect of the veterinary medicinal product on survival in cats with CKD has been shown.”
Your veterinarian can track urine protein through UPC, but the benefit the label describes stops at proteinuria.
Quick Recap
Questions to ask your veterinarian
- Is benazepril being prescribed for proteinuria, blood pressure, or both, and which results led to that choice?
- What tablet strength will be dispensed, what is the dose in milligrams, and how many tablets will my cat receive at its current weight?
- When are the next creatinine, potassium, blood pressure, and UPC checks due?
- Does anything else my cat takes, including over-the-counter pain relievers, need to be reviewed?
- What creatinine change would prompt a dose review, and what should I bring to the next visit?
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