Telmisartan
Semintra (veterinary) · Micardis (human) · generic telmisartan
Telmisartan is an angiotensin receptor blocker approved for cats as Semintra, an oral liquid for high blood pressure, and used for protein loss in the urine with kidney disease. The human tablets are the same drug, and a pharmacy can fill a vet’s prescription for them where the dose allows.
What it is used for
Telmisartan relaxes blood vessels and reduces pressure in the kidney’s filters, like the ACE inhibitors benazepril and enalapril but by a different route. Semintra is a liquid approved for cats to control high blood pressure, which is common with kidney disease and hyperthyroidism and which damages the eyes, brain and kidneys if untreated; it is also used to reduce protein loss in the urine. In dogs it is used off-label for the same purposes.
The liquid is dosed with a syringe once a day and is accepted well by most cats. The human tablets are used in some dogs and in cats where a small tablet fraction fits; vets check kidney values and blood pressure a week or two after starting and after dose changes.
Safety points that differ from human use
- Vomiting, lethargy or not eating after starting, or during an episode of dehydration, warrants a call; the vet may pause it.
- Not for pregnant or breeding animals.
- Do not combine with an ACE inhibitor or potassium supplements without the vet’s direction.
- Oral solution (Semintra, veterinary)
- Tablets (human)
- Semintra 4 mg per mL and 10 mg per mL
- 20, 40 and 80 mg human tablets
Cat doses are small; a human 20 mg tablet split by the vet’s instruction is sometimes used, but the liquid is far easier to dose accurately.
Why the cash price varies
Semintra is a single-manufacturer veterinary product bought from veterinary distributors, and clinics and pharmacies that stock it set their own margins; bottle size matters for a cat on it for life. Human telmisartan is a cheap generic, so where a split tablet is appropriate the cost falls to mostly dispensing fee.
How to pay less
- Ask the vet whether a split human tablet is appropriate for your pet, or whether the liquid is needed for accurate dosing.
- If the liquid is needed, ask about the larger bottle and compare the clinic with a pharmacy that stocks veterinary products.
- Upload the prescription to Script Unlock so licensed pharmacies can quote. You pay the pharmacy directly.
Questions for your vet
- Is this for blood pressure, urine protein, or both?
- Liquid or a split human tablet for my cat?
- When are the blood pressure and kidney checks?
- What should I do if my cat vomits or stops eating?
- Is amlodipine or benazepril an alternative for my cat?
Rules on refills, transfers and controlled substances differ by state; see pharmacy rules by state.
How Script Unlock gets you a cash price for your pet’s telmisartan prescription
Prices on this site come from pharmacies responding to a real prescription. We do not publish estimated, average or "typical" prices, because none of those would be your price.
- 1You upload your prescription
A photo of your your pet’s telmisartan prescription prescription is enough. Nothing is sold on the site; you are asking pharmacies to quote.
- 2Licensed pharmacies respond
Pharmacies that Script Unlock has verified see the request and each can reply with its own cash price for your exact drug, strength and quantity.
- 3You choose and pay the pharmacy
You compare the responses, pick a pharmacy, and pay that pharmacy directly when you collect. Script Unlock never takes a patient payment and never sets the price.
Related pet medications
Sources
- FDA Approved Animal Drug Products (Green Book)
- Merck Veterinary Manual
- FDA Orange Book (approved generics and therapeutic equivalence)
Written by the Script Unlock editorial team from the sources above. Not yet reviewed by a veterinarian or veterinary pharmacist. Last checked 2026-10-03. Nothing here replaces your vet\u2019s directions; doses for animals are set by weight and species.
Script Unlock is a marketplace that lets licensed pharmacies quote a cash price on your prescription. It does not prescribe, dispense or sell medication, does not process patient payments, and does not give medical advice. Always follow the instructions of your prescriber and pharmacist and read the medication guide supplied with your medicine.