Gabapentin in Dogs - Safety and Side Effects - Dog Health Vet Advice
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- Опубліковано 19 чер 2024
- Is Gabapentin in dogs as safe and flexible as it is in people? What are the side effects of gabapentin in dogs and is there anything else you need to know about?
Gabapentin is an antiepileptic drug that also has pain killing properties. Used to treat chronic pain, especially pain resulting from nerve stimulation, neuropathic pain
- Hypersensitivity - increased sensitivity to pain
- Allodynia - non-painful things feel painful
Not so effective by itself but much better when used alongside other pain killers. Typically used alongside NSAIDs
Gabapentin is also being used to reduce anxiety and fear in specific stressful situations. Vet visits, fireworks, grooming…
Losses effect if on it regularly, long term
Is very safe. Side effects include sedation/wobbliness, Occasion vomiting. Side effects generally mild + short-lived.
Some human preparations contain the sweetener xylitol - highly toxic
Does have a wide dose range, some is broken down by the liver + is removed from the body almost exclusively by the kidneys + is eliminated faster than in humans
Can get withdrawal so if high doses +/or long term best to taper off
Theoretical care should be taken if liver or kidney disease but this is unlikely to be a real-world concern in the majority of dogs
Generally tolerate overdose well, just increased likelihood of side
effects already noted.
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Be careful giving this to your dog. Mine lost ability to lose his back legs AND had scary tremors from it. It all happened for the first time right as he was put on this med for back injury. I thought I was going to lose him so stopped the med immediately after reading similar stories online from other pet owners. Within 24 hours he could use his back legs again and 3 days later his tremors went away. Scary stuff
Thanks for this! Vet prescribed this for my dog’s separation anxiety and I picked it up today, but I don’t think I’ll give it. I told her I didn’t think it was the best drug for that purpose and wasn’t convinced it’s safe. He has a history of having bad reactions to meds.
Did your dog get better when you weaned her off?? My dog is acting terrible on it!!! She has been on it 15 days. Do I need to wean her off???
What dosage was it
@@morganmisti my dog was only on it for a few days.. he got better when I stopped giving it. I didn’t wean him off of it because he had not been on it very long. He was basically paralyzed in his back legs and was having bad tremors. I couldn’t handle it and didn’t want to take a chance to see if things improved. How is your dog now?
@@molar92 I don’t remember.. sorry
Thank you so much. My pet has a mouth mass tumor. She’s been put on meds. This really helps.
Working great for my old dog who has a non treatable fractured lower right jaw. Quality of life is paramount for the time he has left. Still able to eat, drink etc.
My dog could barely walk after this. We won't be using this again
Awesome 👏
My vet prescribed this to my dog 100mg twice a day for anxiety. She’s having an aggressive heat cycle and has had some allergies/ anxiety. But I’m worried to give her this medication. What would you recommend Dr?
My dog stated taking this medication after they drain fluid from his heart they said he have pulmonary edema and I would like to know does this medication makes dogs lose their appetite?
My dog just had a teeth cleaning and two extractions. Other than making her sleepy shortly after giving her 300 mg. She is absolutely fine. Walking. Wagging her tail. Sniffing. Doing all the dog things. It’s only for 7 days while she heals.
My JRT we though he had fleas as going at his back end and gnawing at his paws, squealing. Now vet gave him gabapentin as maybe neurological or nerve pain.. Can't get it down him
I gave this to my dog and the side effects were not good. He was very dizzy and lost consciousness. He urinated him self and couldn't keep balance. I took him off emediatley.
this happened yo my dog too, he lay down all the time and could not stand without help after using this drug. Have taken him off it now after 2 weeks on, he is slowly returning to his old old self but still has not got the use of one of his back legs fully back to what it was 3 weeks ago, be very careful when the vet prescribes this drug for your pet, it seems to have a very strong sedative effect
What happened to your dog? I he okay now?
What are your thoughts to use long term( a couple months)?My st bernard has been on this as well as trazadone for two weeks now do to a paw infection, he needs this to relieve anxiety from wearing a cone. He will have surgery in a week followed with another few weeks on cone until he is fully recovered. Thanks
Gabapentin can be given long term generally very safely and is often used this way as an additional pain killer in arthritis (it's typically not effective enough on its own). For very long term use that needs to stop it may be a good idea to wean off rather than stop suddenly
Thankyou my dog just got this med and I was honestly scared to give it to him .they gave him gabapentin 300mg and metacam for 14 days do you know if gabapentin is fda approved?
I know it has been a yet, but it is not FDA approved for off label use for dogs
Hi Dr. Alex! My recently neutered dog got prescribed gabapentin instead of trazodone as he gets refluxes from it. He was also prescribed carprophen which we had stopped after the first dosage due to diarrhea.
It then developed to vomiting and bloody diarrhea. We are starting to think it is from the gabapentin although it is rare but not impossible. However, the vet seems to disagree stating that they have never had an incident where any dogs’ GI tract is irritated from the gabapentin.
Today we’re on our 5th day of recovery from surgery. We are planning to bring in a fecal sample in the next day if he doesn’t not get better. The doctor allowed us to hold the gabapentin in the meantime.
Any thoughts? Have you ever heard or seen any similar incidents?
I can't say I remember ever having a dog have severe GI upset from gabapentine but as you say it's not impossible for a dog to react to anything as an individual intolerance. It does sound more like a severe carprophen reaction which some individuals get, again not common at all But certainly better recognized. I'd be looking at examining my patient and then likely giving some intestinal protectants and other treatments depending on findings. Something for you to flag in the future as well if pain killers or anti-inflammatory treatment is needed again. I hope he's on the mend very soon
Seems like a lot of people are getting Gaba with tramadol or other sedating meds and wondering why their dogs are doped out. lol
How should a dog be weaned off this medication. Was prescribed 2 x a day for 7 days. Vet gave no info! thanks. Our dog is a chichi 13 lbs and a senior with CHF. Thank you
no need to worry about weaning off with short term treatment
It is not made for chronic pain and the side effects are horrible and going off of it is dangerous if you do not slowly reduce the amount. I had brain fog, vertigo, the shakes, vision issues, trouble getting words out(I knew what I wanted to say, but couldn’t get the words out), I was having balance issues, I would stare into space. Many, many people will tell you that they are not worth the side effects.
Hey, I was wondering how you weened off of it because my dog is on it and she is having side effects.
@@chasebutcher3970 did your dog walk funny after taken them?
What breed dog are you?
Sir , I have super serious question, sorry for bad english, My dog has a Canine Distemper , he have a seisure/epelepsy , then I give him a gabapentin 100mg , then he paralyze a few hour , his mouth lock , what would I do? 🙇🙇🙇😖😖🙏🙏
Hi, What happened to your dog now? my dog is having a seizure too due to canine distemper. What should i do?
Same situation for my doc , please help my dog is canine distemper . She paralyze now , but my baby is eating her food ,
Plsss help
Hello there Dr. My 25kg, 10yo Border Collie, has just been prescribed Gabapentin 300mg, 3 times daily. She has been stiff and limps here and there but is still her regular bright self and still wants to chase everything (although I stop her) but will be quite stiff that night and the next day. I am also to give her 1.5m of meloxicam for 7 days, then reduce to every 2nd day (which she has taken on and off for a few years). I am very nervous about starting the Gabapentin. I am worried about the sedation and wobbliness and her being addicted to pain medication living like a zombie. How long roughly does this last and once this medication kicks in, will my dog be her regular bright self, or will she appear calm/slightly sedated whilst ever on this medication? The vet said as she is stiff, she will be experiencing pain and gabapentin works as a base line pain relief and helps the anti inflammatory work better. Your videos are fantastic and have eased my mind slightly (which is not easy to do) but I just want to know more about how her head will be once this kicks in and how long the side effects last. Sorry about this lengthy message. I appreciate any advice. Thank you
Most dogs won't have very severe sedation or other problems, and if they do then it normally only lasts for a few days. She should certainly not be like a zombie at all, in fact, she should be a happier, less painful version of her current self
@@OurPetsHealth thank you so much for replying to my message. I have hardly slept in 2 nights thinking about this medication. I appreciate very much you taking the time to answer my question. I feel a lot better about starting Marla on this medication now and fingers crossed it works well for her. Thank you for giving your time to make these great, informative videos and replying to this message. So greatful for both.
Long update if anyone has been worried about trying gabapentin..My 10yo Border Collie has been on 300mg 3x daily now for 1 week, plus 1.5ml meloxicam in the mornings. Prior to starting this, she had began to have a bit of trouble with her hind legs getting up after over exerting , plus her hind legs would shake a bit, as well as limping a bit on her front leg. She also stopped following my every move. First few days of new treatment, she slept a bit more than usual but this has improved. Not sure how many days or weeks it takes to truly kick in but she has seemed more sprightly since and a bit more bounce in her step. I had previously limited her access in the yard to stop her flying off the back steps and chasing madly anything that has sound or movement and this is still limited and we still don't do long treks like we used to. A 15 to 20 min walk before work and bed and about a half hour walk after work is what our new routine is. She goes in the yard to garden, supervise the washing and laze on the deck. No ball but she goes for drives to sniff the reserve near a beach or two most days and the odd swim. Although she thinks she's been robbed blind of livin' the dream, she still has it pretty good. Her back legs had been shaking a little when standing and sitting, most times that I noticed. This has improved. I have noticed she still bobs a bit when walking from her front leg, plus still holds weight off it sometimes, however, she is moving better and appears more comfortable over all and I'll update vet at her review. I still will not let her charge about like she used to, plus i monitor how she's going, as I do not want her arthritis to progress any faster than it is already going to. I just want her to be a happy, pain free retiree. It's only been a week but so far so good. She is not like the oldies in the movie Cocoon , where they jump in the pool and feel young again but so far she appears more comfortable and following me around more. Her being comfortable and being able to enjoy life longer, although not at the hard and fast paced border collie preferred way of living, is what my aim is. I still want her to feel like the luckiest girl alive.
@@lilsav812 all the best to you both. You sound like such a caring owner. Same decision I'm facing. It's a hard one 😔
@@sbee8987 thank you. You should give this treatment a try. I have limited Marla to mostly shorter, more frequent, controlled walks and won't let her fly around the yard and I think the medication and her more relaxed pace, has certainly helped. The first week and a bit she was quieter but now is appearing more comfortable, gets excited again and looks forward to her outings. I try to stop any jumping to protect her joints but she wants to walk further now but I still limit it. Half hour is usually our maximum but she is certainly not short on other stimulation, company and activities and has 2 to 3 short walks each day and the odd swim. I do what I can, while she can. Love her to bits. But this medication is worth a go, as the vet will monitor and take her off it, ammend it, or try other options if necessary. I say give it a test run for a couple of weeks, as we noticed improvement at the end of the first week and have noticed more improvement since.
My Jack Russell is taking Gabapentin and Trazodone. Her most worrying symptom is constant rapid breathing. Is this another possible side effect?
Mine also had this as a reaction. It should not be a response from your pet. I'm not a vet of any sort but would ask you to consider stopping the medication. This is not something that should be happening even if the vet is saying it should
@@felicialeblanc8748 unfortunately she died later that day. The vet said her blood count ended up very low and her heart couldn’t take it. One of the worst days of my life.
How long side effects appear And how long it takes to go away
the side effects kicked in after one week with my collie
Can doggies go through withdrawals coming off long term use?
It's possible so I'd want to wean them off it slowly if appropriate to do so. Not a worry for short term use
Is it just the liquid preparations that contains Xylitol?
As far as I'm aware. Always a good idea to double check the label if it is not something that your vet has given you specifically (but of course I'd never recommend giving medication without some input from your veterinarian!)
@@OurPetsHealth - thank you.
Gabapentin prepared for humans contains Xylitol.
It seems to imply, in the video, that only human prepared Gabapentin contains the sweetener Xylitol.
My dog was prescribed gabapentin after his neutering. Since he has been taking it, he has lost bladder control. That is the only side effect I can think of.
May I know how long did your dog took gabapentin after his neuter surgery?
This is poison it killed my Shar Pei he wasn’t himself and it was brutal to watch what this did to him.
I'm sorry to hear this, mine had a terrible reaction as well and thankfully the terror she experienced amd we witnessed she has survived and is making a very slow recovery from. At this point 4 days after she is the shell of herself that she was a week and a half ago.
@@felicialeblanc8748 I’m sorry to hear this, I’m glad your baby survived from it, praying for a speedy recovery.
hello doc a question, if i forgot a dose of gabapentin at the scheduled time and I pick it up 2 hours later when i remeber, afterwards do I have to re-modulate the intake times based on the moment in which I resumed the dose or do I take it as always at the previous times program? (1 pill every 8 hours) since I know that it must be given respecting the exact times to be effective...
If you miss a dose by more than a couple of hours I'd just give it when it is next due, if it is within 2 hours I'd suggest giving that dose and then the next dose at the previously scheduled time
@@OurPetsHealthok, thanks for the reply doc 🙌
My vet prescribed my female, spayed, lab mix (70lbs) Gabapentin 300mg - 2 pills night before vet visit & 3 pills the day of (before) vet visits along with Trazadone 100mg - 1 pill night before &1 pill day of .. used as a sedative for "anxiety / aggression". Are these safe to take together??
My dog was prescribed the same for vet visits! 3 400 mg gabapentin and 2 150mg trazodone. She’s 115 pounds. I’m so nervous... I’ve heard HORRIBLE things about gabapentin causing a lot of problems for dogs. The Facebook group I’m in is full of people who have had really bad experiences with both trazodone and gabapentin, their dogs have suffered long term problems from it. But I have no idea what else to give my dog!! She’s so scared at the vet and becomes aggressive.
We’ve given it to her once before and it really worked with her anxiety and aggression. We have to take her back to the vet next week and with everything I’ve read I really don’t want to give her the medication ever again😭
@@ellev9519 I'm concerned all together, it sounds like a LOT of meds to give my dog.. I'm going to ask my friend what she thinks about it (she's a vet tech) I'll let you know what she says.. Definitely update me after your vet visit too! I hope it goes well !
I’m honestly nervous about the same thing! Did you end up following through with the medication and if so did you have any issues with it?
Hello, wondering how your dog reacted to the medicine and how they were at the vets? I’m giving same medicine to my dog when I take her to see vet on Monday. My dog is also s armed and has high anxiety and can be aggressive.
Why does my dog wheez after talking his medicine ?
I'm not sure. It's not something I've come across before
My dog wheeze too. I think it is related to it's CNS depressing side-effect on breathing. So, if a dog has lung issues, take caution.
Do dogs have to taper off Gabapentin like humans do?
If they are on it for a long period of time then it's a good idea, yes
Xylitol is in the liquid form of human form
My dog is trippin right now!
This crap caused my heart to stop I wouldn't let anyone or anything to take this!!!!!
I will never give this to a dog again. My vet prescribed this to her. She started having seizures. They wouldn’t see her, actually told me to give her more, and she died on the way to the animal hospital. I regret giving her that last dose. 🥹
So sorry for your loss. Hold that Vet accountable. My 14 yr old ShihTzu has a cyst on his anus, surgical removal and they want to give him meloxicam, antibiotics and Gabapentin. To be honest, I'm more concerned than ever.
I'm so sorry for you in this situation. Mine just went through the same type of situation, very bad reactions for 4 days, even emergency told me to increase her meds to 600 from 300 she had already been reacting too. I wish I had come across this video beforehand. She is now recovering but a shell of herself. I'm praying regularly she comes back to herself 😔
I hope your pets doing well using it❤️
Hi guys, how are your dogs doing now? Mine is on it due to perianal abscess and he’s acting so weird when effects wear off
Our dog was given Gabapentin and two days later he died a horrible death. He was only 7 and this was an unexpected loss.