Gabapentin

Amymay Again

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Does anyone know how quickly sedation takes place with Gabapentin? I have to give it to Daisy tomorrow morning prior to some investigations in to her heart. (I have been told what time to give it to her, but would like to know how fast acting it is).

Thanks all.
 

planete

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I gave it to my bitch who is petrified at the vets before her dental. It did not seem to have any effect but she did not start shaking like a leaf as usual when she went in so it must have been helping to keep her calm.
 

meleeka

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I think it worked quite quickly, in around an hour. I tried it with my dog a couple of years ago, but the feeling of sedation made her worry I think and she was 10x worse.
 

pinkfluffy

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I used it for my cat before vet visits - he had heart problems - it worked in about 1-2 hrs on him. He had it night before and morning of appt. It can make them quite disoriented.
 

Amymay Again

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Did nothing for Daisy at all. She was given it two hours before her heart scan appt. She marched in to the clinic treating all and sundry like long lost friends and proceeded to wriggle through most of her appointment 🙄🥴🤣

Thankfully they managed to do what they needed without additional sedation 🙏
 
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MissTyc

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For the future, the only thing that makes my 9kg terrier touchable by a vet (for vaccinations let alone investigations) is a double dose of gabapentin (for his size, so 300mg) + a high dose of Hempine CBD (bought for the young ISH) + 3 Piriton tablets. With that he is Happy High and allows the vet to do his thing. We even took the muzzle off once to look at a growth on his gumline, although the vet stayed quite far back I noticed, as the terrier caught his eye and with one glare reminded everyone that he was high and chill but not "out".
 

Smitty

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Does Gabapentin sedate? My chap, 9kg, has been on 200mg daily for years. At no point has he EVER appeared sedated!
 

MissTyc

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Does Gabapentin sedate? My chap, 9kg, has been on 200mg daily for years. At no point has he EVER appeared sedated!
At normal dose, it's supposed to take the edge off anxiety but for dogs that don't take it regularly, at high enough dose, it has a rapid sedative effect that usually wears off within 5-6 hours.
 

MissTyc

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Really? My boy has it for pain relief...
Yep, it does neuropathic pain and treats seizures, too!
Apparently it's the best drug for toothache in humans (I may or may not have tested this last year). In dogs, it does seem to be most commonly used for anxiety of unknown origins (which might intersect with pain) + separation anxiety. In horses, they have been trialling high dose gabapentin for the same symptoms with some success I've heard!
 
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