Vet has prescribed Gabapentin - not sure about this

[meleeka]

I took my JRT to the vets today because she has itchy ears. While I was there I mentioned that I’m not sure if it’s time to give her something for her joints (she already has Yumove). When she gets up from sleeping she’s often a bit stiff, but once she gets going she fine. (she doesn’t like jumping in the car on the way out, but leaps in on the way back. She’s still happy to jump on the sofa and the bed so this could be a red herring) He’s prescribed Gabapentin. After googling I’m really not sure if I want to give her it. I was expecting NSAIDS of some description, not a pain killing drug. She’s 15 but doing amazingly for her age.

 

[twiggy2]

I would give them to her for a couple of weeks and see how much difference it makes to her, often pets hide it so we'll we don't realise how much it is effecting them especially if it's creeps up on them.

 

[fankino04]

I'm not one for arguing or disagreeing with vets as obviously they are more experienced professionals but I don't see the harm in calling up and asking for a callback to have a check and explain your concerns. For what it's worth even a quarter of a dose pretty much paralysed both my dogs when they were prescribed it it was so strong. Maybe discuss alternatives such as the librella injection ( not cheap mind), but just find out why they have gone straight to something so strong, maybe as said above your dog is worse than they have shown?

 

[meleeka]

Maybe discuss alternatives such as the librella injection ( not cheap mind), but just find out why they have gone straight to something so strong, maybe as said above your dog is worse than they have shown?

I’m not sure how the vet would have decided that as he didn’t really examine her. I’ve got to go back next week for her ears so will ask.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

It does sound a bit extreme. I wonder if they are having trouble getting Metacam. I know when our Rott was prescribed it, 2 yrs ago, she had to have different grands as it was in short supply. I would ring and ask the vet as I know some humans find Gabapentin difficult to get used to.

 

[oldie48]

I'm all for giving older animals good pain relief so they are comfortable and remain as active as possible but having looked at gabapentin, which I've no experience of, I'd want to know why that was prescribed rather than metacam. I've heard really positive things about Librela, friend's collie is transformed but it is expensive.

 

[Clodagh]

Maybe as Twiggy says give it a try, but it does sound like potentially using a sledgehammer to crack a nut.
I would say I don’t let mine jump in and out the car if I can help it, if I’m parked on concrete, and an older dog I would always lift in and out.

 

[Andie02]

Have a look at Riaflex supplements. Riaflex boswellia has made a massive difference to our JRT with hock arthritis. I would stop her jumping in and out of the car and on and off furniture. Is it yeast in her ears ?

 

[meleeka]

Have a look at Riaflex supplements. Riaflex boswellia has made a massive difference to our JRT with hock arthritis. I would stop her jumping in and out of the car and on and off furniture. Is it yeast in her ears ?

I’m not sure. Vet said there’s no infection but they are red and itchy so it could be an allergic reaction. I have a bottle of something that google says is for ear dermatitis.

Is Riaflex a powder? She’s the fussiest dog ever and I struggle to even get her to eat Yumove ground up in her tea.

 

[Andie02]

I’m not sure. Vet said there’s no infection but they are red and itchy so it could be an allergic reaction. I have a bottle of something that google says is for ear dermatitis.

Red and itchy could be yeast or a mite type thing. If its yeast it can be the food, what is she having to eat ?

Yes the Riaflex supplements are in powder form, the boswellia can be in powder form or capsules, the capsules pull apart easily.

 

[CorvusCorax]

I'd also be physically assisting a dog if that age up and down/in and out as regards higher surfaces.
Sometimes drive can carry a dog through the pain barrier and the stiffness shows later.

 

[Morwenna]

My old boy was on gabapentin for years and was fine with it. He couldn’t tolerate NSAIDS as they made his gut issues flare up.

 

[misst]

My old JRT had gabapentin for pain (that turned out to be an entirely different problem but that is another story). She was very very spacey on it. My current lad has librella for his stiffness/arthritis due to dreadful conformation. He is a new dog on this and appears to have no side effects. He has a sensitive stomach and is only 7 so long term NSAIDs are not suitable for him.

 

[rara007]

Ask when you’re next in- I expect the vet was trying to avoid the longer term/damaging (potential) side effects NSAIDs can have. It would be bold to give a dog that age metacam without blood testing.

 

[Redders]

NSAIDs are a painkilling drug (as you noted you expected NSAIDs not a painkilling drug). NSAIDs also can’t be used alongside steroids, which is a good short term treatment for itching and provides relief, there needs to be a washout period of stopping an NSAID prior to starting a steroid and visa versa (unless in emergencies). Your vet may want to retain the option of a course of steroids for the ears in the near future, if not needed great, if needed then no need to stop and switch medications. You telling your vet that your dog is stiff on getting up is enough to tell your vet that your dog is in pain - stiffness=pain. Hence why they prescribed a painkiller. It is also very good for pain related to spinal stenosis and arthritis, which is common and expected as animals age, which can show as weakness in hind limbs and slow to rising, but then the same can be said for any joints affected by arthritis. It’s a commonly used medication in animals - I use it in every species pretty much, it’s very effective, and isn’t strong per se, it just works differently acting on different channels, doses can be adjusted accordingly. Give it a go and see if it helps, and try not to worry

 

[meleeka]

NSAIDs are a painkilling drug (as you noted you expected NSAIDs not a painkilling drug). NSAIDs also can’t be used alongside steroids, which is a good short term treatment for itching and provides relief, there needs to be a washout period of stopping an NSAID prior to starting a steroid and visa versa (unless in emergencies). Your vet may want to retain the option of a course of steroids for the ears in the near future, if not needed great, if needed then no need to stop and switch medications. You telling your vet that your dog is stiff on getting up is enough to tell your vet that your dog is in pain - stiffness=pain. Hence why they prescribed a painkiller. It is also very good for pain related to spinal stenosis and arthritis, which is common and expected as animals age, which can show as weakness in hind limbs and slow to rising, but then the same can be said for any joints affected by arthritis. It’s a commonly used medication in animals - I use it in every species pretty much, it’s very effective, and isn’t strong per se, it just works differently acting on different channels, doses can be adjusted accordingly. Give it a go and see if it helps, and try not to worry

Thankyou. I do not want or need anything that’s going to have a sedative effect and that was the first thing that jumped out at me. I guess there’s only one way to find out if it will do that. I think she probably has mild arthritis in her front legs (years of digging for mice, which she still does at every opportunity) and possibly shoulders/neck, but her back legs are absolutely fine.

 

[Redders]

Sedative effects of gabapentin are very dose dependant and animals aren’t as sensitive to it as humans. For example, for a cat who is scared of vets, we will use a high dose of gabapentin to relax them before an appointment (also will do the same for dogs alongside another medication) but we will use gabapentin at half or even quarter of that dose and it’s an effective analgesic. It may be at your recheck for the ears the vet may discuss other options with you then if the ears are looking good. If you feel it sedated her then call the practice, and they can discuss alternatives or adjustments

 

[fiwen30]

If it helps, my 11.5 year old has been on 400mg gabapentin twice daily, for a year - for arthritis, following his cruciate surgery 1 year ago. He will be on it for the rest of his life, as a pain killer, as it wouldn’t do to be on metacam/similar for long term pain.

The doses can be raised or lowered depending on the effects of the medicine. My lad has never suffered any side effects, and the gabapentin along with librella injections every 4 weeks have helped him to maintain his mobility. I have also implemented environmental changes - no jumping, no stairs, raised bowls, slippy floors covered up, no chasing games.

 

[Smitty]

My terrier has been on it for about 4 years since he was 5 with a couple of breaks when I could see that he was definitely better on it. It has had NO sedative affect on him whatsoever, not even when first starting it.

I try no slippery floors (easy at home), no jumping (impossible) and always lift him in and out of the car. When he's on it he will try and jump in and out of car, he's always on a lead by the car so that is preventable and the couple of spells off the drug he doesn't.

I would say it is of definite benefit to him.

 

[MissTyc]

My terrier is on 50mg x2 of gabapentin after we realised he was more reactive after heavy exercise but couldn't identify why - i.e. pain or anxiety, or what. It's a very low dose, no sedative effect at all. No more exercise-reactivity, so he must have been sore or stressed or something somewhere. We've been using it for 2.5 years now, having worked down from an initial dose of 100mg x 2. We can't lower the dose any more, however, as he becomes anxious and reactive within days.

 

[meleeka]

My terrier is on 50mg x2 of gabapentin after we realised he was more reactive after heavy exercise but couldn't identify why - i.e. pain or anxiety, or what. It's a very low dose, no sedative effect at all. No more exercise-reactivity, so he must have been sore or stressed or something somewhere. We've been using it for 2.5 years now, having worked down from an initial dose of 100mg x 2. We can't lower the dose any more, however, as he becomes anxious and reactive within days.

We’ve been prescribed 3 x 100mg which seems high. I did think perhaps 2 x 100g as a trial as I can’t imagine she’ll need anymore. Nobody else can see her stiffness it’s so mild, but I can see when she gets up from a sleep sometimes she’s creaky.

 

[meleeka]

My terrier has been on it for about 4 years since he was 5 with a couple of breaks when I could see that he was definitely better on it. It has had NO sedative affect on him whatsoever, not even when first starting it.

I try no slippery floors (easy at home), no jumping (impossible) and always lift him in and out of the car. When he's on it he will try and jump in and out of car, he's always on a lead by the car so that is preventable and the couple of spells off the drug he doesn't.

I would say it is of definite benefit to him.

That’s good to read. I do try and lift her but the minute she thinks I’m going to pick her up she jumps in the car with a look of indignation that I think she needs help. It’s like wrestling an eel, so a typical terrier ?

 

[Smitty]

Mine's on 200mg a day.

There is always a wrestling match with a lot of (ignored) snarling when I lift him into the car crate on the outward journey, but I'm bigger and almost stronger than him and I pay the vet/physio bills so he has to put up with it.

After a long walk he is very compliant?

 

[Redders]

The dose is based on the weight of the dog in Kg, so comparisons to other dogs isn’t necessarily an accurate way of deciding doses. In a dog over 25kg, I would give 3x100 two to three times a day, in a dog over 35 kg I would increase that to 4x100, a dog over 15kg I would go for 2x100. This is what i start a dog on and then adjust, and this is for pain relief. If I’m using it for anxiety I would double these doses. The dose I choose is based on how the dog presents and the dogs age. I think concentrating on the dose and comparing it to what other dogs may be on may make you worry more about your own dogs dose, I suggest you try it and see or you call your vet to talk about it, because that’s the only place you will be able to find out the whys for what your dog has been prescribed.

 

[meleeka]

The dose is based on the weight of the dog in Kg, so comparisons to other dogs isn’t necessarily an accurate way of deciding doses. In a dog over 25kg, I would give 3x100 two to three times a day, in a dog over 35 kg I would increase that to 4x100, a dog over 15kg I would go for 2x100. This is what i start a dog on and then adjust, and this is for pain relief. If I’m using it for anxiety I would double these doses. The dose I choose is based on how the dog presents and the dogs age. I think concentrating on the dose and comparing it to what other dogs may be on may make you worry more about your own dogs dose, I suggest you try it and see or you call your vet to talk about it, because that’s the only place you will be able to find out the whys for what your dog has been prescribed.

Thankyou, again. She’s 13kg.

 

[Redders]

It’s not a dose amount that I would be concerned with, the range is very very wide! I explain to those I prescribe it to ‘at higher doses and depending on the animal it can make them seem like they have had a couple of Gins, if you notice that, then give x amount of give us a call if you are worried’

 

[Jenko109]

Not read all replies, however I have used gabapentin on two of my dogs.

Both were whippets.

The first had an unknown neurological disease. She was on 100mg three times a day. It had no sedative affect at this dose and seemingly had no negative affect on the dog.

The second was for meningitis. Again 100mg, three times a day. Again no negative affect. He was on prednisolone alongside the gabapentin. He was drowsy but I expect this was due to the very high steroid dose that he was on (25mg daily)

 

[Sue444]

Hi, just after a bit of advice really. We sadly lost our 13 year old border collie 3 weeks ago. He had been quite arthritic and was on librella and also paracetamol occasionally. He had also been prescribed vitofylin for doggy dementia. One morning he started marching around the house - almost looked like he was on speed or something - with his mouth open but not panting or making any noise. We took him to the vets where he was prescribed prednisone 1 x daily and 400mg of gabapentin 3 x daily for pain. The gabapentin knocked him out completely! We took him back to vets following day (he could not stand and was almost comatose). Vet we saw (unfortunately practice has many branches so you don't see the same vet as before) said he shouldn't be like that and to take him off gabapentin immediately. However, by the following day he had still not come round so we took him back to vets again where sadly vet advised that it may be time for him to be PTS. Would be so grateful to know whether any one else has had any issues with gabapentin and whether the 400mg of gabapentin 3 x daily was too high for an old boy (23.75kg) who had possible kidney problems. I know nothing will bring him back, but it is difficult or us to deal with how he died and now we are wondering whether could have been with us for a while longer had we not given him the gabapentin.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

No idea about the gabapentin, but from the sound of the symptoms that you originally took him to the vet for that were extremely odd I would be thinking something possibly neurological or even brain tumour. We lost one the same age who starting fitting one day and didn't stop. She had had a few odd episodes in the previous weeks but nothing to really worry us. Vet said not epilepsy and likely neurological/brain tumour.

 

[Sue444]

No idea about the gabapentin, but from the sound of the symptoms that you originally took him to the vet for that were extremely odd I would be thinking something possibly neurological or even brain tumour. We lost one the same age who starting fitting one day and didn't stop. She had had a few odd episodes in the previous weeks but nothing to really worry us. Vet said not epilepsy and likely neurological/brain tumour.

Thanks. He had been ok up until then - a bit "ditzy" but was still enjoying his food, garden and short walks etc. It just seems that we weren't warned about the gabapentin side effects which I wish we had been. Not saying he had many months ahead of him, but it was awful to see him so comatose. Vet didn't really say what she thought was wrong with him - so have no idea if neurological/tumour.