HOW GABAPENTIN IS USED FOR DOGS
Although gabapentin is primarily thought to work best for conditions with neuropathic pain, it is most commonly used as an adjunctive or “add-on” medication in the polypharmacy approach to managing any chronic pain. It is rarely used alone, as the sole medication for pain, even in neuropathic conditions like neck and back pain.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are, and likely always will be, the first-line choice in veterinary pain management. But gabapentin is being added more frequently when an NSAID alone isn’t helping enough. Gabapentin is so safe it can be added to virtually any of the drugs currently used for pain management in dogs. There is a recent study that shows gabapentin has a synergistic effect, which means when it’s used in combination with another drug, such as the opioid pain-reliever tramadol, the effect of both drugs are enhanced.
When adding gabapentin to a current pain protocol, you may see some effect within 24 hours, but you won’t see the maximal effect for seven to 10 days. For this reason, dosage adjustments are usually made only every couple of weeks. Be patient. Gabapentin has the potential to add much value to your dog’s current pain-management plan.
Additionally, adding gabapentin, which has minimal side effects, sometimes allows for dosage reduction of other medications like NSAIDs, which do have potentially dangerous side effects, especially with long-term use. This is a huge plus for both your dog and your veterinarian, who took an oath to “do no harm.”
What are the side effects? Nothing much. There is the potential for mild sedation and muscular weakness, which increases with higher dosages. This side effect is usually minimal at the dosages typically prescribed for pain. Veterinarians actually take advantage of this side effect by using higher dosages of gabapentin in combination with other sedative drugs like trazadone to enhance the calming effect for anxious or aggressive patients in the veterinary clinic setting.
Another common question is if dogs can take gabapentin with CBD oil. This is not recommended due to the risk of increased sedation between the two.
Sometimes a dog is too small to use the human formulations, in which case, a compounding pharmacy can formulate whichever form and dosage that the veterinarian requests.
Always consult with a veterinarian before starting your dog on any additional medications or supplements that were not originally prescribed to ensure that they are safe with your dog’s current medications.
It has also shown to be beneficial when used in combination with other pain medications—such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories or opioids—to help with pain associated with surgery.
Gabapentin is also an analgesic, meaning it provides pain relief for chronic pain and neuropathic pain. It’s most commonly used for the chronic pain associated with degenerative joint disease.
Gabapentin For Dogs: Uses
While initially used to treat seizures and nerve pain, gabapentin has also been found to be effective in managing anxiety. Below, we’ll take a look at how gabapentin works to treat pain, seizures, and anxiety.
Pain management is a primary way gabapentin is used for dogs. The drug acts as a calcium channel blocker, which blocks neurons that are stimulated by pain.3 This makes gabapentin a helpful drug for treating chronic joint pain and other persistent pain types.
Additionally, gabapentin is used to address neuropathic pain in humans, however, more research is needed to certify its effectiveness in dogs.4
As mentioned before, gabapentin belongs to a class of medicines called anticonvulsants. They are used as a prevention method for seizures. However, it is not precisely known how gabapentin for dogs works when it comes to detailed biological functioning.5
While the most common uses of gabapentin medicines include using them as an anticonvulsant to treat seizures and for pain management, many vets also prescribe gabapentin as anxiety medications to help ease anxiety in dogs.6
The current theory is that it functions by slowing down anxiety-related neurotransmitters by augmenting GABA (an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain).
Gabapentin is generally well-tolerated and side effects that do occur are typically transient and resolve with discontinuation of the medication. Sedation is the most common type of side effect of gabapentin for dogs. However, the level of drowsiness depends on exactly how your pets body reacts to the drug. To counter this, vets will taper the dose until an effective balance is reached.
Other common side effects of gabapentin in dogs include1:
If you have concerns about the medication, make sure to talk to your vet before discontinuing or changing anything. Note: Gabapentin stops working after 24 hours. However, pets with kidney or liver disease can have effects for a more extended period. Like all medicines, there is a slight chance that your dog could be allergic; in this case, avoid this medicine.
Gabapentin may be prescribed by your vet in the following doses:
Usually, gabapentin is prescribed once every 8 hours by mouth. You can give medicine with or without food. Closely and carefully follow the directions provided by your vet when administering the gabapentin medication to your dog. Your vet will determine the dosage and administration of gabapentin for your dog. Your vet will also let you know how frequently your dog needs the medication. The doses quantity, frequency, and administration will depend on your dogs weight and what your dog is being treated for. Just ensure that you take your dog to the vet and follow the guidelines closely that have been prescribed.
What’s the Right Gabapentin Dosage for Dogs? Vet Reviewed
If your pet is showing signs of being in pain, then you should take it to the veterinarian as soon as possible. The pain could be being caused by a wide variety of factors, some of which may be considered more serious than others.
Depending on your pet’s diagnosis, gabapentin may be one of the drugs your veterinarian chooses to prescribe to help treat her pain.
Gabapentin is an inhibitory neurotransmitter. The exact mechanism of how it works is currently unknown, but it is believed to affect the calcium channels in the nervous system, which ultimately reduces a dog’s ability to perceive pain.