Yes, giving gabapentin to your cat the night before a vet visit is generally considered safe and can be beneficial, particularly for anxious cats. Many veterinarians recommend this practice as part of a comprehensive sedation plan to minimize stress associated with veterinary appointments. A single dose of 100mg/cat was associated with a reduction in the levels of behavioural parameters associated with feline stress, as observed 90 to 180 minutes post-administration of the gabapentin. This effect was observed in cats given gabapentin prophylactically and in cats already showing a behavioural stress response. Pre-Vet Visit Sedation: For pre-visit anxiety, dosages of 50-75mg for smaller, older, or sick cats and 75-100mg for larger cats are often prescribed and given 2-3 hours before the appointment. Given these ranges, 100mg is often considered a moderate to higher dose within the typical spectrum, particularly for cats not of a large size, or Gabapentin, a gabapentinoid, was developed as an anticonvulsant but has analgesic and anxiolytic effects (13, 14), often with single dose administration before surgery (15). Gabapentin is anxiolytic in cats (16). Results of this study suggested that gabapentin is a safe and effective treatment for cats to help reduce stress and aggression and increase compliance for transportation and veterinary examination. The general consensus, based on veterinary advice and pharmacokinetic data, is to administer gabapentin 2 to 3 hours prior to travel for appointments like vet visits or dental procedures. This timeframe allows the medication to reach its peak effectiveness, ensuring your cat is more relaxed during the stressful experience. Even if your cat is not in pain, gabapentin can help reduce anxiety and make them feel calm. Cats of any age, from young to old, can take gabapentin as a pre-visit pharmaceutical. Medicating with Gabapentin. When using gabapentin as a pre-visit pharmaceutical, the dose is based on each cat rather than their weight. Furthermore, the researchers recommend 20mg/kg gabapentin, instead of 100mg/cat, to be given orally ~ 2-3 hours beforehand for short-term anxiolysis in cats. Cat owners should be warned that cats may be mildly sedated or wobbly up to ~ 6-8 hours after receiving gabapentin. The timing of when to give your cat Gabapentin before a vet visit can vary depending on your cat's individual needs and the reason for the visit. However, in general, it is recommended to give your cat Gabapentin about 1-2 hours before the vet visit. For cats on gabapentin for chronic pain management, Downing prescribes an additional dose of their medication (at 1-2 times the normal dose) 3 hours prior to the appointment. For some patients, in-clinic sedation is needed. The key to a less stressful veterinary visit for your feline companion often lies in proper timing when administering gabapentin. Based on pharmacokinetic studies, gabapentin should be given to cats at least 2-3 hours before a veterinary appointment to effectively mitigate fear, anxiety, and stress. This review focuses on pre-appointment medications used to decrease fear and anxiety in dogs and cats related to veterinary visits. A review of the literature revealed data on 4 medications from 4 medication classes that have been used to ameliorate acute situational fear and anxiety in dogs and cat Give oral anxiolytic at home 2-3 hours prior to visit. Options: Gabapentin 20 mg/kg PO 2 - 3 hours prior to leaving home. Trazodone approx. 10 mg/kg PO 2 hours prior to leaving home. Liquid preparations can facilitate administration of the medication and accuracy of dosing. cats (gabapentin for analgesia in cats = 5 – 10 mg/kg or 25 – 50 mg per cat, PO, BID) • The use of pre-hospital gabapentin has been the single most effective tool for reducing fear and anxiety in healthy cats that I and many clinicians have used. • Expect that cats will be ataxic and slow but not overtly sedate on this dose of gabapentin. Oral gabapentin in cats – often without additional sedation/premedication – can be used by house-call and clinic-bound veterinarians to facilitate examination, blood draws, cystocentesis, blood glucose curves, ultrasound exams and additional injections. When gabapentin has been used as part of a pre vet visit medication protocol or for cats during hospitalisation caregivers must be informed of the ongoing impact on mobility and spatial awareness. Cats must be kept inside for at least 8 hours after the last administration of gabapentin. The cats were randomly assigned to receive 100 mg of gabapentin or a placebo capsule containing lactose powder before the first visit. The capsules were given 90 minutes before they left for the vet. The treatment was reversed for each cat prior to the second visit. 2 | Fear Free℠Pre-Visit Pharmaceuticals DRUG ACTION DOSAGE* SIDE EFFECTS WARNINGS NOTES gabapentin neuropathic pain/ analgesia; calming/ sedation at higher doses; decreased anxiety Dog: 10.0-40.0 mg/kg/dose PO; Cat: 10.0-20.0 mg/kg/dose or 50.0-100.0 mg/CAT (NOT /kg); administer 1-2 hours before need may intensify sedation from A randomized, blinded, crossover clinical trial of 20 cats demonstrated that a single dose of 100 mg/cat given 90 minutes before transportation was safe and significantly reduced client perception of transportation stress and veterinarian perception of handling compliance. 8 Studies of gabapentin in community cage-trap–confined cats given 50 cats (gabapentin for analgesia in cats = 5 – 10 mg/kg or 25 – 50 mg per cat, PO, BID) The use of pre-hospital gabapentin has been the single most effective tool for reducing fear and anxiety in healthy cats that I and many clinicians have used. Expect that cats will be ataxic and slow but not overtly sedate on this dose of gabapentin.
Articles and news, personal stories, interviews with experts.
Photos from events, contest for the best costume, videos from master classes.
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |
![]() | ![]() |