The question of whether gabapentin is harmful to cats’ kidneys is complex and requires a nuanced answer. The short answer is: gabapentin does not directly cause kidney damage in most cases. However, its use in cats with pre-existing kidney disease warrants considerable caution. In healthy cats gaba gets flushed out in few hours but in ckd cats it takes maybe twice as much. Its pretty safe for the kidneys, many of us use it regularly and long term. My ckd cat takes about a third of a 100mg daily and he tolerates it fine. He is 6kg. He just gets more relaxed with subQs. But if your cat has never had it, it might knock What is the recommended gabapentin dosage for cats with kidney disease? While the standard dosage for healthy cats is 20mg/kg, cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) should be given a reduced dose of 10mg/kg. The question of whether gabapentin is safe for cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) is complex and requires careful consideration. The short answer is: it can be safe when used judiciously, but it’s not without risks and requires dosage adjustments due to the kidneys’ role in its elimination. The same five healthy cats plus 25 cats with stable International Renal Interest Society stage 2 (n = 14) and 3 (n = 11) CKD were enrolled in a limited sampling study. Cats in both groups received a single 10 mg/kg dose of gabapentin, and serum gabapentin concentrations and compliance scores were obtained 3 and 8 h post-administration. Cats with chronic kidney disease (CKD) exhibit higher serum concentrations of gabapentin, indicating a need for dose adjustment. It’s essential to administer lower doses to avoid potential toxicity and monitor their response closely. Cats with higher serum gabapentin concentrations were more compliant at the 3h mark. No CKD cats were considered to be overly sedated at the 10mg/kg dose. One limitation of this study was that all of the healthy cats were fairly young compared to the CKD cats so age may have played a factor, although this has not been demonstrated in human studies. Two of my cats have had gabapentin. It does help with pain, but in one of my two cats it turns him into a total zombie. The good news is that within 48hrs of stopping the gabapentin, both my cats are back to normal. There are various other painkillers available. Even cats with CKD can take NSAIDs such as loxicom. Investigating appropriate dosing for gabapentin sedation in cats with and without chronic kidney disease (2017) Winn Feline Foundation reports on the study's goals and Gabapentin sedation in cats with and without chronic kidney disease (2020) Winn Feline Foundation gives an update, stating that CKD cats seem to have much higher levels of The 20 mg/kg stress-reduction dose of gabapentin may be beneficial to facilitate preventive veterinary care in younger, healthy cats, but this dose may be inappropriate for elderly cats, specifically those with chronic kidney disease (CKD). The question of whether gabapentin is harmful for cats with kidney disease is complex and doesn’t have a simple yes or no answer. While gabapentin isn’t inherently nephrotoxic (toxic to kidneys), its use in cats with pre-existing kidney issues requires careful consideration and monitoring. In conclusion, gabapentin has emerged as a promising treatment option for cats with kidney disease, offering pain relief and improved quality of life for feline patients. With personalized dosing, multi-modal therapy, and client education, veterinarians can effectively incorporate gabapentin into comprehensive treatment plans for cats with
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