Gabapentin Side Effects in Cats. The most common side effects seen in cats with gabapentin are lethargy and abnormal walking/movement, which is called ataxia. It is important to note that some of these effects may be expected or even desired when gabapentin is used intentionally as a sedative. Effects typically start to wear off within 12 hours. Diarrhea and throwing up, diarrhea is a known side effect of Gabapentin but also a symptom of overdose. At first I thought it was the baby food I gave him the pill in (because I had to give a lot to get a high dose in him) but I have given my cat baby food before with other medication and never had an incident like today. In this article, we will discuss Gabapentin for cats side effects as it relates to pets, including interesting trends, common concerns, and answers to frequently asked questions. Trend #1: Increased Use of Gabapentin in Veterinary Medicine I had a cat who was extremely chilled at carriers and car rides but the minute we were in the vet waiting room he’d crap in his carrier, turn round and sniff it then projectile vomit over the top of it. Every time it was the same, we ended up having to wait in the car and go in through the side door lol and he was fine. The vet prescribed gabapentin for my cat, and after two doses she has become very sluggish and uncoordinated. While this does seem to be a normal side effect, it's still worrying to see her like this. Every drug has risks and side effects. Your vet chose to prescribe it because they believe the potential benefits outweigh the potential side effects. If every cat, or even a high percentage of cats, given Convenia dropped dead from anemia or kidney damage or something from it, vets wouldn't give it at all. Side Effects Common side effects of gabapentin. Gabapentin can cause several common side effects, including dizziness, drowsiness, and fatigue. Other commonly reported side effects include headache, nausea, and blurred vision. These side effects are usually mild and tend to improve over time as the body adjusts to the medication. Answer: Common side effects of gabapentin in cats may include drowsiness, loss of appetite, vomiting, and diarrhea. If your cat experiences any of these side effects, contact your veterinarian for guidance. Gabapentin was prescribed to my cat for pain, and the amazing side effect is that she is now so much more relaxed and cuddly. Seems like a great medication with low risk and low undesirable side effects. If an everyday dose gives you and your cat a high quality of life, that's all that matters. My dog was prescribed gabapentin in combination with an SSRI for reactivity and we actually discontinued it after a couple of weeks because she started showing signs of bad side effects. Increased anxiety, diarrhea, vomiting - she even threw up blood at one point!! The bad side effects are a small subset of the people taking it, and those are the ones who post most often on a board like this Reddit board. Reply reply redditor8675039 I know a specialist veterinary behaviourist who uses doses up to 200mg gabapentin in cats. It does have sedative effects so those symptoms are to be expected, and will resolve with time. One of my patients has to have his mom drive him because of low energy and sleepiness side effects he gets from gabapentin. I'm not a psychiatrist, just a TMS tech, but most of our onsite MDs and psychiatrists recommend weaning off it if it is possible to reduce the risk of treatment not being as effective as it could be. At this point in time, r/AskVet's official position is "While research is ongoing regarding CBD products for dogs and cats, the available data are both mixed in quality and in results. Given the very real concerns surrounding manufacturing standards of CBD products, the difficult legal status of the products, and the availability of medications Wednesday evening, he broke with diarrhea, which is listed as a side effect of gabapentin. Called the vet yesterday, who said to reduce the dose of gabapentin to half a pill. Today the diarrhea persists, and it has gotten more frequent. Your vet wasn’t making a mistake by prescribing gabapentin to your kitty—they just should have given you a better idea of possible side effects. You can absolutely stop it cold turkey, or you can reduce the dose—but you might want to talk to your doctor about other pain management options. Neither medication should have any negative side-effects. We often prescribe gabapentin or both for cats and dogs with anxiety and it tends to work well. Keep in mind that, while you'll see the sedation effects of gabapentin rather quickly (within hours), the fluoxetine can take weeks to take effect. Be patient. Dog2 was on Gabapentin when she had pancreatitis. For her, it is definitely not the right drug. She had the usual side effects and some of the rarer side effects. YMMV. Dog2 has a liver defect and some other health issues -- lots of things have side effects or weird interactions with her that are perfectly ok for other dogs. My cat died in my arms after taking GABAPENTIN with a dose that was too high for her. My heart hurts everyday that she's gone. I do understand it helps with pain for certain pets but I lost mine at only 7 years old. Yes, cats with kidney disease may be more sensitive to the effects of gabapentin. The medication may not be processed as efficiently, leading to prolonged sedation and a risk of hypotension. The medication may not be processed as efficiently, leading to prolonged sedation and a risk of hypotension.
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