Sedation is the main potential side effect of gabapentin, and the level of sleepiness varies from patient to patient. Veterinarians will prescribe a starting dose, and if this results in the dog becoming a little too sedate, the veterinarian will taper the dose down to the most effective one. When figuring out how much Gabapentin to give your dog, it’s important to base it on your dog’s weight and health condition. Typically, Gabapentin is used for pain, seizures, or anxiety in dogs. For pain relief, a common dose is around 5-10 mg/kg taken every 8 to 12 hours. Gabapentin’s calming and sedative effects can help dogs feel more relaxed in high-stress situations, making it a good option for dogs with generalized anxiety or noise phobias. To use Gabapentin for anxiety, it’s typically given 1-2 hours before the anxiety-inducing event. Dosages can vary, but commonly gabapentin is dosed in dogs at 5-30 mg/kg up to three times daily,3 though in our own patients we have used 10-40 mg/kg up to three times daily as well. Gabapentin has anxiolytic, sedative, analgesic, and anticonvulsive properties. 1-5 Oral gabapentin causes anxiolysis and sedation in humans and reduces fear responses in cats. 1-4 Although published data on gabapentin’s use for anxiolysis and sedation are lacking, anecdotal clinical experience supports its use. Melatonin is a naturally NB: The sedative dose (>20 mg/kg) is higher than the analgesic dose of gabapentin in 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. FELINE PRE-EUTHANASIA SEDATION PROTOCOLS *Given orally the night before, in the morning and 2 hours before the appointment. Preappointment ORAL sedation* REACTIVE PATIENT TRAZODONE GABAPENTIN BUPRENORPHINE 50-100 mg/cat 50-100 mg/cat 0.1 mg/cat **Add 0.1 cc of maple syrup to Ketamine to reduce bitterness. In-clinic ORAL sedation Drugs – and more importantly the drug dosages – for sedation/anesthesia/analgesia should be chosen based on the patient’s degree of fear/anxiety or aggression, level of pain, and sedation/anesthesia risk level (ASA Status, Table 1). Also consider the anticipated degree of restraint required, invasiveness of the procedure that the pet is Gabapentin, a gabapentinoid with anticonvulsant and analgesic properties, appears to provide anxiolysis and dose-dependent sedation in veterinary species. 5,7–12 A recent study 6 in dogs reported decreased lip-licking, a sign of stress, after 50 mg of gabapentin/kg was administered PO 2 hours prior to the veterinary visits. Exogenous Abstract. 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 cats: gabapentin, trazodone, oral transmucosal dexmedetomidine, and alprazolam. 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. Gabapentin may be given with or without food. If a dose is skipped, do not double up on the next dose; however, if you are unsure if a dose was accepted, the only consequence of dosing extra will likely be sedation and incoordination, manageable with confining your pet safely in their crate or pet-proof area of a room, etc. Gabapentin Dosage for Dogs. The general rule of the thumb is that dogs should receive around 5 mg of Gabapentin per kg of body weight every 12 hours. However, there are many individual variations and factors, meaning finding the correct Gabapentin dosage for your dog might take experimentation. Gabapentin can be helpful for preclinical sedation, either alone or in combination with other anxiolytics or sedatives. It can help reduce anxiety and fear-based aggressive behaviors in Gabapentin is commonly used as a mild sedative to treat situational anxiety, for example, just before a vet visit. Gabapentin dose for dogs can vary, but usually IMPORTANT: The authors, reviewers, and editors of the material in the 2020 AAHA Anesthesia and Monitoring Guidelines for Dogs and Cats have made extensive efforts to ensure that treatments, drugs, and dosage regimens are accurate and conform to the standards accepted at the time of publication. is particularly emotionally challenged by a veterinary visit it is possible to combine trazodone with gabapentin using the following recommended dose: • Trazodone 4-12 mg/kg PO and Gabapentin 20 mg/kg PO Gabapentin 50–150 mg/cat PO, 20–40 mg/kg PO (dog) 2–3 hr before visit Trazodone 3–7.5 mg/kg PO (dog) Alpha-2 agonist Dexmedetomidine gel OTM. Use label dose for patient size** Light sedation Opioid Butorphanol 0.2–0.4 mg/kg IV/IM Benzodiazepine Midazolam 0.2 mg/kg, IV/IM Moderate sedation Opioid Butorphanol 0.4 mg/kg IM or With alprazolam a test dose of 0.01 mg/kg can be given first as those animals that react with agitation will often do so at the very low dose. If there is no reaction at the low dose you should then trial the therapeutic dose on a different day as some dogs do show a reaction at the higher dose. The dosage of gabapentin for sedation varies depending on several factors, including your dog’s weight, age, and overall health. Typically, a veterinarian will prescribe a lower dosage for sedation compared to treating seizures.
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