Gabapentin’s effect on horses can be broadly summarized as follows: It’s used mainly for pain management, especially neuropathic pain; it does have sedative side effects in some cases; and it’s generally well-tolerated by horses when administered appropriately. In the recent study, researchers used 14 horses with long-lasting forelimb lameness to evaluate the pain-relieving effects of oral gabapentin. Gabapentin was tested against a control and two other treatments: firocoxib (a popular NSAID) and a combination of firocoxib and gabapentin. orally administered gabapentin in horses has been described in several clinical reports (Davis et al. 2007; Dutton et al. 2009; Readfordetal.2013).However,Caldwelletal.(2015)reported no subjective improvement in lameness in horses administered gabapentin at oral doses of 5 and 10 mg kge1 three times daily for 14 days. Following baseline measurement of lameness, horses were administered each of four treatments orally in grain: treatment G, gabapentin (20 mg kg –1) twice daily for 13 doses; treatment F, firocoxib (171 mg once, then 57 mg once daily for six doses); treatment GF, gabapentin and firocoxib at previously stated doses and frequencies; or treatment C, grain only as a control. How this Medication is Used. Gabapentin is usually used to manage chronic pain, especially nerve-related pain. It is also used (primarily in cats) to relieve anxiety associated with veterinary procedures, travel, and other fear-generating situations. Gabapentin can also be used as an additional medication in seizure management. 4. Can Gabapentin Cause Sedation in Horses? Yes, sedation is the most common side effect of gabapentin in horses. Horses may become sleepy, lethargic, or less reactive. 5. Will My Horse Be Wobbly on Gabapentin? Some horses may experience mild ataxia, presenting as unsteadiness or clumsiness. This is usually mild and resolves as the medication Gabapentin is a Class 3, penalty category B drug according to the Association of Racing Commissioners International, meaning it is deemed to have certain uses in racehorses. Under the Horse Racing Gabapentin is effective alone as an analgesic in only 30% of people; I think the same is true with horses. This medication can, however, be useful when combined with anti-inflammatory medications.” Tramadol: While not necessarily endorsing this medication, Hector said that tramadol might be worth a try for horses with chronic pain such as Firocoxib is a COX-2 inhibitor. This product is FDA-approved for use in horses with OA, but manufacturer instructions state that it can only be administered for 14 consecutive days (for safety Gabapentin is widely used for neuropathic pain. However; in my opinion, there are much better drugs on the market now to treat such types of neuropathy. Although, Gaba does tend to be a lot less expensive. Gabapentin is being used in horses although its pharmacokinetic (PK) profile, pharmacodynamic (PD) effects and safety in the equine are not fully investigated. Therefore, we characterized PKs and cardiovascular and behav-ioral effects of gabapentin in horses. 8. What oral pain meds are commonly used in horses? Common oral pain medications include phenylbutazone (“bute”), firocoxib (Equioxx), and flunixin meglumine (Banamine). 9. Is gabapentin used as a sedative in horses? Gabapentin is an antiepileptic drug that has sedative properties and is sometimes used for pain management and as a sedative Gabapentin has been used to treat chronic pain in people and small animals. To date, no study has reported its use in horses for the treatment of chronic painful conditions. The clinical effectiveness of gabapentin as an analgesic in horses with chronic lameness was evaluated in a double-blinded crossover study. Gabapentin has been used extensively for the treatment of pain of nerve origin in horses, and, more recently, for the treatment of other painful conditions including laminitis. It has been used at a dose rate of 5mg/kg to 20mg/kg, although the author has only been convinced of clinical effect at the top end of that range. Thus, current evidence does not support the use of oral tramadol alone in horses. Gabapentin and lidocaine have provided analgesia in a rat model of neuropathic pain 72, and gabapentin administration reportedly improved hindlimb pain that was probably associated with femoral neuropathy in one horse 73. The short answer is: possibly, but it’s not a straightforward solution. While gabapentin has shown promise in treating certain types of pain in horses, particularly neuropathic pain, it’s not a first-line pain reliever like non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). The duration of gabapentin use in horses is highly individualized, dependent on several factors including the horse’s specific condition, its response to the medication, the dosage, and the veterinarian’s professional assessment. Gabapentin has been used in horses for many years, and is often prescribed as adjunct therapy for horses with pain rising from laminitis, particularly as part of a multimodal approach to pain management. In horses, gabapentin has been administered as an analgesic for chronic pain management. In conclusion, when used in combination with other drugs, gabapentin can be considered an interesting therapeutic option for the treatment of neuropathic diseases and analgesia in postoperative and chronic pain. Methods: Following baseline measurement of lameness, horses were administered each of four treatments orally in grain: treatment G, gabapentin (20 mg kg-1) twice daily for 13 doses; treatment F, firocoxib (171 mg once, then 57 mg once daily for six doses); treatment GF, gabapentin and firocoxib at previously stated doses and frequencies; or
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