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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

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Original poster

Too higher dose of Gabapentin?

23 replies

CaraVann · 25/12/2022 10:42

Merry Christmas to you and you dogs!
Hoping someone on here may be able to offer some advice/experience on a certain med?

2 weeks ago our 2 year old rescue dog became unusually aggressive.
A trip to the vets found he had an ear infection in both ears. The vet prescribed prednicare (5mg 2 x a day, now on 1 x a day). He also gave each ear a dose of Neptra (an ear solution which lasts up to 28 days), as our dog won’t let anyone near his head/ear area right now.
However, a week later he was still showing signs of aggression so obviously still not right and we wondered if he may be in pain or discomfort.
Took him back to the vets and a different vet prescribed Gabapentin.
He has been taking these for almost a week now but seems very lethargic and low in mood.
I wonder if she has over prescribed the dosage and it’s sedating him too much?
He weighs 12.4kg and she has prescribed the Gabapentin at 2 x 100mg three times a day.
I have looked online and this seems quite a bit for a smallish dog like ours.
Has anyone any experience of this medication? Would it have this effect?
Tbh, I wasn’t expecting her to prescribe such a strong medication (I know several humans on it and they have it for very serious pain management) but obviously I am no vet so maybe it’s common to prescribe this med regularly.

OP posts:

GreenFingersWouldBeHandy · 25/12/2022 10:46

Mt semi-wild cat was prescribed Gabapentin as a sedative before he had his op to be neutered. Vet gave him a double dose (he's a big lad) and it made no difference whatsoever. (I still have the scar).

You need to speak to you vet who knows your dog; appreciate that won't be today. You could try reducing the dosage a little until you can see the vet, but don't stop it all together as this could harm your dog.

Peridot1 · 25/12/2022 10:49

Gabapentin sent our elderly lab a bit loopy. Crying and not sleeping. I ended up sleeping on the sofa with her for a few nights and one night couldn’t take my hand off her or she would just cry. It can cause dementia type symptoms in dogs.

BiteyShark · 25/12/2022 10:53

Can you phone your vets to check (it should put you through to an OOO service but I find they are still willing to give advice over the phone).

tabulahrasa · 25/12/2022 10:54

Usually they’re a bit sedated for a few days to a week till they adjust to it, if he carries on like that, it might need adjusting a bit for him.

Original poster

CaraVann · 25/12/2022 11:28

Thank you everyone
I made a mistake, he’s only been taking these for 3 days (dh has been doing the meds and we’ve had several vet visits so a little confused).
Hopefully, it’s still early days and he’ll settle down. I may just ring the out of hours service though and see what they recommend.

OP posts:

NutsandPuffs · 25/12/2022 12:07

For gabapentin use in dogs 10-30mg/kg every 8 to 12 hours is the dose range, your dog is getting 16 mg/kg/ dose so the dose is safe. Sedation is a common side effect. You could try 150mg every 8 hours (challenging w capsules rather than tablets) or 200mg every 12 hours. Or just wait a little time and he may become more tolerant.

Lonecatwithkitten · 25/12/2022 19:27

It is very common to see some sedation in the first few days - happens to humans to. Usually it wears off.

Original poster

CaraVann · 26/12/2022 00:16

That’s good to know, thank you,

OP posts:

Suzi888 · 28/12/2022 21:22

Gabapentin for an ear infection…. Mine has had steroids, gels, antibiotic ear drops, ear wash and massages but never Gabapentin.

Original poster

CaraVann · 28/12/2022 21:38

Suzi888 tbh, I wasn’t expecting the vet to prescribe such such a strong medication.

OP posts:

stockpilingallthecheese · 28/12/2022 21:53

Gabapentin made my dog really ill - he started very lethargic then was basically shitting bloody water so had to be rushed back to the vets. They changed him on to something else and he was fine after a few days but it was pretty scary!

annonymousse · 28/12/2022 22:08

My dog is 12.4kg and she is prescribed 150mg every 8 hours. She has a bad back. The vet is unsure if it's sciatica or a slipped disc and the gabapentin along with paracetamol and a steroid is keeping her comfy. She is thirsty but no other noticeable side effect.

Original poster

CaraVann · 28/12/2022 22:15

stockpilingallthecheese he did have diarrhoea for a few days and I noticed a little bit of blood in it, it has settled but his tummy is still a bit upset. I’m ri gi g the vet tomorrow as I’m not sure it’s the right med for him.
annonymousse it seems most dogs that are on Gabapentin have bad back, limb or arthritic pain, I can’t seem to find anything online about this med for ear infection pain though.

OP posts:

annonymousse · 29/12/2022 03:56

@CaraVann I agree it seems a strange medicine for an ear infection. I thought it is prescribed for nerve pain.

Panicmode1 · 29/12/2022 07:02

My (35kg) goldie has just come off gabapentin after 6 months, following spinal injections due to sacrolumbar disease...she's a different dog now she's off the meds; I really hadn't realised how lethargic she had been on it. However, the drugs plus spinal treatment have transformed her quality of life, so it worked for her. I've met several other owners of dogs being treated with gabapentin since we started on this treatment, all due to arthritis/nerve/back pain.

I'm not a vet, but using it for an ear infection seems odd to me. Hope your dog is better v soon.

Original poster

CaraVann · 29/12/2022 12:47

annonymousse Panicmode1 I think I need to double check with the surgery as he has started bringing up yellow foamy bile the last 2 mornings. Not sure if it’s a side effect of the Gabapentin or the Prednicare for the ear infection?
Tbh, I don’t have a huge amount of confidence in this particular vet (we hadn’t requested we see her as both the appointments were urgent). She told me last year that I was making a huge fuss regarding our other dog, after I had found a massive lump in his abdomen. She said it was nothing. It was actually a huge histiocytic sarcoma in his spleen, he passed away this summer!

OP posts:

Panicmode1 · 29/12/2022 13:14

Oh no @CaraVann that sounds horrid. Poor dog. I would defo go back - mine was not sick at all on the Gabapentin.

annonymousse · 29/12/2022 13:31

@CaraVann I agree. Sounds like it doesn't agree with your dog. I also agree with your lack of confidence in your vet from your experience with your other dog. Can you join a different practice?

Original poster

CaraVann · 29/12/2022 14:45

There are a couple of really good vets at the practice annonymousse, I’ll try to get an appointment with one of them, if not we’ll try a different surgery.

OP posts:

tabulahrasa · 30/12/2022 07:23

If it helps - they’ve had to go up a level with painkillers because they can’t combine steroids with NSAIDs.

re being sick, as far as I can remember, the stomach side effect it’s most likely to have is increased appetite, I know my previous dog was still allowed while recovering from surgery for an ulcer... so I think it can’t be too harsh on stomachs.

When I’ve had dogs throwing up yellow bile first thing it’s been because they needed fed, adding in supper or a largish snack right at bedtime solved it - with steroids and gabapentin it might be he just needs fed a bit later...cause he thinks he’s starving.

Like, obviously, phone/ see the vet as it’s new and I’m not a medical expert of any kind.

Suzi888 · 30/12/2022 12:40

See another vet.
Dar infections can make a dog throw up as it disorientates the inner ear affecting balance. I would stop Gabapentin.
You can give human paracetamol, (my vet told me). My dog takes a caplet three times a day. He’s a 44kg Lab though. Check with your vet.
Mine takes Gabapentin and Galliprant for arthritis and has Librela jabs.
He recently has an ear infection and the vet put gel in his ears, it just gets left in there- it was pricey and I’m not sure what it was (£143). But I didn’t have to wash them or use drops and the gel lasts a month.

Original poster

CaraVann · 30/12/2022 17:04

tabulahrasa The vet did say there were many meds she wouldn’t be able to prescribe with Gabapentin but tbh I was expecting something more like paracetamol (which my other dog had many times before).
Suzi888 we stopped the Gabapentin a day ago but his anxiety has risen since (he suffers terribly with anxiety). I was hoping the vet would have prescribed paracetamol as the Gabapentin seems quite a strong med. The first vet administered Neptra ear drops as a one-off med lasting 28 days (did your dog have this?), we have another appointment on 9th January to recheck. He said it was quite a bad ear infection and he had lots of wax too so I’m not sure what we will do about that?

OP posts:

tabulahrasa · 30/12/2022 18:45

He might be a bit light for an easy dose of paracetamol... as far as I know, dogs have a much lower tolerance than people - the dog on gabapentin was also on pardale, which the paracetamol part was about human dose, but he was 40kg.

I get why you’d think, seems a bit strong... but I’m thinking, well it’s not tramadol or buprenorphine 😂both of which I’ve had pets on ... so suppose it depends on your viewpoint a bit, so just trying to be a bit reassuring.

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