Cat refusing medicine (gabapentin)

[TipsyBrickPanda]

Hi all - I’m really struggling with my old girl today 🥲 a bit of a whinge and a question incoming!

By way of background she is 19 and I took her home from the SSPCA about 6 months ago. She is on two types of medicine for arthritis, metacam (liquid) and gabepentin in tablet form. The gabapentin is meant to be given twice a day, twelve hours apart.

There’s no way I can force anything into her mouth because she will bite and scratch. So I usually crush the tablets and mix in with a lick e lix on top of her food. Last week I tried her with those pill pockets but she’s not too keen. She LOVES if it’s hidden in cheese (which is my last resort!) but it’s not good for her tummy and she sits by the fridge begging so I’m not doing cheese anymore.

Anyway this morning she is just completely refusing it in any form and also her food. My question is, is it ok if she misses the odd dose of gabapentin? 😬 I’ll see when she goes for her bowl and if necessary drop this evenings dose. I just get so worried!

She is a bit out of sorts this week as it is which isn’t helping - a combination of me painting the living room and the cheese bribes giving her an upset tummy. So we’ve had lots and lots of yelling, plus sick and poop accidents last night. I am really nervous as I’m going away for a few days next week 😩 I don’t think a vet trip is needed but I’ll see how she is over the weekend.

I used gabapentin liquid for my cat. It was much easier. It was more expensive, but since it was on the insurance it didn't matter.

Is it the metacam upsetting her tummy? My cat had it for a while a few months ago. And was fine. But was vomiting this time on it.

Agree with the above, You can get Gabapentin in liquid form and in chicken flavour too. I actually have some in my cupboard right now because one of my cats has recurrent pancreatitis.
No missing the odd dose won’t harm her, but it will make her uncomfortable. Gabapentin is an extremely effective and powerful pain killer for cats, and a cat in pain will stop eating. That’s where you head into dangerous territory, cats cannot go for long without food. Ask your vet to prescribe it in the flavoured liquid form, that’ll be much easier to disguise in a lik-e-lix, especially the chicken flavoured one

At 19 I think you need to be thinking about her quality of life (upsetting I know). Is she still a happy girl or is her life now just an endless struggle ?
I lost my last little (rescue) girl at apx 19 and was gutted we didn't get to 20 but it was her time and although it broke my heart I couldn't she her struggling. Turns out she did have a large "swelling" inside and the vet advised it was her time but it's still hard.
Gentle Hugs and love to you both xx

the cheese bribes giving her an upset tummy

Also this, do not give cats any form of dairy. They are lactose intolerant, it gives them the runs and makes them vomit-which in turn gives them terrible stomach cramps.
You will find the odd cat that can tolerate dairy, but most can’t. This is likely what’s causing her to be off her food.
Please don’t give her any more.

Here is the offender 😻 she does really well for her age but yes this morning I did have the thought that her QOL may be going down hill. It’s sad but I was always under no illusion that I wouldn’t have a very long time with her at 19!

I ordered her repeat prescription last night so I’ve just spoken to the vets and asked if they can do the liquid gabapentin instead. It’s about twice the price (£130 compared to £62) so I’ll see how we go with the liquid for this month and can always go back to the tablets if it doesn’t actually make a difference.

Yea she’s fine with a bit but it was obv too much. I was in a lose-lose situation though because they can be really poorly if the gabapentin suddenly stops.

Have you thought about switching her to the solensia monthly injection for arthritis? My cat is almost 17 and it has been amazing for her - very sprightly again.

Oh, she's a beauty 😍. How lovely that she's got you to care for her. The time you spend together will mean the world to her and to know she loved and cared for at the end is what matters most.
I adopted a tatty 15 year who weighed a stone, had a stump for a tail, wouldn't groom himself due to depression and cost me a fortune to have a ear tumour (and most of his ear) removed. BUT we had a wonderful 5 years together ❤️ (he gave me scabies as well 🐱🐱
If she's refusing food have you tried her on cat soup ? Sainsburys do their own and maybe she's like that.
Also warm her food up if you can as they are more tempted by the smell. Just a few seconds in the microwave.

Oh OP she’s absolutely gorgeous! 😍 I would have adopted her in a nano second too

When I was trying to get Gabapentin into my extremely feisty and terrified of change cat, I ended up crushing the tablets to powder between 2 spoons then dipping the tips of little bits of chicken breast into the result. Yes he had an awful lot of chicken that morning, but having tried just about everything else we could think of better that than trying to catch him for the vet visit without any meds - last time I still have the scars about 6 weeks later!