Gabapentin Before Vet Visit

Hi
Has anyone used gabapentin before vet visits? I was given 100mg tabs, one to give night before one bedfore.

What exactly does this do & has anyone done??
Thanks for the info

amandag1 , here are some discussions on the topic :-

gabapentin-dose.342105

going-to-the-vet.390383

biggest-challenge-with-bringing-in-my-feral-and-gabapentin.386072

stressful-journey.388289

What is the vet visit for? Gabapentin helps with pain and inflammation.

I would call and ask your vet exactly why he/she ordered it. Also, double check the dose. 100mg seems awfully high. The dose for my girl, to help with her stomatitis, was 10mg twice a day.

Gabapentin is supposed to work as a pain and inflammation reducer, it also causes sedation as a side effect. It is supposed to manage neuropathic pain , such as nerve pain. It is also to reduce anxiety as well.

They use gabapentin for vet visits if the pet is very anxious.

Gabapetin works as a sedative. Does your cat get super stressed out during vet visits?

If used as a sedative, it's typically only given 2 hours before a vet visit. The sedative effect may last a couple of hours and a cat may stumble around and act "drunk" until the sedative wears off. It's best to keep a close eye on the cat after a sedative is given and confine the cat to one safe room and limit jumping, running, etc to prevent injury.

If you're not sure what a medicine is for even if a vet prescribes it, always ask the vet Don't feel like a bother or a pain for not knowing why a medicine is prescribed. I suggest that you call the vet today and ask.

Yes, call your vet and ask....100mg is given to sedate and make a cat less stressed. It is for pain when given in small amounts. Given 90 minutes as a minimum before vists, 1.5 -2 hours is perfect. One the night before would wear off by morning. Call your vet and get exact instructions.

I should have been a little bit more clear. My kitty Louie has CHF and we went in for a followup and he was very very very nervous. His RR shot up to 80 and his HR was really high. The vet suggested Gabapentin 100mg night before and morning of to reduce the stress for the next followup.

I'm a little worried with how high the dosage is, and given that he has CHF....stumbling around and being unstable would scare the crap out of me, but on the flip side, the vet can't accurately measure his breathing if he is so scared.

Generally speaking gabapentin is a very safe drug to give cats. It is very helpful for calming stressed cats and making the vet experience better for them. I think it will be especially helpful for a CHF cat. 100mg is a standard dose. I think your kitty will be okay, but keep an eye on him just in case. You will probably notice his pupils get large and dilated while on this medication. I understand being worried, though. Have you called the vet to ask about it?

That is a very standard dose to use for this purpose. I give my kitties the same dose before they have to get blood work so they don't get as stressed. Don't be concerned if he seems a bit drunk it's pretty normal. I would much rather my cats be a bit tipsy for their visits than scared. I think it is really fantastic for vet visits.

Yes it was prescribed in a higher dose for its sedative purposes. If it was being used to manage pain it would be a smaller dose.

Gabepentin worked REALLY well driving 2 VERY stressed out cats who hate leaving the house, going on car rides, and being caged, travel from Ohio to California when I moved out there 2 years ago. They didn't make a peep of protest, just sat in their cages purring away the entire time. I honestly was shocked how well it worked.

We also use 100 mg before vet visit for one of my cats.
I am so thankfull for it as he was almost untouchable without it.
They can actually look at him now.
Yey!

The vet told me to give my cat 2 100mg before the vet. Maya is a beast at the vet...like a demon has possessed her. 1 does nothing, 2 helped. They were actually able to draw blood. Normally the vet will be lucky if they can even look at her. After they took the blood she started fighting them again, but when she got home she was all over the place like she was drunk. Of course She still jumps on things so I’m constantly watching her. Taking her to the vet is an all day affair.

i have taken gabapentin myself, it helped calm the nervous system in several ways

Thanks all for the replies! The rx instructions say one the night before and one an hour before the visit....
I was just worried about how sedative it can be since he has HCM and CHF and I don't want to mistake sedation for lethargy or breathing issues

My vet told me that there are no cardiac side effects so it is safe for him, but I still feel nervous.
His RR and HR shot up during his Monday visit so its hard to measure how he is doing if he is so anxious