Long Term Gabapentin or Paroxetine for anxiety/aggression

[katiekat89]

Hello! I have posted here recently about my cats Eleanor and Theodore. Theodore has had some behavior issues since I have had him (I got him as a kitten, he’s about 2.5 now) but lately has been more aggressive with Eleanor (4) and won’t back down when she hisses/growls at him. His issues included inappropriate urination, meowing throughout the night, eating things he’s not supposed to (he recently threw up a small felt ball he had ingested, he has also eaten parts off the plastic wands on his toys as well as mechanical pencils), pulling at the fabric on blankets/rugs.

I took him to the vet on Thursday for a work up to see if something medical may be going on that could be causing the increased aggression with his sister. They did a blood panel and urinalysis and did not find anything. He had tried Prozac before but it caused him to be constipated and not pee. The vet suggested trying gabapentin as that’s a more fast acting drug and can also help with anxiety. I gave some to him Friday morning (100mg, he’s a 10 lb cat), and he threw up about 2 hours later, then was just completely lethargic and lost his coordination. I know these are normal side effects (except for the vomiting) but it was sad to see him that way. I’m wondering if anyone has had their cat on gabapentin long term and has seen improvement in the side effects and if it has been effective in helping with anxiety and/or aggression.

The vet also mentioned Paroxetine (Paxil) as an option that is supposed to have less gastrointestinal side effects. Obviously that one would take longer to start working but curious about anyone’s experience using that with their cat to treat anxiety and/or aggression?

Thank you!!

 

[iPappy]

Hello! I have posted here recently about my cats Eleanor and Theodore. Theodore has had some behavior issues since I have had him (I got him as a kitten, he’s about 2.5 now) but lately has been more aggressive with Eleanor (4) and won’t back down when she hisses/growls at him. His issues included inappropriate urination, meowing throughout the night, eating things he’s not supposed to (he recently threw up a small felt ball he had ingested, he has also eaten parts off the plastic wands on his toys as well as mechanical pencils), pulling at the fabric on blankets/rugs.

I took him to the vet on Thursday for a work up to see if something medical may be going on that could be causing the increased aggression with his sister. They did a blood panel and urinalysis and did not find anything. He had tried Prozac before but it caused him to be constipated and not pee. The vet suggested trying gabapentin as that’s a more fast acting drug and can also help with anxiety. I gave some to him Friday morning (100mg, he’s a 10 lb cat), and he threw up about 2 hours later, then was just completely lethargic and lost his coordination. I know these are normal side effects (except for the vomiting) but it was sad to see him that way. I’m wondering if anyone has had their cat on gabapentin long term and has seen improvement in the side effects and if it has been effective in helping with anxiety and/or aggression.

The vet also mentioned Paroxetine (Paxil) as an option that is supposed to have less gastrointestinal side effects. Obviously that one would take longer to start working but curious about anyone’s experience using that with their cat to treat anxiety and/or aggression?

Thank you!!

This doesn't involve a cat, but a friend of mine has a dog that is/was on Paxil (I haven't talked to her lately, so IDK if it's long term or not). When she told me about it, she said he seemed much happier on it, and she's using this to work on some issues he's been having. (His issues are anxiety, not aggression.)
Like you, I have not had good results when using Prozac.
I hope you get these issues ironed out!

 

[katiekat89]

Thanks!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Did they, by any chance, do a hormone check on him? VERY rarely, there is an incomplete neuter (although it is far more typical in spays), and those errant hormones can cause all sorts of issues. Unlikely, but worth a shot.

I've known several cats on both gab and Paxil. They did well, and some of them were able to taper down, and a few able to taper completely off in time.

 

[katiekat89]

Did they, by any chance, do a hormone check on him? VERY rarely, there is an incomplete neuter (although it is far more typical in spays), and those errant hormones can cause all sorts of issues. Unlikely, but worth a shot.

I've known several cats on both gab and Paxil. They did well, and some of them were able to taper down, and a few able to taper completely off in time.

That’s interesting, I don’t believe they did do a hormone check. What does that even entail?

I’m glad to hear those cats were eventually able to taper off. My fear is that the gabapentin will only be useful when it’s given to him - meaning if I am late in giving him a dose or miss a dose he will start acting up again. Since it’s twice a day right now (every 12 hours) that seems like it could be hard for me to be able to do consistently long term as I don’t have a partner to help and he can be shy around visitors. But we’ll see. I just spoke with the vet and she said some cats only take it once a day at night, so I can play around a bit and we can see what works.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

The hormone test is a blood test, I believe.

 

[Attiboy8]

Hello! I have posted here recently about my cats Eleanor and Theodore. Theodore has had some behavior issues since I have had him (I got him as a kitten, he’s about 2.5 now) but lately has been more aggressive with Eleanor (4) and won’t back down when she hisses/growls at him. His issues included inappropriate urination, meowing throughout the night, eating things he’s not supposed to (he recently threw up a small felt ball he had ingested, he has also eaten parts off the plastic wands on his toys as well as mechanical pencils), pulling at the fabric on blankets/rugs.

I took him to the vet on Thursday for a work up to see if something medical may be going on that could be causing the increased aggression with his sister. They did a blood panel and urinalysis and did not find anything. He had tried Prozac before but it caused him to be constipated and not pee. The vet suggested trying gabapentin as that’s a more fast acting drug and can also help with anxiety. I gave some to him Friday morning (100mg, he’s a 10 lb cat), and he threw up about 2 hours later, then was just completely lethargic and lost his coordination. I know these are normal side effects (except for the vomiting) but it was sad to see him that way. I’m wondering if anyone has had their cat on gabapentin long term and has seen improvement in the side effects and if it has been effective in helping with anxiety and/or aggression.

The vet also mentioned Paroxetine (Paxil) as an option that is supposed to have less gastrointestinal side effects. Obviously that one would take longer to start working but curious about anyone’s experience using that with their cat to treat anxiety and/or aggression?

Thank you!!

Hi Katiekat89!
Just wondering what the end result with the gabapentin was for your cat. Did the side effects subside, and did the aggression improve? I’m considering trying it for my cat, after both clomicalm and fluoxetine causing him to have urinary retention.

I would love to hear from your experience!