Struggling with gabapentin

njg55

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A dental veterinarian prescribed transdermal gabapentin for my cat following cryosurgery. She also told me to contact my regular vet if I had any problems before the next cryotherapy procedure in a month. I had some questions, so I did that, and the second doctor told me the transdermal formulation doesn't work and prescribed the tiny "mini melt" tablets along with a dexamethasone tablet (also Buprenex). She advised me to put both the gabapentin and steroid in a small gel capsule to disguise the taste. While my cat is only about 8 pounds and now has no teeth, we had a terrible battle getting it down her; it must have taken half a dozen tries, and her she had some bleeding in the mouth, perhaps because the struggle affected the sores from surgery that might not be healed. I feel stuck, if the transdermal doesn't work and pilling her is risky, what can I do? Could I dissolve the tablet (or both) in a liquid like water or broth and give it with a syringe? I'll ask the vet, of course, but it happens to be Friday night so I won't be able to get an answer for several days. I believe both gabapentin and dexamethasone come in liquid forms, and I'm wondering if that might be an option, but if they taste terrible, will she keep them down? No good options here.
 

daftcat75

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Buprenorphine comes in a transmucosal (buccal aka in the cheek) liquid that is very mild tasting. You don't need to pry your cat's mouth. You press the syringe tip against her lip and squirt down towards the gums. It needs to be absorbed through the soft tissues in the mouth rather than the stomach so it's okay if she gets a mouthful and licks it around.

Another option is the buprenorphine sustained release injection. It lasts 3 days. A lot of cats are weirded out on it, stoned, restless, not sleeping. But they're likely also not feeling pain. It may be a worthy trade-off for a cat that's difficult to medicate.

Buprenorphine can also be compounded into a transdermal cream that is effective.

Any form of buprenorphine is going to be more effective than gabapentin for acute pain.
 
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