Medication question

[happilyretired]

My cat (a rescue) had a traumatic 'childhood' and is quite skittish. I have a mobile vet who visits, and it's very difficult to 'prepare' my cat for a visit because she resists being held at any time. Every visit has been an 'event.' At the last visit, the vet gave me gabapentin to try to see if it would relax her enough to be compliant--i.e., so I might use a towel to get her into her carrier.

We escalated to 100mg, which I gave her this morning. For some reason, I thought it would take effect in about an hour--but it was actually 5 hours later when it kicked in (and mellowed her out beautifully). When I e-mailed my vet to ask if this was an unusual amount of time, I learned that she'd left the practice. So I'm asked here to see if anyone else has experience with gabapentin.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

While I have not used it, I do know that the more anxious an animal is (or human, for that matter), the longer it takes a sedative to work. And now you have a better idea of the timing. It should slowly get shorter as she begins to settle and relax.

 

[happilyretired]

Thanks. This makes sense because she is a very anxious cat. Even after being with me for more than 3 years, she is still fearful of anyone who enters the house. She also 'reads' me well, and when I'm anxious (e.g., knowing a vet visit is pending), it's obvious that my anxiety increases hers.

 

[di and bob]

Some cats are ALWAYS anxious when people come into their house. That can be perfectly normal. Mine are almost 8 years old and disappear for days when company comes, only eating at night. 75 to 100 mg is recommended for larger cats, so even if she was a little smaller, that dose is not out of line. It is recommended to give it three hours before, her system may just resist it longer or it is mixed with food/water in her stomach. You will just have to learn through repetition when and how much to give her.

 

[happilyretired]

Thanks for your response! The dosage was supervised by my vet, and the 100g seemed to work well--I just wasn't prepared for how long it took to take effect, and I'm not sure why I expected it to work sooner. However, cats develop a tolerance for gabapentin, so I won't be giving it to her often. It's going to be for vet visits mainly because being confined--even for just a short while tends to terrify her.