My cat won't eat dry food after Gabapentin. Is appetite loss normal?

If that is what it takes to get your cat to eat it, that's fine. Offer a small amount of food with the medication initially. Feed the remainder of the meal after the medication is taken. You can also ask your veterinarian if a compounding pharmacy can flavor the gabapentin or make a chewable tablet for your cat.

Gabapentin is a pain medication that can have various side effects in animal. Weight loss is not a very common side effect, but pain can cause animals to want to eat less. I would talk with your veterinarian and discuss this issue. It is possible that this medication is not fully effective for your dogs pain and so your dog is not wanting to eat. It is also possible that there is something else going on with your dog. Your vet should run bloodwork to ensure that there are no other issues going on with your pet that would cause the loss of appetite.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This can due to discomfort so if that is the case now that she is on gabapentin she may do better. Unexpected aggression is a classic sign of pain or discomfort. Hopefully she improves on the gabapentin. If she does not, it is very important to let your veterinarian know so they can keep checking what may be wrong with her. The same underlying condition may be what is causing her weight loss which is important though not that significant. I hope she gets better soon!

Hi there. It’s common for cats to be a bit wobbly when they have taken a sedative or anti-anxiety medication like gabapentin, so this would not normally be cause for concern. This medication can last for up to 8 hours or so, so I normally tell my clients to expect that their kitty may seem a bit drowsy or off-balance for the rest of the day.

I have never heard of gabapentin causing any skin reactions. I would not be overly worried about it unless the problem continues or gets worse. If you would like to post again with some photos of the affected area we can maybe help you better.

Hello, Gabapentin is a pain medication commonly prescribed to pets after surgery. Mild sedation can be noticed as a side effect, often due to the pain relief allowing the pet to get rest. Dosing should be given every 8-12 hours as needed. As she had her last dose over 12 hours ago, any side effects should be starting to wear off and will continue to do so if the medication is not repeated. I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

It's difficult to say, because the weakness, lack of appetite and drowsiness could be signs of the arthritis not being controlled well. Gabapentin could be causing these signs, but it would be suspicious of some other cause if this suddenly started happening. I also worry about the paracetamol being responsible for this. Paracetamol is not commonly given to dogs for pain, because it can be toxic to the liver and stomach. Considering all of this, it's really best to have your vet evaluate Rocky and advise any necessary medication changes. They will be able to help narrow-down the cause of this and ensure he gets the appropriate treatment. I hope that helps and Rocky gets better soon.