My pet took gabapentin. How will they feel and how long will it last?

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.

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.

Hello, thank you for your question about Mika. Gabapentin can last for up to 12 hours depending on the patient and the dose. If Mika is still walking around and responsive you can still give her the additional dose in the morning. This will take effect as the first dose starts to wear off and shouldn't lead to significant sedation/unsteadiness. Hope this helps!

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, 100mg is a normal dosage for an average sized adult cat. You can open the capsule and mix the powder with a small amount of canned food. Only use enough canned food to mask the powder. If you mix it with a large amount of canned food and she doesn't eat it all, she won't get the full dose. Be sure to give it at least 2-3 hours prior to the appointment. I often recommend people give a dose at home on a day that you can be with him as a trial run so you can see how the drug affects him. You may find that it seems like it is doing nothing for him or you may see that he is too sedate or maybe it is just right. But you can take note to see how long it takes to affect him after he ingests it - some cats take 2-3 hours to get sedate and others only need 30 minutes to an hour. This way you can get the timing right for dosing him for his appointment. You don't have to do this but it may be a good idea as "test run". Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hi, the sedative effects described are expected with the high dose Maggie received. The good news is that they should wear off over the next few hours and within 4 hours she should be more alert and almost back to normal. If you are worried though please have her checked over !

Gabapentin will not have any effect on this type of pain, it's a special medication for very specific types of pains, usually chronic neurological pain, it won't have any pain relief effect in this case.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Mia. Gabapentin has a very wide dosing range. The amount given will likely make her sedate, but should not cause her any long lasting harm. Give her next dose back on schedule if she is not too groggy. If so, you can wait an extra hour or two to give it more time to wear off. I hope this information helps!