Why is my dog so sleepy after neuter surgery and gabapentin?

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!

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.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Hoss. Gabapentin can cause sedation and ataxia (wobbly gait). He may have been so nervous earlier that you are just seeing the full effects of the medication now. Each dose typically lasts 8 hours. I would not give him any other medications u less his veterinarian has directed you to do so. If you are concerned though, he should see an emergency veterinarian. I hope this information helps!

Yes this can be a side effect of the gabapentin, or tramadol if your dog is on that for pain. I would lower the dose by half and speak with your veterinarian about it to see if they want you to stay on the lower dose, stop the medication, or switch to another pain medication. As the healing progresses you shouldn’t need as much medication and hopefully you can discontinue it soon as these are unwanted side effects. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Bode.

Both of hear medications are within the published dose ranges for a dog Kimber’s size, but gabapentin can sometimes cause sedation and this could be the culprit. You may want to give your vet a call and see if they might recommend reducing the dose or even skipping a dose.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Milo! Gabapentin can cause sedation alone and even more so with tramadol. My starting dose for Milo based on the weight you provided is 400mg every 12 hours. It is absolutely fine for you to go lower and increase the dose slowly based on Milo’s response. I hope this helps and I wish you and Milo the best!

Hello. Thank you for using PetCoach. Gabapentin may be given with or without food so it doesn't matter that she is NPO. If you normally hide the medication in food you would need to give her the medication by placing the pill directly down her throat. If you don't know how to do this here is a video tutorial: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZN5Iil1hCAg So, I would give the Gabapentin tonight but not tomorrow morning as during the surgery the vet will likely give a narcotic (like morphine). Gabapentin can interfere with the efficacy of the narcotics. Hope this helps. Best wishes.