Is gabapentin safe for senior cats with kidney issues and arthritis?

Hello and thank you for reaching out to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I'm sorry to hear that Buster is having some aches and pains. A very safe pain medication that we prescribe regularly in cats (and dogs) is called gabapentin. It is a neuropathic pain medication but can be very effective for the treatment of mild to moderate chronic pain, such as that from arthritis or other chronic illness. It is safe on the heart and kidneys; side effects include mild sedation. I recommend asking your veterinarian if he/she can prescribe gabapentin for Buster. There is a liquid form of the medication, which is helpful in cats. I hope this is helpful - best of luck with Buster!

Yes, these two medications can be used together without any problems. I would caution you, however, that Metacam needs to be used very carefully in older cats because it isn't safe for cats with any degree of chronic kidney disease - this is extremely common in older cats, so I'm always very cautious about using it unless there has been recent blood work showing that everything is fine. If it was prescribed recently by your vet, then go ahead and use it - but if not, I would definitely recommend talking with them first to make sure they feel that it's safe for your kitty.

I'm so sorry Pico isn't doing well! There could be a couple of things causing this, including the gabapentin. As cats age, their efficiency at metabolizing gabapentin can wane, and this can lead to hind limb weakness. That may be why he's getting worse. I would take him into the vet first thing tomorrow to discuss lowering the dose, which may help with the increasing hindlimb weakness. You can also discuss if using another medication in combination with the gabapentin is ideal for Pico.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Jack. For pain control in dogs, the dose can go as high at 5mg per pound, which would be 450mg. But it can be used up to 10mg per pound for dogs with seizures, so this isn't an overdose. It may be he needs the extra pain control. but I would speak to your vet about your concerns. Best of luck.

That's a pretty high dose for a dog his size and may cause sedation. Gabapentin is a great medication for arthritis, but I'd start with about half that dose, and I'd recommend running it by your primary veterinarian to make sure it's appropriate with Obi's medical history and any other meds he might be taking. I hope this helps!

Unfortunately it is illegal for us to give dose information for prescription drugs without seeing your cat in person first. You need to check with Purrrcy's vet to see if this is an appropriate dose. Gabapentin in cats, however, is typically used for pain not sedation.

It may be that you’re just feeding too much or haven’t given the diet enough time. Start with the guideline on the bag and re-weigh in a month. If no changes, decrease each feeding by about 25%. Weigh in a month. Continue until you hit his ideal weight, then go up slightly to stop the loss and start maintaining. Weight loss is definitely crucial for managing arthritis so good work in that department. That dose of gabapentin is safe for him (and in fact what I might prescribe to him if you came to my clinic). However, it works much better when given consistently so do get a prescription just for Teddy from you vet. He or she will also want to make sure it’s nothing else serious going on like a fracture, fungal disease, or cancer. My other “go-to’s” for arthritis are high dose omega 3 fatty acids (about 1000mg fish oil daily) and a glucosamine chondroitin supplement. Talk with you vet as there are dozens of other options as well including Adequan, cold laser therapy, stem cell therapy, and many others.