Is 100mg gabapentin safe for a 15lb Shih Tzu with arthritis?

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.

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.

That is a very high dose if given all at once, it is 1.5 times the maximum recommended dose. 800mg spread out through 3 or 4 doses would be good. If your pet is in pain, gabapentin may not be enough. You should discuss a multi-modal pain protocol with your vet, often adding in steroids, NSAIDs, opioids, acupuncture, laser therapy, etc will be better than a single medication.

Hello. The range of dosages of Gabapentin used for analgesia in dogs is 10-20 mg/kg every 8 hours. For a 27 pound dog, this equals 123 - 245 mg every 8 hours. When used as an anticonvulsant, doses up to 1200 mg are sometimes used. If you are concerned, start with the 200 mg every 12 hours, adding a third dose if necessary. Thank you.

Gabapentin has quite a large safety margin, the maximum dosage is about 15mg per pound but even a higher dosage for a one time ingestion is not likely to cause any severe side effects. how much does you puppy weights?

There is really no maximum time that a dog can be on this medication. Some older dogs are on it daily for many years at a time for arthritis or other chronic conditions - it's generally quite well-tolerated and does not tend to cause any health problems, even with long-term use.

Hello, and thank you for your question. It is great to hear that Ace is doing well! It is true that gabapentin is metabolized in the kidneys. If he is doing well on it, though, it would be reasonable to use as long as it is tapered to the lowest effective dose. I would also make sure that his kidney values are monitored regularly, ideally every 3-6 months. A narcotic is also a reasonable choice but can sometimes cause mild sedation. Ultimately what it comes down to is Ace's quality of life, and ensuring that he is comfortable and happy. I hope this helps, and that Ace continues to do well!