Guest BooMooandDoo Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Mazie has been having issues with her back again and the vet prescribed gabapentin along with Rimidyl for pain. Does anyone have any experience with this drug? She seems to be doing better, (not knuckling under as much and more eager to be up on her feet) but she's been getting up in the middle of the night panting, pacing, and wanting to be let out. I've done research and can't find much on use in animals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
greypuppyluv Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Gabapentin has been used on dogs with seizures, but I don't know how it works on pain. I think there are others on GT who have used it, so you'll probably hear from them. Quote Paula & her pups--Paneer (WW Outlook Ladd), Kira & Rhett (the whippets)Forever in my heart...Tinsel (Born's Bounder - 11/9/90-12/18/01), Piper, Chevy, Keno, Zuma, Little One, Phaelin & WinnieGreyhound Adoption Center ~ So Cal rep for Whippet Rescue And Placement For beautiful beaded collars, check out my Facebook page: The Swanky Hound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robinw Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 (edited) My vet and I discussed this drug when Phene was first diagnosed with osteo. He said that he didn't like the effect it had on greyhounds, so we didn't use it. Edited June 7, 2011 by robinw Quote Xavi the galgo and Peter the cat. Missing Iker the galgo ?-Feb.9/19, Treasure (USS Treasure) April 12/01-May 6/13, Phoenix (Hallo Top Son) Dec.14/99-June 4/11 and Loca (Reko Swahili) Oct.9/95 - June 1/09, Allen the boss cat, died late November, 2021, age 19. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
45MPHK9 Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 No advice for you. Just hoping that adorable cow doggie of yours is feeling better soon. Quote Tricia with Kyle, our senior mutt dog Always missing Murray Maldives, Bee Wiseman, River, Hopper, Kaia, and Holly Oaks Holly“You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.“ -Bob Dylan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest azlorenz Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 (edited) We used it on Flash post-amputation in combo with Rimadyl and Tramadol. Flash didn't do well on larger doses of Tramadol (anything over 50 mg.) We added Gabapentin and it worked wonders for him. There are lots of folks in the Osteo thread using Gabapentin with much success. You might want to take a look there. Edited June 7, 2011 by azlorenz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MauCarden Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 I believe it is a nerve blocker, I've not used it on my girlies, but it has been a life-changer for me. It's been around for a long time, which always reassures me. Quote Missing my sweet girl Scout. My snuggler, my chow-hound, my kissy girl. It never thunders at the Bridge, and your food bowl is ALWAYS filled. So strange not living in Atty World. I was a love struck handmaiden to your every whim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest snakes Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 I use it with by boy since he was diagnosed with osteo, it has been a wonder drug for us. Before it was becoming hard to consistently control his pain and it made it a breeze. For a long time that was all we used. In our experience and from my research there are very few side effects except for lethargy (which can be avoided with the right dose) It doesn't affect the kidneys or liver or thin the blood like most pain medications. I would highly recommend it it anyone or any pup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Gabapentin has little to no side effects except slight lethargy while the body adjusts-- it also is safe to give with other medications. Many vets are now using it with rimadyl--they nicknamed the combo gabadyl. Before the drug became generic it was painfully expensive limiting it's use do to the cost. Thankfully, it's now rather inexpensive. I think you'll see it being scripted more and more commonly now. Btw-- it's available in liquid but, save that for the kiities as the liquid contains xylitol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest BooMooandDoo Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 thanks guys. That's very reassuring. I'll keep her on it and see if we can't make Miss Busted Butt more comfortable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovinggreysslp Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 We used it with Trip for osteo pain and did not see any side effects. Quote Cosmo (Fuzz Face Cosmos), Holmes (He's a Dream), Boomer (USS Baby Boomer), Ella and missing our angels Clay (Red Clay), Train (Nite Train), Trip (Bock's Teddy Bear),Larry (Bohemian Frigid) and Jimmy (Bohemian Raw) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Funny you should ask! George just started on it Saturday! I've noticed that he's sleepy (Which is a good thing in my book. Note to self: next greyhound, leave "high energy" off the wish list!), and on Sunday he was a bit clumsy on the stairs going up (one of his problems IS going up the stairs). Nothing else. No panting, etc. The vet found pain from his mid-spine to his tail, so I really wanted to give it a try. He's also shown other signs of nerve problems--snapping at his flanks, really testy behavior for no obvious reason, and peeing without seeming to know he's peeing. I got a 30 day supply of 100 mg. at the human pharmacy (Walgreens) for about $10. It was 50% off with my AAA card! Which was the vet's suggestion to try using a AAA discount. Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlies_Dad Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 We have only had positive results with it for both Charlie how has Osteo and Shelby who has some back pain. Quote Kyle with Stewie ('Super C Ledoux, Super C Sampson x Sing It Blondie) and forever missing my three angels, Jack ('Roy Jack', Greys Flambeau x Miss Cobblepot) and Charlie ('CTR Midas Touch', Leo's Midas x Hallo Argentina) and Shelby ('Shari's Hooty', Flying Viper x Shari Carusi) running free across the bridge. Gus an coinnich sinn a'rithist my boys and little girl. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wonder Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Sparks got a script when he was dx's with osteo but never used much sent I sent him to the bridge a week later. I used to take it and loved it Quote Kari and the pups.Run free sweet Hana 9/21/08-9/12/10. Missing Sparks with every breath.Passion 10/16/02-5/25/17 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
racindog Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Never used it. I believe I read somewhere though that some human formulations of it now contain xylitol- which will kill a dog. Take home message was if it comes from a human pharmacy check and be darn sure it don't have xylitol in it or it could kill your dog and nobody would even know what happenned. Article said this is being added to several meds now so us dog people will have to be aware and check on it because many vets don't even realize it at this point. It is especially prevalent in pediatric dosages too which are probably the size our dogs would get and is being added to meds that didn't have it before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tbhounds Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 (edited) If you read my earlier post I mentioned the xylitol factor-- xylitol is only in the liquid form-- safe for kitties but, not for dogs. Oh I wanted to add that the liquid would not be prescribed to a dog of greyhound size anyway. Edited June 7, 2011 by tbhounds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Tes623 Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 We used it for Tawnie when she was diagnosed with osteo. I really think it gave her a few more months with us. It didn't have any side effects except for making her sleepy so we gave it to her at night so she could be comfortable while she slept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trudy Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Ryan used it with all his other stuff when he first got sick. Worked well for him, well, kind of. Worked better adding it than not adding it. How it works isn't well understood, but the common thought is it just blocks the brain from receiving "pain" messages. Seems to work best in dogs when combined with other pain meds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Swifthounds Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 My vet and I discussed this drug when Phene was first diagnosed with osteo. He said that he didn't like the effect it had on greyhounds, so we didn't use it. Did he/she mention what they were? I've not heard of it having much in the way of side effects. Gabapentin has little to no side effects except slight lethargy while the body adjusts-- it also is safe to give with other medications. Many vets are now using it with rimadyl--they nicknamed the combo gabadyl. Before the drug became generic it was painfully expensive limiting it's use do to the cost. Thankfully, it's now rather inexpensive. I think you'll see it being scripted more and more commonly now. Btw-- it's available in liquid but, save that for the kiities as the liquid contains xylitol. This was our experience when Comet took it after his toe amp. It really controlled the pain with less side effects than the NSAIDs or even tramadol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GeorgeofNE Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 Never used it. I believe I read somewhere though that some human formulations of it now contain xylitol- which will kill a dog. Take home message was if it comes from a human pharmacy check and be darn sure it don't have xylitol in it or it could kill your dog and nobody would even know what happenned. Article said this is being added to several meds now so us dog people will have to be aware and check on it because many vets don't even realize it at this point. It is especially prevalent in pediatric dosages too which are probably the size our dogs would get and is being added to meds that didn't have it before. That applies to the liquid form. One presumes your vet would have to specifically request liquid, which they wouldn't do. George's pills say "George, a dog" on them. Quote Susan, Hamish, Mister Bigglesworth and Nikita Stanislav. Missing Ming, George, and Buck Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Swifthounds Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 (edited) Most liquid firms are not issues for greyhounds because you'd have to give syringe after syringe to get the full dose - as opposed to one pill. The dog's most at risk for mistakes involving liquids and artificial sweeteners are small dogs for whom liquid dosing might be feasible. Edited June 7, 2011 by Swifthounds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeylasMom Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 What dosage is she on? Like others, I used it to treat Neyla's osteo pain with good success. We were up to 300 mg 3x/day with no noticeable side effects. When we went above that, she would be a bit dizzy or uncoordinated when she first got up so we backed her off. Other than that, and lethargy, there aren't really thought to be other side effects. The only thing I can think, which is why I asked about the dosage is that she is feeling a bit dizzy and that makes her a bit anxious, in which case you could try backing off of the dose. Quote Jen, CPDT-KA with Zuri, lab in a greyhound suit, Violet, formerly known as Faith, Skye, the permanent puppy, Cisco, resident cat, and my baby girl Neyla, forever in my heart "The great thing about science is that you're free to disagree with it, but you'll be wrong." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kudzu Posted June 7, 2011 Share Posted June 7, 2011 It helped my senior Grey with his spinal arthritis with no noticeable side effects. He was getting a low dose though. From personal experience I can tell you that gabapentin can be a wonder drug for some patients. It can take a little while for your body to adjust to it. Usually you start on a lower dose & take the first one at night. Each time you up the dose your body may again need time to adjust. For me, it causes disequilibrium but not dizziness. The effect is dose dependent & though greatly improves after adjusting to a new, higher dose it does not entirely resolve. Still, it's a pretty fair trade off over the alternative without gabapentin. She seems to be doing better, (not knuckling under as much and more eager to be up on her feet) but she's been getting up in the middle of the night panting, pacing, and wanting to be let out. Hmmm... If it doesn't quickly begin to resolve, like a couple days, I'd ask the vet. Different patients react differently to medicines. Could be the gabapentin, could be the Rimadyl but it could also be unrelated to meds. Am struck by your description as there have been points where my BF could have given the same description of me. Hope things improve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest asianpeanut Posted June 9, 2011 Share Posted June 9, 2011 I started Baker on it a couple weeks ago and he is doing great! I haven't noticed any side effects, no sleepiness or anything. However, a few days after I started the Gabapentin I also started him on a Chinese herbal formula that was written for me by a Chinese medicine doctor who specializes in Oncology (for people). Baker is back to his old self for the last week or so! Barely any limping, great energy, spunky as ever, etc.. Let me know if you would like this Chinese doctor's name, he is amazing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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