Vet added gabapentin to Shadow’s rimadyl and tramadol today, for his arthritis.
Any experiences with it? I am not really concerned with long-term side effects as it is looking like we will be losing him before February. :no:
Other than having the potential to cause drowsiness gabapentin is what I call a “friendly” drug. Very few side effects, can be safely given with many other medications. I’ve used it a lot for chronic pain management and been happy with how it worked for patients
I take gabapentin and I was worried about side effects and my dr said that there are really none to worry about. I have been on it for almost a year.
Whiskey has been on a gabapentin/tramadol regime since her hip surgery. I like to give it to her at night because it knocks her a** OUT! (a good thing when I’m trying to sleep at night and she wants attention)
Ergo, gabapentin is my friend. 
It didn’t appear to have any side effects other than the drowsiness and she’s done really well on it.
where is the arthritis? Some joints respond well to IA polyglycan, or even IM. gabapentin can work great for some dogs, and have little results with others…however very few adverse reactions so certainly worth a try!
Squish, Shadow is in the final stages of hip degeneration. I will be surprised if he makes it to New Year’s. All we’re looking for right now is pain relief. So far, it hasn’t seemed to make much different in combination with the tramadol and rimadyl, but the vet says it takes a while to get into their system.
My guy is on it + tramadol for post op pain management and has been on it in the past a few times. Aside from making him a little more lethargic, I’ve not seen any issues with it. When he’s on it, he’s getting dosed every 8 hours.
I’m sorry to hear that your pup isn’t doing well. I hope you can enjoy your last bits of time with him.
My husband takes it for chronic back pain from three spinal surgeries. He’s only been on it for a couple of months…but it has made a big difference in his life. It is a drug that is safe for long term use. As others have said, drowsiness is the biggest side effect (which comes in handy at bedtime for him.)
I have no experience with the drug with my animals…but after seeing how it has helped Mr. EquusArtist, I wouldn’t hesitate using it for them.
Good luck with your pup and I hope you find a mix of meds that make him comfortable.
My 17y old dog was described Gabapentin a few days ago. We gave it to her twice and both times she vomited afterwards.She has severe arthritis and we just want her comfortable.
I used gabapentin on a Lab that had become neurological. It worked great, no side effects except drowsiness and probably saved his life. I would highly recommend it.
My dog with multiple problems is on gabapentin. No bad side effects. It helps but not totally - but she has some severe issues. For her, Rimadyl caused vomiting. Like humans, different dogs react to different medicines!
The thing that helps when she “fails” another medicine for IMPA is prednisone. They cant be on it long-term but it does work for her.
My Pit mix is on it after we discovered he is nearly bone on bone in both hips due partially to a previous injury (before I adopted him). He does so well on it I cannot believe I didn’t put him on it from day one. He does take a hard nap for about 30-60 minutes after it kicks in, otherwise the only symptom I have noticed is him acting like a young dog again.
Our vet said it had very little side effects and recommended we lower the carprofen instead of Gabapentin after initial loading doses. If you can add it I would as it really made a huge difference for my boy.
My 20 month old Cardi has been on it for around 11 months for her hips/assorted ortho issues. She’s handled it really well. I haven’t noticed any side effects.
I had an Australian Shepherd with arthritis, hip dysplasia and stomach sensitivities that caused her to be quite ill with most conventional drugs, including gabapentin. I put her of CBD oil and noticed amazing changes. Her mobility increased significantly and she was much happier. I’m convinced it added a year to her life.
Just a heads-up that Tramadol does not work for pain relief in dogs. This is a fairly recent discovery, but something anyone whose dog is pending any kind of surgery.
Tramadol works by blocking the M-1 opioid receptors. Dogs do not have these receptors.
