Need input from anybody who has used Gabapentin on their horse. Please and Thank You!

[Fox_Wood_Farm]

1. What condition was gabapentin prescribed for?
2. What were your results?
3. Were there side effects or complications?
4. How long did you keep your horse on it?
5. What dosage? And did you titrate up and taper down?
6. Any other details you want to share…

I’m trying to collect as much info as possible about actual gabapentin usage. It came up in my recent NQR thread and I think it might be useful for my horse. He has 5 year NQR Hx after a spider bite. Back and body soreness that moves around. He has ulcers, so I’m trying to avoid NSAIDs. (He has been scoped, treated 30 days GG and then UG taper, but is back to full doses due to continued symptoms.)

At last vet exam, we found some scarring from a (very) old injury in his SI ligament. Although there is no “active” injury there, the old scar does correspond with the flex/trot/palpation results that led to the SI ultrasound. Vet recommended fitness work to strengthen the back and SI and pelvic areas. Basically work through the pain to get better. He wanted to try the conditioning route first and then consider SI injection. I have placed him at a rehab barn temporarily so he can get daily aquatread and today is day 10. He has not been happy there but he is cooperating with the conditioning. I think he is moving better, but he is NOT comfortable. He continues to display body pain and pissy attitude that is NOT his normal behavior. Hard to decipher ulcery pain vs SI and back pain vs whatever unknown pain source there may be.

When I mentioned gabapentin to the vet 2 weeks ago, he basically blew me off that it wouldn’t be useful. I didn’t argue at that point. Recheck appt is tomorrow. I intend to bring it up again so I want to have as much info as possible about actual horses that have been on it. (Yes, I know it’s all anecdotal.) I have researched here, plus what little is available through pubmed, IVIS, etc… and these are my thoughts so far:

It has been used for neuropathic pain and related things like headshaking and trigeminal neuralgia. If it works, it works well and pretty quickly. It has helped some horses a lot. And has had no effect for many others. Although titrating up and tapering down dosage is very important in people (and maybe dogs), it doesn’t seem to matter as much in horses. Minimal side effects in horses, except low level sedation.

It sounds like a fairly low risk, inexpensive and possibly quick thing to try. I am treating the ulcers. Hocks were injected 2 months ago. Sarapin injections in the back at that same time. He has been on vet recommended conditioning program for 2 months including 10 days of aquatread. My horse still hurts. I am willing to try anything to make him feel better, including SI injection if recommended. I think it’s reasonable to try gabapentin in this case because of the potential neuro effects from the spider bite (and treatment) and possibility of long term referred pain from ulcers. It’s not like I’m suggesting gabapentin to treat some ordinary and obvious source of pain.

[CHT]

I tried it on my gelding with a broken neck (before we knew he had a broken neck and were just guessing). I gave him some of my own prescription to experiment. I did not see any real benefit, but maybe I wasn’t dosing high enough. I was only giving 10 pills once a day (whereas I was on one pill 3 times a day)

I used to be on it, but am now on Lyrica instead. It isn’t likely to help with the Ulcer pain (based on my own experience) and won’t help with muscle pain. It only helped with my nerve pain. And yes, made me very tired. Took 3 days to feel benefits. I STILL had nerve pain, but the gabapentin made it more tolerable.

[Herbie19]

I had a pony with chronic laminitis that we used gabapentin on in the wintertime. It was EXTREMELY helpful for this purpose. He was a 440lb pony and was on 800mg twice daily. He tolerated it quite well–the only side effects I was warned of was the low level sedation which we never noticed with him.

Good luck!

[Simkie]

This dose

Did not ramp up or down.

No side effects.

Used for neuro wind up syndrome. Found it very effective.

Cheapish from Walgreens or CostCo.

Kept Blush on it for maybe 6 months.

I think gabapentin is an excellent thing to try for horses that hurt that aren’t responding to other therapies.

[chicamux]

Was you horse tested for Lyme Disease?

chicamuxen

[Fox_Wood_Farm]

[QUOTE=chicamux;7630830]
Was you horse tested for Lyme Disease?

chicamuxen[/QUOTE]

No. I brought up Lyme (not very common here) and EPM (very common) and my vet had reasons for thinking both of them unlikely in this case. Said he would test if I wanted him to, but he thought my diagnostic dollars would be better spent elsewhere. I also asked about kissing spines. He thought unlikely but would X-ray the whole spine if I wanted him to.

I may may push to at least test for Lyme.

[Lieslot]

1. What condition was gabapentin prescribed for?
   Generalized hindend pain at that time, because back then we didn’t have any evidence of the DSLD he developed later, but likely was already the cause of his pain. Bone scan results had shown SI pain, but today I don’t think this was the main source of pain
2. What were your results?
   Did not improve pain, but worked really well as an anxiolitic, he went from squittish to pretty much bombproof
3. Were there side effects or complications?
   No, none
4. How long did you keep your horse on it?
   6 months
5. What dosage? And did you titrate up and taper down?
   Highest dosage recommended : 20,000mg / day
   Did not taper up, although memory fails me somewhat I think I did taper down when coming off it, but only for a few days
6. Any other details you want to share…
   Did not work for intended purpose, but if I needed an anxiolitic that doesn’t sedate, I’d consider it, although cost at that dose was high

[Theatre]

Would like to find article regarding veterinarians recommendations for dosage of gabapentin for horses.

[JB]

@Fox Wood Farm

No. I brought up Lyme (not very common here)

I bet it’s more common in SC than you/your vet might think.

Injury to the SI ligament is what causes a Hunter Bump, and typically does not cause long-term issues once it’s healed, even if it does cause a cosmetic one.

I’m not saying this couldn’t be Lyme, Lyme can present in really odd ways. I’m not saying the finding of the very old ligament injury isn’t a factor here, just that it’s less likely than something else.

I think it’s at least worth testing for Lyme. I would agree that EPM is way down the list of likely issues.

What’s his breed/breeding, how old is he, did this issue come out of the blue or in hindsight does it seem like it was a long time coming on? What’s his diet? Asking, in case the answers start pointing to PSSM or something different from what’s already been thought of.

[Janet]

2014

[Simkie]

@Theatre

Would like to find article regarding veterinarians recommendations for dosage of gabapentin for horses.

I linked one in my post above ☝️

That post is six years old, but the link is still live.

[JB]

@Janet

2014

Dang! I usually catch that but clearly was not paying attention today :lol:

[Lunabear1988]

I used to it on a horse with Trigeminal nerve pain and other nerve pain along the left side of his body. I don’t remember the dose exactly but it was A LOT. I think I had to give him like 64 pills a day.

It unfortunately didn’t help and we didn’t see any side affects either. I’ve heard it can make some horses a little lethargic but I didn’t experience that.

Good luck.