Gabapentin has been used as an anxiolytic in multiple species, and has been shown to reduce stress behaviours in cats and dogs, but there’s little information on its use in rabbits1. Rabbits often have high anxiety levels and stress responses in novel environments and in the presence of humans, which presents a major health and welfare [] ALERT: administration of gabapentin in the treatment of arthritis leads to serious side-effects in rabbits !!! Gabapentin is not used for minor pain or arthritis even if its use in persons suffering from osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia has been studied. Some US veterinarians do, nowadays, suggest the off-label administration of gabapentin to control pain in rabbits suffering from arthritis, without studies of effects and side-effects. Preventing gastrointestinal stasis with gabapentin To help make unfamiliar situations – including vet visits – more tolerable for rabbits, Sadar led a two-part study to evaluate the use of gabapentin, a drug traditionally used to treat nerve pain and seizures. Oral gabapentin appears to reduce fear and anxiety in rabbits in a controlled environment. This shows promise for its ability to reduce stress with veterinary visits, transport, and other stressful events. Abstract OBJECTIVE To evaluate rabbit behavioral responses and activity after gabapentin administration. METHODS In this study, 5 intact female and 3 intact male New Zealand white rabbits aged 8 to 12 months were administered a single oral 25-mg/kg dose of gabapentin. Rabbits occupy facets of veterinary medicine spanning from companion mammals, wildlife medicine, zoologic species, and research models. Therefore, analgesia is required for a variety of conditions in rabbits and is a critical component of patient care. Considerations when selecting an analgesic protocol in rabbits include timing of administration, route of administration, degree or anticipated Pharmacokinetics of gabapentin in domestic rabbits Gabapentin, a chemical analogue of γ-aminobutyric acid that acts through inhibition of calcium-voltage-gated subunit receptors, is used to treat seizures, neuropathic pain and anxiety. Currently, dosage recommendations for rabbits are extrapolated from other species. The PK of a single oral dose of gabapentin have recently been evaluated—those authors found 25 mg/kg and 50 mg/kg doses reached similar plasma concentrations and no adverse effects were noted. 11 Those same authors evaluated the use of gabapentin at 25 mg/kg PO as an anxietolytic in rabbits. 12 The results suggested that gabapentin did I researched gabapentin use in rabbits and found an article saying that it shouldn’t be used to treat arthritis pain since people have reported that their rabbits have declined since being put on it, though there aren’t really any studies one way or the other. Has anyone here had any experience with gabapentin? Gabapentin is used to treat seizures, neuropathic pain, and anxiety. Currently, dosage recommendations for rabbits are extrapolated from other species. The objective of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of gabapentin after single, oral administration in domestic rabbits. I use tramadol quite frequently in rabbits, guinea pigs and chinchillas with pain that is not controlled by non-steroidals like metacam, or where NSAIDs can't be used due to other health issues. Gabapentin has been used as an anxiolytic in various species, but little information is available on its use in rabbits. To assess the effect of gabapentin on stress in rabbits, 5 female and 3 male New Zealand white rabbits, aged 8-12 months, weighing 3-4.5 kg, were administered a single dose (25 mg/kg) of oral compounded gabapentin. Gabapentin has been used as an anxiolytic in various species, but little information is available on its use in rabbits. To assess the effect of gabapentin on stress in rabbits, 5 female and 3 male New Zealand white rabbits, aged 8-12 months, weighing 3-4.5 kg, were administered a single dose (25 mg/kg) of oral compounded gabapentin. Gabapentin has been used as an anxiolytic in various species, but little information is available on its use in rabbits. To assess the effect of gabapentin on stress in rabbits, 5 female and 3 male New Zealand white rabbits, aged 8-12 months, weighing 3-4.5 kg, were administered a single dose (25 mg/kg) of oral compounded gabapentin. The vast majority of veterinarians are caring professionals that are truly concerned about the health and welfare of their patients, however, some practitioners still do not use pain-relieving medications in their rabbit patients even though they routinely use these drugs in dogs and cats and surely even themselves! Rabbits receiving the low dose of gabapentin seem a bit more relaxed, with no obvious adverse effects. Because of the findings of the study, clients of the Veterinary Teaching Hospital who own rabbits, and even guinea pigs, have been offered the option to use gabapentin prior to a stressful event. So far, their impressions are positive. INTRODUCTION According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) demographics, rabbits are the third most common companion mammal in the United States.1 In addi-tion, rabbits are highly used in research, present in zoologic collections and native wildlife species are present in many countries. Therefore, veterinarians in a wide ca-pacity of roles may need to use analgesics in rabbits. Gabapentin is used to treat seizures, neuropathic pain, and anxiety. Currently, dosage recommendations for rabbits are extrapolated from other species. The objective of this study was to determine the pharmacokinetics of gabapentin after single, oral administration in domestic rabbits. Other NSAID analgesic drugs for use in rabbits are described here. See also: ALERT: administration of gabapentin in the treatment of arthritis leads to serious side-effects in rabbits !!! , by Esther van Praag, Ph.D. Acknowledgement Thanks are due to A. van Praag, for taking the picture of Stampi, and to Stampi, for her patience.
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