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Animals : an open access journal from MDPI2023; 13(12); doi: 10.3390/ani13122045

Gabapentin: Clinical Use and Pharmacokinetics in Dogs, Cats, and Horses.

Abstract: Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant drug, which presents an established clinical efficacy in human patients for the management of refractory partial seizures, secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and for the control of chronic neuropathic pain. Gabapentin was synthesized as a structural analogue of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, with GABA-mimetic effects, able to cross the blood-brain barrier. In veterinary medicine, is extra-label used in combination with other treatments to control seizures when other drugs are no longer effective or become toxic or for neuropathic pain treatment and anxiety. This review aimed to clarify gabapentin use and pharmacokinetic aspects to promote conscious use in dogs, cats, and horses. In dogs, gabapentin was beneficial in the treatment of epilepsy, as well as chronic, neuropathic, and post-operative pain, as well as anxiety. In cats, it showed efficacy in post-ovariohysterectomy-related pain and in anxiety management. In horses, gabapentin has been administered as an analgesic for chronic pain management. In conclusion, when used in combination with other drugs, gabapentin can be considered an interesting therapeutic option for the treatment of neuropathic diseases and analgesia in postoperative and chronic pain. However, despite its beneficial use in different clinical settings, further trials and pharmacokinetic studies are needed for the definition of an effective dosage regimen through proper pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic correlation in dogs, cats, and horses.
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Publication Date: 2023-06-20 PubMed ID: 37370556PubMed Central: PMC10295034DOI: 10.3390/ani13122045Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research paper explores the use and effective dosage of Gabapentin, a medication primarily used for seizures and chronic neuropathic pain in humans, in the treatment of animals, specifically dogs, cats, and horses. The effectiveness of Gabapentin, in combination with other drugs, to manage seizures, anxiety, and post-operative and chronic pain, is discussed. Despite its advantageous use in various clinical settings, more research is needed to determine an effective dosage protocol.

Objective of the Research

  • This research is designed to clarify the usage and pharmacokinetic aspects of Gabapentin in veterinary medicine. The primary goal is to advocate for conscious usage of Gabapentin in dogs, cats, and horses, focusing on various cases like epilepsy, anxiety and chronic or post-operative pain management.

What is Gabapentin?

  • Gabapentin is an anticonvulsant drug which exhibits established clinical efficacy in human patients, for managing refractory partial seizures, secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and chronic neuropathic pain.
  • It was originally developed as a structural analogue of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA, with effects similar to GABA. One key property of Gabapentin is its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, making it particularly effective in dealing with neurological issues.

Gabapentin use in Veterinary Medicine

  • In veterinary medicine, Gabapentin is primarily used as an adjunct treatment to control seizures when other drugs are no longer effective or become toxic. It’s also used for neuropathic pain treatment and management of anxiety in animals.
  • The research summarizes the use of Gabapentin in the treatment of dogs, cats, and horses. For dogs, the Gabapentin has shown to be beneficial in the treatment of epilepsy, chronic pain, neuropathic pain, post-operative pain, and anxiety.
  • For cats, Gabapentin has shown efficacy in managing post-ovariohysterectomy-related pain and in anxiety management. As for horses, Gabapentin has been administered as an analgesic for chronic pain management.

Conclusion and Future Research

  • Through this study, Gabapentin has shown promise as a combined therapeutic option for the treatment of neuropathic diseases and for analgesia in postoperative and chronic pain in dogs, cats, and horses.
  • Despite the existing evidence, the research concludes that more trials and pharmacokinetic studies need to be conducted for the definition of an effective dosage regimen through a proper correlation of pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics in dogs, cats, and horses.

Cite This Article

APA
Di Cesare F, Negro V, Ravasio G, Villa R, Draghi S, Cagnardi P. (2023). Gabapentin: Clinical Use and Pharmacokinetics in Dogs, Cats, and Horses. Animals (Basel), 13(12). https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13122045

Publication

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI
ISSN: 2076-2615
NlmUniqueID: 101635614
Country: Switzerland
Language: English
Volume: 13
Issue: 12

Researcher Affiliations

Di Cesare, Federica
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy.
Negro, Viviana
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy.
Ravasio, Giuliano
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy.
Villa, Roberto
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy.
Draghi, Susanna
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy.
Cagnardi, Petra
  • Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via dell'Università 6, 26900 Lodi, Italy.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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