VN August 2022

Vetnuus | August 2022 12 Our profession often presents us with feline companions that are not the easiest to restrain and handle for simple and quick procedures. Cats are prone to excessive stress, as we are well aware and seem to respond in pretty violent ways, with members of staff often walking away with scratches and bites. A fair amount of studies have been done on minimizing stress in the practice for these feisty felines, and one particular drug has proven to be as close to magic as you can get. Cat owners have long been known to put off vet visits unless absolutely essential due to the visible stress these journeys cause their pets. Indirectly, the stress of a pet puts an owner in distress, making them less likely to bring their animals back for return appointments or routine care. Consequently, this can cause a massive challenge in managing felines with chronic health conditions and providing vital routine vaccinations and health checks. Gabapentin has long been used and is licenced for seizure control that is refractory to conventional treatment and has more recently been used for chronic pain, especially neuropathic in origin. It is known that peak effectivity is usually achieved quickly (within two hours), and a steady state is achieved in 1-2 days of continued dosing. The drug is partially metabolized by the liver and finally cleared by the kidneys and therefore should be used with caution in patients with suspected or confirmed hepatic or renal pathologies. Gabapentin’s exact mechanism of action is unknown but is thought to decrease the release of excitatory neurotransmitters aiding in analgesia and anxiolysis. Studies on the mechanism of action and elimination have mostly been done on dogs; literature on cats is seemingly sparse. However, there has been an influx of recent studies on using Gabapentin as an anxiolytic in fractious cats for routine procedures in practice. Gabapentin has been shown not to affect blood pressure and, at lower doses, does not cause concerning ataxia or sedation. Doses for dogs vary from 10mg to 20mg per kilogram body weight given per os every 6 to 8 hours, and incremental dose increases are recommended if necessary. Dosages for cats are licenced to be between 5mg and 10mg per kilogram body weight per os every 8 to 12 hours with the same advice for dose increases as dogs. Gabapentin, as an anxiolytic in cats specifically, is used at dosages ranging from 25mg to 100mg per cat per dose. The method of use differs slightly between studies and in practice. Some clinicians prefer a dose administered a day before the planned vet visit as the drug only reaches a steady state in 1-2 days, while studies show that the peak effectivity is reached within an average of 90 minutes after administration. The consensus seems to be that only a single dose about 90 minutes before the vet visit or stressful situation is required to mitigate anxiety. Dosages should be tailored to individual patients considering their weight and previous drug administration responses. Gabapentin has not yet been licenced for anxiolysis in cats, so owner information about off-licence drug use should be stressed. Regardless of that, the use of Gabapentin hasmade ameasurable difference in handling cats in practice for simple procedures such as blood collection, blood pressure monitoring and general health examinations. Cats are much calmer and more tolerant of being restrained and often do not require further sedation or anaesthesia to be handled. It reduces stress to the patient and client and often considerably lowers cost and the risk of sedation or anaesthesia that may not be necessary and can be avoided. Furious and fierce felines: improving a cat’s experience in practice Dr Uldri vdMerwe