Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Gabapentin and topiramate effects on dogs with Chiari-like
By Plessas, I N et al.·Published in The Veterinary record·2015·Department of Clinical Science and Services, United Kingdom·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Comparison of gabapentin versus topiramate on clinically affected dogs with Chiari-like malformation and syringomyelia.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A group of dogs with Chiari-like malformation (a brain condition) and syringomyelia (a spinal condition) were experiencing neuropathic pain, which can cause discomfort and affect their quality of life. The dogs were treated with carprofen, a common pain medication, and then given either gabapentin or topiramate to see which worked better. While both medications showed similar results, gabapentin did improve the dogs' quality of life compared to just carprofen alone, making it a potentially better option for managing their pain. However, more research is needed to fully understand how these treatments compare.
People also search for: dog Chiari-like malformation treatment · neuropathic pain in dogs · gabapentin for dogs pain management
Abstract
To date there is no evidence-based data for efficacious treatment of neuropathic pain in dogs with Chiari-like malformation (CM) and syringomyelia (SM). The objective of this prospective cross-over study was to compare the effect of gabapentin versus topiramate, as an add-on treatment to carprofen, on quality of life (QoL) of dogs experiencing signs of neuropathic pain due to CM/SM. A visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess the QoL: (1) on day 0; (2) after 1 week of carprofen only; (3) after 2 weeks on carprofen and gabapentin; and (4) after 2 weeks on carprofen and topiramate. No significant difference was observed between VAS after gabapentin or topiramate (P=0.91). However, an improvement in QoL was observed when gabapentin was compared with baseline (P=0.009), but not for topiramate. In conclusion, the addition of gabapentin was more effective in improving QoL than carprofen alone, but the study failed to identify that gabapentin was more efficacious than topiramate. Perhaps the more favourable side effect profile of the former makes it more suitable for the treatment of neuropathic pain associated with CM/SM but further placebo-controlled trials are required to assess the efficacy of these drugs.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26269418/