Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Gabapentin helps Toy Poodle with salivary gland disorder
By Noda, Masashi et al.·Published in The Journal of veterinary medical science·2026·Tennoji Animal Hospital, Japan·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Effectiveness of gabapentin in combination therapy for phenobarbital-responsive sialadenosis in a Toy Poodle.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 9-year-old Toy Poodle was brought in for sudden drooling, vomiting, and retching that didn't get better with usual treatments. After a month, the dog's salivary glands were swollen and painful, and the dog was losing weight and showing unusual behaviors. An MRI showed enlarged salivary glands, and treatment with phenobarbital helped significantly. Adding gabapentin to the treatment plan almost completely stopped the drooling and retching within a day, and the dog remained symptom-free for three years while continuing both medications.
People also search for: Toy Poodle drooling treatment · gabapentin for dog hypersalivation · phenobarbital for dog sialadenosis
Abstract
A 9-year-old Toy Poodle presented with sudden hypersalivation, vomiting, and retching unresponsive to symptomatic treatment. One month later, the mandibular salivary glands were enlarged and painful. Additional signs included weight loss, intermittent stiffness and tremors, and a fly-biting behavior, which is atypical for this disease. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilateral enlargement of the parotid and mandibular glands. Oral phenobarbital (PB) led to marked improvement, confirming phenobarbital-responsive sialadenosis. Residual hypersalivation and retching almost completely resolved within 24 hr after gabapentin (GBP) addition, with only mild hypersalivation (about 10% of the initial level) remaining. No recurrence was observed during a 3-year follow-up, during which PB (3.6 mg/kg administered orally twice daily [PO BID]) and GBP (15 mg/kg PO BID) were continued at the same doses.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41371661/