Gabapentin reduces stress and pain in shelter cats after spay surgery

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of preoperative gabapentin on stress, tolerance to handling, and pain in shelter cats undergoing ovariohysterectomy (OVH). METHODS: 34 healthy female cats were randomized to receive liquid gabapentin (20 mg/kg) or a placebo PO, 2 to 4 hours prior to anesthesia and surgery. Cats were scored by 2 masked individuals for stress, sedation, tolerance to handling, and pain using the cat stress score, feline multiparametric sedation score, a previously published handling score, and the Feline Grimace Scale (FGS). Scores were assigned prior to the first dose of medication, at anesthetic induction, and 30, 60, 90, 120, and 180 minutes after recovery. Data were analyzed with a linear mixed model to evaluate the effect of treatment, time, and treatment by time interaction. RESULTS: There was no evidence of a difference between treatment groups or treatment by time for any outcome measure. Cat stress score decreased and tractability score increased at 30 minutes after recovery in both treatments. Sedation score was higher than baseline at 30 to 90 minutes after recovery in both treatments. Cats treated with gabapentin had an increased FGS score at 30 to 90 minutes, and those that received placebo had an increased FGS score at 30 and 60 minutes. No cat required rescue analgesia at any time point. CONCLUSIONS: The use of gabapentin in shelter cats presenting for OVH did not significantly decrease stress or pain or increase ease of handling perioperatively. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The results suggest a lack of evidence for gabapentin decreasing stress or providing perioperative analgesia when administered prior to anesthesia and surgery for OVH in shelter cats.