Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Gabapentin eased severe nerve pain in pregnant horse after colic
By Davis, Jennifer L et al.·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2007·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
PetCaseFinder translated the abstract of this peer-reviewed paper into plain English so pet owners can read it. We do not publish original research — every detail traces back to the citation above. How we work →
Original publication title: Gabapentin for the treatment of neuropathic pain in a pregnant horse.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A 24-year-old pregnant Belgian draft horse developed severe pain in her left hind leg after undergoing colic surgery. Despite initial treatments, she showed signs of neuropathic pain that didn't respond to conventional methods. The veterinarian started her on gabapentin, a medication often used for nerve pain, and she quickly became comfortable with no signs of pain. After six days of treatment, the dosage was reduced, and she was discharged, later giving birth to a healthy foal.
People also search for: horse pain after surgery · gabapentin for horse neuropathic pain · pregnant horse colic treatment
Abstract
CASE DESCRIPTION: A 24-year-old 732-kg (1,610-lb) pregnant Belgian draft horse mare developed neuropathy and signs of intractable pain following colic surgery. CLINICAL FINDINGS: Following recovery from colic surgery to treat compression of the small and large intestines because of a large fetus, the mare was noticed to have signs of femoral neuropathy involving the left hind limb. Within 36 hours after recovery, the mare developed signs of severe pain that were unresponsive to conventional treatment. No gastrointestinal tract or muscular abnormalities were found, and the discomfort was attributed to neuropathic pain. TREATMENT AND OUTCOME: The mare was treated with gabapentin (2.5 mg/kg [1.1 mg/lb], PO, q 12 h). Shortly after this treatment was initiated, the mare appeared comfortable and no longer had signs of pain. Treatment was continued for 6 days, during which the dosage was progressively decreased, and the mare was discharged. The mare subsequently delivered a healthy foal. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Gabapentin appeared to be a safe, effective, and economical treatment for neuropathic pain in this horse.
Find similar cases for your pet
PetCaseFinder finds other peer-reviewed reports of pets with the same symptoms, plus a plain-English summary of what was tried across them.
Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17764439/