Some cats do not mind traveling to their veterinarian’s office. When cats are introduced to a Cat Friendly Practice® at a young age, starting with visits for vaccinations as kittens, they may start to feel more comfortable with travel and in the examination room. However, if your cat would rather be anywhere else but the veterinary practice, it’s best to prevent them from getting too anxious and scared. This can be done by giving a pre-visit pharmaceutical to your cat at home before the visit and/or in-clinic sedation.
Pre-Visit Pharmaceuticals
Different medications can be given to cats as pre-visit pharmaceuticals, but gabapentin seems to work the best for most cats. Gabapentin is an effective pain medication that works well, especially on nerve pain. Even if your cat is not in pain, gabapentin can help reduce anxiety and make them feel calm. Cats of any age, from young to old, can take gabapentin as a pre-visit pharmaceutical.
Medicating with Gabapentin
When using gabapentin as a pre-visit pharmaceutical, the dose is based on each cat rather than their weight. The actual dose depends on how sensitive each cat is to the medicine and how scared or anxious they may be. Usually, 100mg is enough, but some cats might only need 50mg while others need 300mg. The key to success is to give the medicine to your cat a full three hours before traveling to the appointment to make sure it works properly. If your cat already takes gabapentin regularly for chronic pain, you can still use it as a pre-visit pharmaceutical. However, your veterinarian will need to add an extra dose as the pre-visit pharmaceuticals. Some cats, such as those with chronic kidney disease, need a lower dose.
When giving gabapentin or any other oral medication to your cat, it is important to find a way your cat will consistently take the medication. Talk with your veterinarian about the different options (e.g., smaller tablets, melting tablets, or flavored) to figure out the best way to give this important medication to your cat.
Sedation at the Veterinary Practice
Sometimes a cat can get so anxious, and scared that the pre-visit pharmaceuticals do not help as much as is needed to provide a good physical examination for your cat. In these cases, your veterinarian may need to sedate your cat. There are multiple protocols or methods your veterinarian can choose from, and they will make the best choice for your cat based on their health history and current health.
Remember, using pre-visit pharmaceuticals and sedation at the veterinary practice is done to help your cat and prevent them from unnecessarily suffering from anxiety and fear during their visit. It can allow your cat to remain much calmer to make sure they receive a complete examination and/or recommended or necessary procedures.
Contributed by: Robin Downing, DVM, MS, DBe, DAAPM, DACVSMR