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Gabapentin or morphine?

S

stayjay

Junior Guinea Pig
Joined
Sep 18, 2024
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Hi all,

My boy has prescribed 0.15ml gabapentin twice a day for a while as well his metacam for advanced arthritis. I have been giving him the gabapentin only once per day recently as it makes him very sleepy and he looks "drugged" for hours following, it reduces his food intake and he has always been susceptible to bloat so I want to avoid further gut issues.

I am going to discuss with my vet at his next appointment, but I just wondered if anyone has any experience of this, or if they have switched from gabapentin to morphine and how successful this was.

I obviously do not want my boy to be suffering, but I am unsure if I am doing the right thing for him. He is usually quite active, explores during floor time, interacts well with his brother and eats plenty of food, but he mostly just sleeps after he's had it.

Any advice would be appreciated :)
 
stayjay said:
Hi all,

My boy has prescribed 0.15ml gabapentin twice a day for a while as well his metacam for advanced arthritis. I have been giving him the gabapentin only once per day recently as it makes him very sleepy and he looks "drugged" for hours following, it reduces his food intake and he has always been susceptible to bloat so I want to avoid further gut issues.

I am going to discuss with my vet at his next appointment, but I just wondered if anyone has any experience of this, or if they have switched from gabapentin to morphine and how successful this was.

I obviously do not want my boy to be suffering, but I am unsure if I am doing the right thing for him. He is usually quite active, explores during floor time, interacts well with his brother and eats plenty of food, but he mostly just sleeps after he's had it.

Any advice would be appreciated :)
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Hi

Sorry, this hasn't been picked up sooner. Unfortunately, morphines are making piggies even more spaced out. These are all very strong pain meds that come with major side effects. :(
 
Maybe you could discuss tramadol with your vet? We've used it for pigs in the past, alongside metacam, with no sedative effects 👍
 
When my arthritic boars went onto Gabapentin we started on .12 (they weighed 1.2kg). One of them got very sleepy and the dose was reduced to .1 it does seem to help him with his stiffness although it's a lower dose. My vet did say they often have to adjust doses to suit different individuals. Piggies also sometimes take a while for their bodies to adjust to the new drug in their system.
 
stayjay said:
Thank you all so much you've been really helpful, I'll have a chat with his vet. I really appreciate it:D
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I wish you and your poorly one an open and productive chat with your vet.
 
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