Stress associated with transportation, examination and diagnostic procedures is a major barrier for cats to receive regular veterinary care. Recently a drug called gabapentin has been used to reduce stress and improve compliance during veterinary visits. The recommended sedation dose of gabapentin may be beneficial to decrease stress in younger cats, but this dose may be inappropriate for elderly cats, specifically those with chronic kidney disease (CKD). Gabapentin is a medication that is cleared from the body by the kidneys. In humans it has been demonstrated that kidney disease significantly influences how the body processes gabapentin. A 60% decrease in the amount of time it takes gabapentin to leave the body has been demonstrated in humans with moderate kidney disease. As a result of these alterations, dose reduction in human CKD patients is recommended to prevent side effects. In cats, some vets have experienced that higher gabapentin doses lead to significant sedation in feline CKD patients. Taken together, it is necessary to explore how gabapentin is cleared from the body in cats with CKD so that these patients can safely benefit from its use. Therefore the purpose of this study is to demonstrate how the drug is processed in the body of CKD cats in comparison to normal cats and assess the efficacy of a reduced dose to decrease stress in CKD cats who are visiting the veterinary hospital.
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