To Gabapentin or Not Gabapentin? Our Journey with Lucy and Shanti

By: Carolina

Recently, Joseph and I took our beloved Lucy and Shanti to their annual wellness exam at the vet. I touched on this experience in a previous blog post titled "No Fear Vet Visits." It was an incredibly informative visit, and one of the many takeaways was the realization that CBD alone wasn't enough to manage their anxiety.

Let's start with Shanti. Joseph rescued her when she was just a tiny kitten, maybe three weeks old. She has always been an indoor cat, deeply loved, and cared for. Shanti is sweet and loving, but only on her own terms. She's reserved with strangers, often displaying what we initially thought was "skittish" or "shy" behavior. She dislikes strangers and only comes out when family visits, and it's clear they aren't leaving anytime soon. Shanti is also very alert to Lucy's barking, and changes in our home environment or routine have caused her stress-induced UTIs. Due to this, she's on a special UTI diet.

Lucy, on the other hand, is also a rescue, but we knew she came from an abusive past. Her behavior showed signs of trauma, which we've worked hard to correct with love and support. As some of you know, I communicate with animals and have daily conversations with my girls. They share their feelings with me—just last night, Lucy got between Joseph and me, looked at him, and said, "I don't like that both of you are gone to work all day now, every day. Can Mama stay home again?"

As you may know, I've recently started a new full-time career as a CTRS at a hospital. I must be honest—I knew my girls had some anxiety, which we tried to manage with CBD, but I didn’t realize how severe it was. I also didn't know there were other medical options that could be more beneficial for them.

(Disclaimer: This is what worked for this fur mama. When I introduced this new medication, I made sure to do so at a time when I was home with them for observation.)

During this very stressful vet visit, our wonderful new vet mentioned "No Fear" vet visits, and I was immediately on board with the idea. She mentioned that both our girls were suffering from severe anxiety, and Shanti's UTIs were anxiety-induced. No other medical issues could be found. Lucy's behavior also pointed to anxiety, so the vet prescribed a trial of gabapentin for Shanti and a combination of gabapentin and trazodone for Lucy. If they did well, we would continue with the treatment.

Let me tell you—our home has completely changed. Shanti has completely relaxed; we can now go to sleep without separating her and Celeste at night. I can go to work without fear. That's not to say there aren't occasional arguments or fusses, but you can see she’s completely relaxed, no longer in an alert state, and most importantly, no more UTIs. Lucy is also doing well, relaxing more, and not being overly on edge. I see her settling down and resting more.

Now I wonder if Celeste might benefit from some too—she's still shy, but that's a story for another day.

Call to Action: If your fur babies are experiencing anxiety or behavior issues, consider discussing options like gabapentin with your vet. It might just change your home life as it did ours.

Disclaimer: I am not a vet, and this is only my personal experience. Any changes to your pets' medication or diet should always be discussed with a licensed veterinarian.