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My cat has vet anxiety. Is 100mg gabapentin safe to mix with food?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Snowshoe | Female | spayed | 2 years and 1 month old | 8.6 lbs

Hello Dr. Looking for some clarity on human gabapentin in cats. My previous veterinarian told me (since I have a prescription myself) to just give my healthy 2 year old cat a 100mg of my gabapentin before future vet visits for her travel anxiety. He moved away and she’s due for an annual visit and needs a teeth cleaning. She’s 8.6lbs. If this is a safe dosage, can the powder within the capsule be mixed with food?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Strydom, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on June 28th, 2023

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Yes, 100mg is a normal dosage for an average sized adult cat. You can open the capsule and mix the powder with a small amount of canned food. Only use enough canned food to mask the powder. If you mix it with a large amount of canned food and she doesn't eat it all, she won't get the full dose. Be sure to give it at least 2-3 hours prior to the appointment. I often recommend people give a dose at home on a day that you can be with him as a trial run so you can see how the drug affects him. You may find that it seems like it is doing nothing for him or you may see that he is too sedate or maybe it is just right. But you can take note to see how long it takes to affect him after he ingests it - some cats take 2-3 hours to get sedate and others only need 30 minutes to an hour. This way you can get the timing right for dosing him for his appointment. You don't have to do this but it may be a good idea as "test run". Hope this helps. Best wishes.

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    Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on January 20th, 2021

    Hello. I would cut back on the Gabapentin. You need to find the lowest possible dose that will ease his anxiety without affecting his ability to function during the day. I would start with 1/2 capsule twice a day. I would see how he responds, & keep decreasing b 50% until his symptoms are fairly well controlled, but his behavior seems normal. some pets jus do no tolerate his medication at all. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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