Dog · Canis lupus familiaris · typical adult weight 2.00–80.00 kg
Gabapentin is dosed at 5–10 mg/kg PO q8-12h in dogs, per Papich MG. Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, Gabapentin, Small Animal Dosage, Dogs, printed p.350 (corpus PDF p.378) - "Neuropathic pain: Start with 5-15 mg/kg q12h PO." PLUS Plumb's 10th ed printed p.570 DOGS, which carries the q8h option ("Based on pharmacokinetics, dosing every 8 hours is likely more effective than twice daily dosing") but prints the canine analgesic figure as 10-20 mg/kg. NOTE - the exact pair 5-10 mg/kg q8h is on NEITHER page for dogs, and plumb printed p.570 prints 5-10 mg/kg q8-12h for CATS.. Gabapentin is used in dogs for Neuropathic pain, chronic pain, adjunct analgesic, Seizure management adjunct, Post-operative pain adjunct (orthopedic), Pre-visit anxiolysis. Routes documented in dogs: PO. A typical adult dog weighs 2.00–80.00 kg. ExoticRx lists 4 cited dose rules for Gabapentin in dogs, drawn from published veterinary references. Verify against current literature before clinical use.
US trade names: Neurontin
| Route | Dose | Frequency | Duration | Indication | Evidence | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PO | 5–10 mg/kg | q8-12h | Chronic use; taper to discontinue | Neuropathic pain, chronic pain, adjunct analgesic | Moderate | Papich MG. Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, Gabapentin, Small Animal Dosage, Dogs, printed p.350 (corpus PDF p.378) - "Neuropathic pain: Start with 5-15 mg/kg q12h PO." PLUS Plumb's 10th ed printed p.570 DOGS, which carries the q8h option ("Based on pharmacokinetics, dosing every 8 hours is likely more effective than twice daily dosing") but prints the canine analgesic figure as 10-20 mg/kg. NOTE - the exact pair 5-10 mg/kg q8h is on NEITHER page for dogs, and plumb printed p.570 prints 5-10 mg/kg q8-12h for CATS. |
| PO | 10–20 mg/kg | q8h | Chronic; do not stop abruptly | Seizure management adjunct | Moderate | Verified against Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th Ed, p.596 (2026-08-01). — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.569, Gabapentin monograph spanning p.568-570; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, and carries this exact dose under the matching species heading. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207 |
| PO | 10–20 mg/kg | q8h | 7-14 days post-operatively | Post-operative pain adjunct (orthopedic) | Moderate | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted) — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.569, Gabapentin monograph spanning p.568-570; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, and carries this exact dose under the matching species heading. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207 |
| PO | 10–20 mg/kg | once | 2-3 hours before vet visit | Pre-visit anxiolysis | Weak | Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook, 10th ed (2023, held copy; the original seed cited the 9th, which was never consulted), 'Trazodone', Dosages — DOGS, Chill Protocol, printed p.1268 (corpus p.1295): 'gabapentin 10 - 20 mg/kg PO administered the evening before the hospital visit and the morning of the hospital visit at least 2 hours prior to travel.' Corroborated: Veterinary Psychopharmacology, Table 10.2 'Dose range for gabapentin in cats and dogs', printed p.151 (corpus p.179): Dogs, situational medication 10-20 mg/kg. — Plumb's 10th ed (held) printed p.569, Gabapentin monograph spanning p.568-570; page located 2026-08-05 from the book's own running heads, and carries this exact dose under the matching species heading. — SOURCE EDITION: Plumb's Veterinary Drug Handbook — ISBN 9781394172207, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781394172207; Veterinary Psychopharmacology (Crowell-Davis) — ISBN 9781119226246, https://openlibrary.org/isbn/9781119226246 |
Every held source for this drug and species, as printed. Where they differ, both are shown — the choice is yours, not ours.
The sources disagree for this combination. The ranges below do not overlap on a comparable route. This is not an error in one of them — published veterinary references differ, and reconciling them for a particular patient is a clinical judgement.
| Dose (mg/kg) | Route | Source | As printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10–20 | PO | BSAVA Small Animal Formulary, 10th ed — Part A (Canine and Feline)p.196 | 10-20 mg/kg p.o. q6-8h (starting dose; incremental dose increases are recommended). |
| 10–20 | PO | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.378 | • Anticonvulsant dose: 10-20 mg/kg q8h PO. The higher dose may be needed in |
| 5–15 | PO | Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.378 | • Neuropathic pain: Start with 5-15 mg/kg q12h PO and increase dose gradually |
| 40 |
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Binds to alpha-2-delta subunit of voltage-gated calcium channels, modulating neurotransmitter release. Reduces central sensitization.
Sedation common, especially initially. Some oral solutions contain xylitol (toxic to dogs). Taper to discontinue (do not stop abruptly). Adjust dose in renal impairment.
Species-specific contraindications and adverse-reaction reports for dogs may differ from canine / feline reference data — consult the primary citations listed with each rule.
Gabapentin dose ranges in dogs, with cited source references: PO 5–10 mg/kg q8-12h; PO 10–20 mg/kg q8h; PO 10–20 mg/kg q8h; PO 10–20 mg/kg once. Reference ranges from cited sources — verify against current literature before clinical use.
Documented routes for Gabapentin in dogs: PO.
Cited course lengths for Gabapentin in dogs include: Chronic use; taper to discontinue; Chronic; do not stop abruptly; 7-14 days post-operatively; 2-3 hours before vet visit. Duration depends on the indication — match it to the specific dose rule in the table above.
Gabapentin is indicated in dogs for: Neuropathic pain, chronic pain, adjunct analgesic, Seizure management adjunct, Post-operative pain adjunct (orthopedic), Pre-visit anxiolysis.
These are general warnings for Gabapentin across species; consult the dog dosing table above for species-specific guidance. Sedation common, especially initially. Some oral solutions contain xylitol (toxic to dogs). Taper to discontinue (do not stop abruptly). Adjust dose in renal impairment.
Why a species-specific page? Gabapentin pharmacokinetics differ across species: dose ranges, intervals, and route preferences are not interchangeable. Cross-extrapolation from canine doses is unsafe in dogs — the rules above are the citations specific to this species, not generic recommendations.
Sourced from published veterinary references; awaiting credentialed clinical reviewer. See our editorial process. Reference only — not veterinary advice.
| PO |
| Papich Saunders Handbook of Veterinary Drugs, 4th edp.378 |
| to as high as 40 mg/kg q8-12h PO, if necessary. |
Figures are transcribed from the cited page or table of each held edition and are shown for reference only. They are not dose recommendations, they do not feed the calculator, and none has been reviewed by a veterinarian.