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Anyone have a bird prescribed Gabapentin?

Pamela C

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Hello All,

My male lovebird was recently prescribed Gabapentin by the vet to try to help with his plucking issues. He has been on this approximately a week at .01 ml 2x a day. I haven't really seen any improvements or side effects and my vet had discussed bumping up the dosage over the next several weeks.
I am now beginning to administer .02 ml 2 x a day. I just wasn't sure if anyone else had experience with this and how much your bird was prescribed, etc? I honestly HATE giving him meds and am always overly cautious.

Also-am I the only one that has a HARD time getting such a small amount of liquid in the syringe? Basically .01 ml is only about a drop and if air is trapped it is almost as though there is nothing in the syringe when I fill it it to the .01 marker (which is the first little line on the syringe). It is such a tiny amount that it is hard to get it in the syringe.

Thank you!
 

webchirp

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Yes, I have two on it. Both have mutilated in the past. Dr. Orosz will bump up the dose based on symptoms for problem fids. However, mine were some of the first to start and they are on fairly large doses...66 grams of cheekie and each is at .07 ml twice per day. A friend tried it and it made her bird really sleepy at .03. Mine you can't even tell they are taking it.
 

finchly

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Sounds like you need a smaller syringe.
 

webchirp

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Hello All,

My male lovebird was recently prescribed Gabapentin by the vet to try to help with his plucking issues. He has been on this approximately a week at .01 ml 2x a day. I haven't really seen any improvements or side effects and my vet had discussed bumping up the dosage over the next several weeks.
I am now beginning to administer .02 ml 2 x a day. I just wasn't sure if anyone else had experience with this and how much your bird was prescribed, etc? I honestly HATE giving him meds and am always overly cautious.

Also-am I the only one that has a HARD time getting such a small amount of liquid in the syringe? Basically .01 ml is only about a drop and if air is trapped it is almost as though there is nothing in the syringe when I fill it it to the .01 marker (which is the first little line on the syringe). It is such a tiny amount that it is hard to get it in the syringe.

Thank you!
You might also try to preload with water or a tasty drink to .02 and then load the gabapentin.
 

Pamela C

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Yes, I have two on it. Both have mutilated in the past. Dr. Orosz will bump up the dose based on symptoms for problem fids. However, mine were some of the first to start and they are on fairly large doses...66 grams of cheekie and each is at .07 ml twice per day. A friend tried it and it made her bird really sleepy at .03. Mine you can't even tell they are taking it.
Thank you! My lovie weighs 50 grams and at .02 ml 2 x a day he doesn't seem that much affected. I monitor him closely because I don't want him falling of the perch, etc. It does seem to have helped some with him pulling out his pin feathers (he has feathers on his neck growing back but he keeps picking them out and nothing has helped so far). I am trying to be optimistic that over the next few weeks his feathers grow back and he leaves them alone. Did it help with your birds mutilating?
 

webchirp

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Thank you! My lovie weighs 50 grams and at .02 ml 2 x a day he doesn't seem that much affected. I monitor him closely because I don't want him falling of the perch, etc. It does seem to have helped some with him pulling out his pin feathers (he has feathers on his neck growing back but he keeps picking them out and nothing has helped so far). I am trying to be optimistic that over the next few weeks his feathers grow back and he leaves them alone. Did it help with your birds mutilating?
Knocking on wood but yes, usually hormones require and extra bit to keep things down. If I see picking I can up the dose a bit and if Giggie gets any kind of sore, I give her tramadol until it heals over. She gets ingrown feathers from her plucking. But without the gabapentin, they likely would not be here.
 

Pamela C

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I do have the smallest syringe that I believe possible. (I have many of them from meds previously prescribed for him.) I think filling with water first and then adding the gabapentin may help (never thought of that). With it being such a small dosage I want to make sure he is actually getting the full dosage of medicine.
 

webchirp

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I do have the smallest syringe that I believe possible. (I have many of them from meds previously prescribed for him.) I think filling with water first and then adding the gabapentin may help (never thought of that). With it being such a small dosage I want to make sure he is actually getting the full dosage of medicine.
I always pull all the meds down and shake up the syringe to make sure that last bit in the tip isn't left over meds. You can also tap the syringe after all the meds are in (with the plunger up a bit) to shake down everything and then the air will push that last tiny bit out.
 

Pamela C

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Knocking on wood but yes, usually hormones require and extra bit to keep things down. If I see picking I can up the dose a bit and if Giggie gets any kind of sore, I give her tramadol until it heals over. She gets ingrown feathers from her plucking. But without the gabapentin, they likely would not be here.
I am so glad to hear that. He never had any issues until he turned 2 and then he began picking at his neck after he had broken a blood feather. We went back and forth to the vets and tested him for ALL kinds of medical problems first-nothing positive came back. It has never "gotten better" during the last 6-7 months, only slowly becoming worse. The last visit a week ago he was prescribed the Gabapentin to numb him so maybe he leaves the new feathers alone so they grown in. And I am hoping this breaks his bad habit. He is a hyper, happy little bird most of the time, he has lots of time out of the cage, etc. I feel defeated that I have yet to be able to help him. He seems happy and is healthy otherwise, but this habit is so difficult to break and I hate watching him pick away even more feathers. :(
 

Pamela C

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I always pull all the meds down and shake up the syringe to make sure that last bit in the tip isn't left over meds. You can also tap the syringe after all the meds are in (with the plunger up a bit) to shake down everything and then the air will push that last tiny bit out.
Thank you for the advice! I am going to try that tonight!
 

Robishappy

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Do you give Gabapentin from a mix? Is it a compound? A mix?

Thanks
iR

Hello All,

My male lovebird was recently prescribed Gabapentin by the vet to try to help with his plucking issues. He has been on this approximately a week at .01 ml 2x a day. I haven't really seen any improvements or side effects and my vet had discussed bumping up the dosage over the next several weeks.
I
 

webchirp

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Chandra
Do you give Gabapentin from a mix? Is it a compound? A mix?

Thanks
iR
My gabapentin is a mix of distilled water and powdered gabapentin from the capsule. Your vet will mix the proper dose for the weight and health of your bird.
 

Nobirby

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Wow, I have seen that birds can be prescribed Gabapentin. But never realized why. I take it for nerve pain from back injury from a semi wreck. It does not make me sleepy, wish it did.
 

enigma731

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Wow, I have seen that birds can be prescribed Gabapentin. But never realized why. I take it for nerve pain from back injury from a semi wreck. It does not make me sleepy, wish it did.
It varies! My spinal cord injury bird also takes it for nerve pain.
 
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