Compounded gabapentin suspension for lower back pain in an older cat: a case report

Lower back pain in cats, especially that caused by intervertebral disk disease, inhibits movement, greatly compromises quality of life, and, without treatment can persist unabated long term. The basic diagnostic workup available to many feline patients with low back discomfort can yield inconclusive results, and in confirmed cases of intervertebral disk disease, decompression surgery can be relatively expensive for the client and not without risk to the patient. Thus empirical treatment with an effective analgesic that is safe for and well tolerated by cats with low back pain is a welcome and reasonable option for many pet owners. In this case report, the use of a compounded suspension of gabapentin in an older cat with suspected lumbosacral intervertebral disk disease is described. That preparation was prescribed because commercially available tablets of gabapentin cannot be split to yield an accurate dose for this feline patient and manufactured gabapentin solution, which is not available as a generic but only as the branded product Neurontin, contains xylitol, which can be toxic to cats.