Table 1.
Frequency of side effects based on reported doses of gabapentin administered to 50 dogs with behavioral disorders. Note these categories of dosing are qualitative, based on how owners responded when asked about their dog’s side effects after receiving the “lowest” and “highest” doses they administered and are not based on a mg/kg calculation.
| Side Effect | No. Dogs at “Lowest” Dose Alone (n = 50) 1 | No. Dogs at “Highest” Dose Alone (n = 43) 2 | No. Dogs at Both Doses (n = 43) 2 | Total No. Dogs (n = 50); 95% CI | p-Value 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sedation | 2 (4.0%) | 18 (41.9%) | 3 (7.0%) | 23 (46.0%; 31.8–60.7%) | <0.0001 |
| Ataxia | 0 | 9 (20.9%) | 9 (18.0%; 8.6–31.4%) | 0.004 | |
| Increased activity | 3 (6.0%) | 3 (7.0%) | 1 (2.3%) | 7 (14.0%; 5.8–26.7%) | 1.0 |
| Agitation | 4 (8.0%) | 6 (14.0%) | 2 (4.7%) | 12 (24.0%; 13.1–38.2%) | 0.1 |
| Increased appetite | 0 | 2 (4.7%) | 1 (2.3%) | 3 (6.0%; 1.3–16.5%) | 0.5 |
| Vomiting | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | NP |
| Diarrhea | 0 | 2 (4.7%) | 0 | 2 (4.0; 0.5–13.7%) | 0.5 |
| Constipation | 0 | 1 (2.3%) | 0 | 1 (2.0%; 0.05–10.6%) | 1.0 |
| Urinary incontinence | 0 | 1 (2.3%) | 1 (2.3%) | 2 (4.0%; 0.5–13.7%) | 1.0 |
| New aggression | 3 (6.0%) | 0 | 0 | 3 (6.0%; 1.3–16.5%) | 0.5 |
| Increased aggression | 0 | 1 (2.3%) | 0 | 1 (2.0%; 0.05–10.6%) | 1.0 |
| One or more of the above | 6 (12.0%) | 22 (51.2%) | 7 (16.3%) | 35 (70.0%; 55.4–82.1%) | <0.0001 |
1 Some of the dogs exhibiting side effects at only their “lowest” dose only received a “lowest” dose (i.e., no “highest” dose provided to the dog): sedation (n = 2), increased activity (n = 1), agitation (n = 3), new aggression (n = 1), one or more of the above (n = 5). 2 Seven dogs did not receive a “highest” dose; therefore, n was reduced. 3 p-value reported for exact McNemar chi-square test for paired observations comparing reported side effects of gabapentin at “lowest” dose as compared to “highest dose” (n = 43).