We`re covering methods of treating pain, and two conventional medications that are great for dogs and cats are Tramadol and Gabapentin. These meds are similar, but different. We often use both at the same time.
Tramadol and Gabapentin stop windup
Tramadol and Gabapentin both alleviate pain by short circuiting pain messages running through the brain. A pet with pain eventually develops a rapid transit pathway for pain messages and then all pain signals flow easily through the thalamus and into the cortex. The name for the rapid, constant flood of pain signals is windup. Tramadol and Gabapentin stop windup; that is, Tramadol and Gabapentin prevent repetitive firing of neurons in the brain.
Putting windup in human terms For some pet parents it is easiest to understand windup in terms of irritability. Ever have a day when things piled up and suddenly you exploded? You hadn’t been paying attention but your mind & body registered every insult until suddenly someone spoke to you rudely or pulled out in front of you in traffic and you exploded.
There are some differences between Tramadol & Gabapentin
Tramadol has some pain relieving qualities, and Gabapentin doesn’t. Unfortunately, the pain relief Tramadol offers is not sufficient by itself to be good pain medication.
Gabapentin helps with tremors or seizures & with neuropathic pain. Gabapentin is used to help treat epilepsy in humans.
Benefits of Tramadol & Gabapentin
Pets on Tramdol & Gabapentin are more comfortable. They can walk longer distances. They can bend their legs and lie down to sleep without circling a dozen times because it hurts to bend their joints. They can flex their hips and knees so that it`s not painful to squat and defecate. They can take smaller amounts of NSAIDs like Metacam and Rimadyl and this reduces the potential for NSAID damage to stomach, liver and kidneys.
Pets with arthritis, hip dysplasia, patella luxation or problems with bones & joints register pain in their brains but don’t show it to us. The brain pathways for pain are so well travelled that they are “primed” to feel the next sensation. Tramadol, Gabapentin, and acupuncture help decrease constant pain messages, lessening windup. They are a blessing for dogs and cats in pain.
No comments:
Post a Comment