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145 PVPs for Cats

July 28, 2026 · 25 min

Show notes

Episode 145 – PVPs for Cats

Cats can be extremely fearful at the Veterinary Clinic and being able to administer medications such as gabapentin before vet visits has been absolutely game-changing for feline practice in the last 10 years or so.

Have a listen as I talk you through PVP options other than gabapentin, what doses I commonly use, and which situations I might use them in.

I also talk about a very exciting presentation I listened to from the Veterinary Behaviour Symposium in Seattle this June, on the use of Sileoâ (dexmedetomidine OTM gel) in cats.

Here are the papers I reference in this episode:

Van Haaften, K.A., Forsythe, L.R.E., Stelow, E.A. and Bain, M.J., 2017. Effects of a single preappointment dose of gabapentin on signs of stress in cats during transportation and veterinary examination. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 251(10), pp.1175-1181.

Kruszka, M., Graff, E., Medam, T. and Masson, S., 2021. Clinical evaluation of the effects of a single oral dose of gabapentin on fear-based aggressive behaviors in cats during veterinary examinations. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 259(11), pp.1285-1291.

Stevens, B.J., Frantz, E.M., Orlando, J.M., Griffith, E., Harden, L.B., Gruen, M.E. and Sherman, B.L., 2016. Efficacy of a single dose of trazodone hydrochloride given to cats prior to veterinary visits to reduce signs of transport-and examination-related anxiety. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 249(2), pp.202-207.

Lamminen, T., Korpivaara, M., Aspegrén, J., Palestrini, C. and Overall, K.L., 2023. Pregabalin alleviates anxiety and fear in cats during transportation and veterinary visits—a clinical field study. Animals, 13(3), p.371.

If you'd like to learn more about the safe and effective use of Veterinary Psychopharmacology and all the medications I talked about today, then my PSYCHOACTIVE course is for you!

https://katrin-jahn.mykajabi.com/psychoactive

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