What's New With Feline-Friendly Previsit Pharmaceuticals.

To facilitate appropriate veterinary care for feline patients while protecting their mental health, practitioners have moved to premedicating cats with anxiolytics before transportation and examination. Premedication has most commonly involved off-label use of gabapentinoids and trazodone. However, a U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved formulation of pregabalin flavored oral solution was recently released. Clinical studies showed the Schedule V controlled substance to be efficacious for reducing acute feline fear during transportation and veterinary visits. Healthy cats exhibited minimal sedation and side effects. Compared with gabapentin, pregabalin is more potent, requires a smaller dose, and has a longer duration of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]