Key points:
- Trazodone is a serotonin antagonist/reuptake inhibitor (SARI) drug. It’s an antidepressant that vets usually prescribe to treat behavioral disorders in dogs associated with anxiety and phobias.
- Trazodone is a safe dog anxiety medication, and most dogs don’t experience any adverse side effects. However, some pets may experience trazodone side effects such as dilated pupils, sedation, vomiting or gagging, loss of energy, and arrhythmia.
- The recommended dose depends on your dog’s weight and health and should be determined by your vet after considering all the underlying factors. If you give your dog too much trazodone, it might experience serotonin syndrome with the following symptoms: vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, hyperthermia, skin sensitivity, dilation of pupils, blindness, difficulty breathing, loss of movement control, disorientation, paralysis, coma, and even death.
- Trazodone is not recommended for pregnant dogs or those who suffer from liver or kidney disabilities or severe heart disease. Trazodone should not be given to dogs with angle-closure glaucoma.
- You should administer trazodone with caution if your dog takes MAO inhibitors, antihypertensive drugs, aspirin, azole antifungals, cisapride, CNS depressants, digoxin, diuretics, fluoroquinolones, macrolide antibiotics, metoclopramide, NSAIDs, ondansetron, phenothiazines, SSRI antidepressants, and tramadol.
- The most efficient way to change your dog’s behavior is to combine a course of trazodone with a behavioral modification program.
Have you noticed that your dog is acting anxious, fearful, and hostile? Dogs can become anxious for a number of reasons, whether it’s a vet visit, loud noises, change of environment, or being left alone, but what can you do if nothing seems to relieve the pet’s fear and eliminate its destructive behavior? When your goal is to alleviate your dog’s anxiety and improve its well-being, combining a behavioral modification training program with anti-anxiety medication is the best way to do so. The most common anti-anxiety drug that your vet may prescribe is trazodone.
Trazodone is commonly used in veterinary medicine to treat dogs with anxiety and behavioral issues or keep pets calm during regular veterinary visits. The medication has sedative and anti-anxiety effects and can be prescribed along with other psychotropic medications. Trazodone was first used for humans as an off-label medication for insomnia and post-traumatic stress. Now, scientists have confirmed that trazodone is just as effective and safe for dogs.
But how exactly does trazodone work for dogs? Is it safe? Does it have any side effects? If these questions popped in your head when your vet mentioned this medicine, keep on reading and find out all the answers.
(more…)









