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How to calm my anxious dog for a vet visit? Is Benadryl safe?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 1 year and 7 months old | 60.5 lbs

I just got my pup from the pound a week ago. We have a wellness check tomorrow. From what I can tell he will have a fear of the vet, bad anxiety and will most likely fight me on it. Is there anything I can give him to calm him down? Would something like benedryl be harmful?

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on March 17th, 2020

Hello. You would need to give a lot of Benadryl to calm a dog, & even then, it probably would not work. I would try to make sure that your appointment is at as quiet a time as possible. Call ahead to make sure there are no unexpected wait times & that you can get in & out as quickly as possible. Bring a highly valued treat, even if it is cooked chicken or a can of CheeseWhiz & give him plenty of treats going over. Make sure the technician takes a few minutes with Lance to get to know him & feed a few treats. The same goes with the veterinarian. Bring enough to share. If this is a pleasant experience, while it will not take away all anxiety, it will help in future visits. If Lance just goes ballistic, then reschedule the visit & ask your vet for some Trazodone that you can give 30 minutes before the visit. Hopefully, things will go smoothly. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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