Is daily Trazodone safe for my dog's separation anxiety? What to know?

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, this medication works very well for anxiety. However, I do not recommend starting this unless it has been prescribed by your veterinarian to make sure that he is healthy enough to receive it. Have a great day!

The dose range for Trazodone in dogs is very wide. For use as needed, published doses range from 2.2-14 milligrams per kilogram (mg/kg) of body weight per day. Based on her current 20 pound body weight, Luna has been prescribed 10.1 mg/kg, which is a perfectly acceptable dose. There are limited studies of the use in Trazodone in dogs, but it seems to be a very safe medication and anecdotal doses have been safely reported in excess of the published doses mentioned above. Since Luna is still a young, growing puppy, expect her dose to increase over time as she gets older and bigger. I hope this helps and that all goes well in managing Luna's separation anxiety!

Trazadone can be given once or twice daily to dogs. Side effects include increase/decrease in appetite, GI upset (vomiting, diarrhea), sedation, agitation, ataxia (wobbly gait). His past history of pancreatitis is likely not an issue with this medication. If he takes any other medications, consult first with your vet before giving them.

Yes, Trazodone is an anti-anxiety medication used in dogs pretty regularly. There are also other anti-anxiety medications that can be used if Trazodone does not seem to help Precious's unique situation, so keep the lines of communication open. I hope that this works however. Best wishes and take care.

It depends on what sedatives the veterinarian is planning to use. Do not give this medication without the approval of the veterinarian. There can be potential drug interactions. Call your veterinarian and they will tell you what to do. I hope this helps.

Fluoxetine and Trazodone are very safe medications and do not have any long term side effects that I have ever seen. There are the side effects of taking it such as sedation, incoordination, vomiting, etc. But as far as organ damage or an increased risk of cancer, to my knowledge, I have never heard of either drug causing a predisposition to either. These 2 drugs are used quite commonly and I have prescribed them both hundreds of times without ever seeing long term side effects. I hope this helps guide you in the right direction. Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

Valium is a relatively safe drug but if it has not been prescribed to your dog I cannot inform you to give it legally. What I can say is that for an 18 pound dog, you could give 4 or 5 milligrams and still be within the proper dosing range assuming no other drugs or bodily conditions exist that would make it contraindicated. Neither Cushing’s or Diabetes would preclude your dog from receiving, and the trazodone given together with the Valium would produce some additional sedation / anti anxiety effects but not enough to cause problems.