My dog on anxiety meds: Is extreme sleepiness and not eating normal?

Hi there. I would be concerned with Hershey developing serotonin syndrome with concurrent use of trazadone and fluoxetine especially if you are giving them together often. It has to do with how the drugs are metabolized in the body and what receptors they work on. Side effects can be as you have listed, as with diarrhea, labored fast breathing, etc. I would try calling your doctor to discuss changing the dosages or weaning off the trazadone altogether. Hope this helps!

Hello, sorry to hear about Taz. Sedatives and anesthesia may take up to 24-32 hours to wear off in some dogs, particularly older patients. Other factors that contribute to this include any concurrent illnesses such as liver disease, kidney disease, or even his ulcer. If Taz continues to be sedate and without an appetite, then he should be rechecked at the latest tomorrow morning. If he seems more lethargic or painful, then he should be evaluated sooner. Please contact your veterinarian to inform them that Taz is still sedate and not wanting to eat as they may want to see him sooner depending on his concurrent medical history and what agents they used for anesthesia. Hope this helps and best of luck.

I usually don't expect to see positive changes for at least 6 weeks. You may want to discuss these side effects with your vet to see if there might be a better anxiety medication to use - there is no one best medication for all dogs, sometimes it is trial and error. I can't really tell you what to expect next, since every dog is so different. I would not expect that his current side effects would get worse, though.

Hopefully, it is due to the stress of your absence and not a drug toxicity. Monitor him for lethargy, ataxia (wobbly gait), drooling loss of appetite, dilated pupils or rapid heart rate/breathing. These can all be signs of drug ingestion. Try withholding food for 24 hours. Allow small amounts of water or unflavored electrolyte replacement fluid. Resume feeding a bland diet in small, frequent amounts until the stool is normal before slowly transitioning to his regular diet. A bland diet can be plain white rice mixed with either cottage cheese, boiled boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cooked/drained ground turkey or cooked/drained ground beef. Gradually acclimate him to your absence by leaving for ever increasing periods of time. Prepare to leave several times during the day. Leave sometimes, sometimes just put your stuff away and stay. Do not make a big deal about leaving or arriving. Ignore your dog for 15 minutes or until he calms down upon your return. Use special toys or treats only when you leave. Take them up when you get home. Pheromone products such as the DAP Diffuser or Adaptil collar may decrease his anxiety while you are gone.

Hello, sorry to hear about Rocco. Based on the invoice, it appears that Rocco had full anesthesia, however, this should be confirmed with your veterinarian. With either anesthesia or sedation, pets can be sleepy and groggy until the next morning. So allow Rocco some additional time to recover from his procedure and contact your veterinarian tomorrow morning after breakfast if he is still not acting more like his normal self. One of the medications used appears to have been reversed (dexdormitor), and the the butorphanol can take up to 12 hours to wear off. Gas anesthetics may also take longer to be removed from the body. Keep him quiet tonight and allow him to rest after his procedure. He should be back to normal by the morning. Hope this helps and best of luck.

Hello and welcome to Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. All medications have side effects and possible adverse reactions. Anti-anxiety medication, depending on which one, can be hard on the liver, depending on the medication, dose and frequency it is being used. Most anti-anxiety medications will depress the brain so tend to not cause seizures, but they do affect the brain so some animals can respond with seizures, but this is unlikely. Most of these medications will cause sedation, and the equivalent to 'drowsiness' that a human might feel. If you are seeing seizures or lethargy/weakness with the medications I recommend having your dog seen by a vet and checking blood levels. Also, I notice you have your dog listed as unneutered. If your dog is having anxiety, getting him neutered can help reduce stress and anxiety and would be recommended as part of an anti-anxiety treatment plan. Discuss this with your vet. Best of luck with Bruno.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to know without knowing which medication was given as some medications can result in lethargy but most will not. However, it could also be that this is Loki's typical behavior and sleeping pattern during the day while you are away from home. Dogs usually sleep most of the day and that is normal. If he is otherwise doing fine then he is most likely just fine. If you notice any other signs of illness such as inappetence, vomiting or diarrhea, have him evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment. Otherwise, he is likely just fine. Good luck and have a great day! I hope you find this information helpful!