Should I give my dog Benadryl for separation anxiety when I leave?

You can definitely try a Benadryl before the vet visit but if the problem is this pronounced, I would talk to your vet about stronger medication at home. They make several medicines such a trazadone, diazepam, or gabapentin that are now being used prior to anxiety such as vet visits and fireworks that can help. You can also use a white noise machine at home during storms and fireworks as this can help mask the noises to ease her

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While hydroxyzine is an antihistamine commonly used for allergies and might cause mild sedation in dogs, it is unlikely to resolve Hunter’s separation anxiety. I recommend trying positive reinforcement, providing distractions, or even using calming supplements for dogs or a product known as a “thundershirt” prior to resorting to medications. You should consult with your vet regarding any medications you may want to give to Hunter to confirm that there will be no interactions with anything he is currently taking and that the dose is appropriate for his size.

Benadryl is generally quite safe for dogs so it's unlikely that this would cause any harm; however, it rarely does much to help with anxiety in my experience. A better option would be to talk to your veterinarian about prescription anti-anxiety medication such as alprazolam or trazodone - these medications are much more effective for anxious pets, and can be used as-needed for car rides or other situations that may cause stress :)

I'm sorry that Belle is suffering from some anxiety. Unfortunately Benadryl can have the opposite effect on dogs; instead of sedation, it can make them more anxious. In addition, I cannot legally recommend giving her either drug without seeing her in person. Put her in a dark quiet room by herself to self-soothe. You can also turn on the TV or music to block out the sound. One important thing to do to when your dog acts scared is not to reassure her. We think we are comforting her when we do that, but it's actually reinforcing the behavior and telling her it's ok to be scared. Give her vet a call to see if you can get something prescribed to help with her anxiety. Best of luck.

Hi, thanks for using PetCoach! Benadryl is an antihistamine that sometimes (animal and people dependent) can have a mild sedative effect. If the Benadryl doesn't work then I would contact your Veterinarian for a stronger medication. https://www.petcoach.co/canigive/dog/benadryl/ I hope this helps and have a great New Year!

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! I agree with you. This is possibly separation anxiety which is actually way more common than people think. While there are behavioral medications that may help, I still prefer more behavioral modifications such as increasing the frequency of those times that you are separated to get her more used to it but more importantly, start rewarding her for when she behaves well when left alone. You can do this with praise and of course treats. If this does not work, there are medications that can be used for this purpose which your veterinarian may be able to prescribe if deemed useful at that time. Good luck and have a good night!