My dog needs trazodone for anxiety. Will it just make her sleepy?

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!

Yes, trazodone is often given daily to help with anxiety. There are many options however. The most common medication for separation anxiety is Fluoxetine. It's generally my first choice when I'm looking for a daily medication. I recommend to discuss this with your veterinarian. Also, medication by it's self is not likely to work. Exercise and behavioral modification are also needed. Here are some helpful links: https://www.petcoach.co/article/separation-anxiety/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/7-natural-treatments-for-dog-anxiety/ https://www.petcoach.co/article/common-anti-anxiety-medications-for-dogs/ I hope this helps.

It is possible Petey has built up a tolerance to Trazodone. This can happen if used long term. Discuss an increase with your veterinarian. Consider also desensitization therapy and a pheromone product, such as the Adaptil collar or DAP plug in diffuser, to further help decrease anxiety.

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.

50 mg is a very typical, commonly-prescribed dose of trazodone for a dog of this size. I actually have a 20 lb dog who takes trazodone for separation anxiety, and this is the same dose that he takes :) As long as your vet has prescribed this dose of trazodone for Snickers, it should be just fine to give it to her as needed for storms.

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!

Many medications work great in the beginning and then after some time they start to stop working to the same extent, in some cases the dosage can be upped to achieve the desirable effect, you need to contact your vet regarding this issue.