My senior dog has sundowners. Will Trazodone help his night anxiety?

Hello. Actually, we do see a type of sundowners in elderly dogs. We call the canine cognitive dysfunction. Some dogs do quite well on a medication called selegemine, others do well on Trazodone, while others need Xanax & melatonin. You will need to visit with your veterinarian who can recommend the best options for Cinnamon. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hello. Most times you can give Anipryl along with Trazodone safely. On occasion, if the doses were/are high enough with both drugs, you might see serotonin syndrome. I am sure your veterinarian is quite aware of the doses used & is confident that Mitch will be fine. If you do see any unusual symptoms, agitation, muscle stiffness, distress, pacing, call your veterinarian. This is easily treated. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

This could be anxiety as you suggest, or it could be canine cognitive dysfunction (doggy dementia). CCG often includes restless/wakeful behavior at night and sleeping during the day. It can also include loss of house-training, failure to recognize family members and confused or wandering behavior. Melatonin and/or Benadryl are considered generally safe medications to give before bed to help promote sleep. There are also medications and prescription diets made especially for CCD if that is what’s happening to Sherwood. Talk with your vet to see if s/he agrees and to discuss options and doses.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Coco. Canine cognitive dysfunction is common in older animals. It is somewhat similar to Alzheimer's disease in people. It is characterized by anxiety (especially at night), panting, pacing, becoming stuck in corners (due to disorientation) and accidents in the house. If these signs sound familiar, it would be best for her to see her veterinarian. There are prescription medications that can be used in some cases. At home though, you could transitioning her to Purina ProPlan Bright Minds. It really does seem to help these patients. I hope this information helps!

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.

With canine cognitive dysfunction (dimentia) night waking is really common. I have used an anti anxiety medication called alprazolam with varied success. Also melatonin can be helpful. It seems some patients respond nicely, while it doesn’t seem to affect others at all. However, it is worth a try. I would recommend calling your veterinarian and discussing if a prescription for these would be ok for Kimi. Best of luck and thank you for using Pet Coach.

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.