Alprazolam for Dogs & Cats: Anxiety, Stress & Behavior Relief

Learn all about what social anxiety looks like in cats and how to address it.

This article explains how a dog's sense of smell can influence behavior by means of pheromones.

Learn all about what separation anxiety looks like in cats and how to address it.

Learn all about what social anxiety looks like in dogs and how to address it.

Recognizing the signs of stress in our animals and understanding some of the ways to help are integral steps in helping your pet. Read which behaviors are normal in small animals and which may mean your pet is stressed.

Common behavior changes and problems are seen in older cats such as urinating outside of the litter box, spraying, anxiety and increased aggression.

Dogs and cats experience a wide range of emotions. But what about depression? Let’s investigate whether pets get depressed and, if they do, what can be done about it.

I'm not sure, you would need to ask the specific veterinarian in question what his/her concerns are. Alprazolam is fairly commonly used for travel anxiety in cats, but there are also other meds that can work well. It may be a question of personal preference for your veterinarian, based on his/her experience.

Xanax should not be given to a cat unless prescribed by a veterinarian. Xanax is an oral benzodiazepine that could cause liver failure. So a veterinarian would only prescribe it in an emergency situation or if no other benzodiazepine is available, Please do not give your cat Xanax.

Anxicalm is the generic form of Alprazolam. It is in the same drug class (benzodiazepines) as Diazepam, but it is not the same drug. To be safe, you should contact your physician or the local ER to confirm there will be no ill effects. Legally, we are prohibited from providing medical advice for humans.

In cats, the dose is 0.125 to 0.25 mg per cat as needed up to every 12 hours. This medicine should be used only if strictly recommend and/or supervised by a veterinarian. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

It is unlikely that 1/4 of a 0.25mg alprazolam (Xanax) will sedate Pixie much, if at all. Always check with Pixie's vet prior to giving her any medication. Call the vet who will be examining her to ask if more effective oral sedatives (such as trazodone and/or gabapentin) can be prescribed in order to facilitate the vet visit. That said, use extreme caution giving any prescribed oral medication to Pixie since she is a feral cat. I would not recommend attempting to give her a pill if she is not up to date on her rabies vaccine due to the potential that she may bite you, intentionally or otherwise. If oral medication is not an option for one reason or another, you could either look into mobile vets able to come to your house, or expect to have her sedated at your vet if you are able to get her into a carrier. I hope that all goes well!

Hello. What you're describing is not uncommon among older cats. It could indicate the type of cognitive dysfunction, vision issues, or even other neurological issues. The dose for alprazolam and other sedatives can range very greatly as well as depend on underlying conditions your cat may have. Generally speaking animals have a higher metabolic rate the smaller they are so smaller animals often require higher dosages of certain medications the bigger animals such as us. Unfortunately we are not legally allowed to approve dosages for any medications we did not prescribe as your veterinarian. However if you contact your veterinarian they may be able to give you verbal authorization for a dose.

Several different drugs are available for this purpose. The drugs I use the most often for this sort of situation include trazodone, alprazolam (Xanax), and acepromazine. The last of these drugs will not provide any relief for anxiety for Muttley, instead it will simply tranquilize him. The other two will have both sedative and anti-anxiety activity. Discuss the situation with your veterinarian and determine which option you believe will be best. Hope this works out. If your pup is going to be travelling in the cabin, for the sake of the other passengers the use of the tranquilizer may be the best option.