Trazodone for Dogs: What to Know

Trazodone is a human medication, but it does have a number of uses in veterinary medicine, such as managing separation anxiety, aggression, barking, and excessive licking. Some people use it nightly as a sleep aid or when they’re anticipating something stressful happening.

If your dog gets distressed going to the vet or groomers, your veterinarian might suggest using Trazodone to help manage such behavioral issues.

Uses of Trazodone for Dogs

“Trazodone has been adapted for use in dogs and cats because it tends to be very safe and well-tolerated,” says Dr. Amy Attas, VMD. A veterinarian might administer Trazodone in situations where a dog needs to remain calm, such as when they’ve just come out of surgery. If it’s orthopedic surgery, for example, the vet wouldn’t want the dog to be excited and move around a lot.

Another use of Trazodone for dogs is short-term stress relief for an event like visits to the groomer or vet clinic, car rides, or airplane trips. Some dogs get so distressed going to the vet that they start urinating or defecating in the examination room. In these instances, Trazodone would be used on an “as-needed” basis, meaning that you might need to increase or repeat the dose.

Aside from specific events like a vet visit, your veterinarian might prescribe Trazodone for daily use in dogs with behavioral disorders or dogs with phobias of events like thunderstorms and fireworks. If your dog gets so anxious that they pull out fur or destroy items in the home, Trazodone can help provide symptom relief.

However, it won’t have an immediate effect. As Dr. Attas explains, “When you use Trazodone on a daily basis, you have to build up to a level where the dog has the desired behavioral changes without unwanted side effects like drowsiness.”

As with any drug that is used to treat a chronic condition, it can take a few weeks before you’ll start to see an improvement in your dog’s behavior. In contrast, when you administer Trazodone for short-term stress relief, it should be given 1-2 hours before the required time of sedation because the dosage would be higher for occasional use than when treating a chronic behavioral disorder.

Moreover, your dog will return to their normal behavior once the drug wears off. Perfect for when you go to visit the groomer. 😁