Trazodone for Dogs: When to Use and Side Effects

You may find that your dog exhibits symptoms of anxiety. Common signs of anxiety in dogs include panting, shaking, drooling, compulsive licking, or exhibiting destructive behaviors.^[1] Many pet parents don’t know how to calm their pups and mitigate the negative behavior, but some dogs can benefit from taking anxiety medication, like trazodone.

Before you decide whether trazodone works for your furry friend, you should learn more about the medication. Your veterinarian can also answer questions about the medication and prescribe trazodone to help treat your dog’s anxiety.

Here’s what you need to know about trazodone, including when to use it and potential side effects.

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What is trazodone?

Trazodone (often known by the brand names Desyrel or Oleptro) is a medication used to treat depression and anxiety in humans. It’s a type of serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI) that works to increase the serotonin present in the central nervous system. The increased serotonin helps stabilize a patient’s mood. As a short-acting drug, trazodone takes effect quickly and passes through a patient’s system within 24 hours.^[2]

Vets can prescribe trazodone for off-label use because no animal medication labeled for the same usage exists. Vets use this medication to treat certain behavioral disorders in dogs stemming from anxiety and phobias.

Uses and benefits of trazodone for dogs

For occasional situations when dogs experience stress, a single dose of trazodone may be sufficient. But dogs suffering from anxiety disorders may need to take regular doses for long-term management of anxiety.

Below are some of the most common uses of this anti-anxiety medication in veterinary medicine.

Situational anxiety

Owners who can anticipate when their dogs will be in stressful situations might give their pets trazodone as needed.

Generally, you should give the medication to your dog about an hour before the stressful event so your vet visit or grooming appointment doesn’t overwhelm your animal.^[4] This short-term stress relief can also help if your dog struggles with loud noises like fireworks or thunderstorms.

Sedation

Trazodone can work like a sedative on a dog’s brain. This means many veterinarians use this human drug to ensure the dog stays calm and sedated after surgery when rest and reduced activity are necessary for healing.

Pet parents may also administer trazodone if they have to travel with their four-footed companion. Airplane travel and long car rides can be extremely stressful for dogs, and the proper trazodone dosage can help relieve their anxiety.

Behavioral issues

Severe anxiety in dogs can often look like a behavioral disorder. Things like aggression, barking and howling, compulsive actions like licking or pacing, destructive chewing or scratching, hyperactivity, and urinating or defecating indoors can all be symptoms of disorders like separation anxiety.

Dogs struggling with these issues may need daily doses of trazodone to help relieve stress.

Trazodone’s most common side effects

Pet owners should be aware of some common side effects of trazodone. Though not all the side effects are causes for concern, it’s still important for you to understand how trazodone works on your dog’s brain and body.

Here are some of the side effects to be aware of:

• Lethargy, drowsiness, or sleepiness

• Vomiting or gagging

• Loss of muscle control or coordination

• Dilated pupils

• Increased appetite

• Aggression

More severe side effects could arise if your pet takes trazodone at the same time as other serotonergic drugs, such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Dogs may be vulnerable to serotonin syndrome if they take trazodone with other serotonin reuptake inhibitors. This syndrome occurs when too much serotonin accumulates in the body.

How to administer trazodone

Trazodone comes in tablet form for your dog to swallow. Unfortunately, no liquid form of this product is available. You can give trazodone to your dog either with food or on an empty stomach. 

If your pet vomits after taking the medication without food, giving the next dose with food will generally prevent further vomiting.

How much does trazodone cost?

Since trazodone is the generic form of the brand names of Desyrel and Oleptro, it’s relatively inexpensive. You can purchase generic trazodone through online pet stores like Chewy and 1800PetMeds, where each tablet costs between $0.14 and $0.56, depending on the size of the dosage. 

How much trazodone you’ll give to your dog per dose depends on its weight.

Does pet insurance cover trazodone?

A wellness pet insurance policy will generally cover anxiety medications like trazodone, provided a veterinarian has prescribed the medicine. However, accident or accident-and-illness levels of pet insurance generally don’t cover prescription drugs.

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Alternatives to trazodone

Trazodone is one of several medications and therapeutic options for dogs with anxiety. Some other alternatives may include:

• SSRIs and antidepressant medications: Trazodone isn’t the only type of medicine available for treating your dog’s anxiety. Your vet may also prescribe fluoxetine, clomipramine, or other anti-anxiety medication available at your pharmacy.

• Training: It’s possible to train your dog to change its anxiety-based behavior in some cases. Training an anxious dog isn’t easy and may require the help of a professional dog trainer.

• Anti-anxiety products: From calming shirts to pheromone sprays to calming dog crates, a number of products on the market can help owners relieve their dogs’ stress.

Trazodone for dogs FAQs