Anyone Have Experience With Trazodone?

[Guest Sunset123]

After a few failed trials with Xanax, our vet letting us try out Trazodone with Arrisa. He's never prescribed it before, and of course I'm nervous about giving her something new.

 

The vet keeps trying to get me to go with Acepromazine, which I keep saying no to, but I don't want to be a hypocrite and give my dog something that I know even less about.

 

Thoughts?

[Guest buttonwillow]

Well it worked for me, but I don't know about my dog

[CaliforniaGreys]

I've used it for several clients but never on a dog which doesn't help you. But I did want to say I really respect the fact that you stuck to your guns about not using Ace.

Edited June 1, 2011 by CaliforniaGreys

[Guest Sunset123]

I've used it for several clients but never on a dog which doesn't help you. But I did want to say I really respect the fact that you stuck to your guns about not using Ace.

 

Thanks, I've had too many people warn me against it. I like my vet just fine, but he is not a "greyhound vet." Fortunately, he does ask my opinion and only does what I'm comfortable with.

[CaliforniaGreys]

I've used it for several clients but never on a dog which doesn't help you. But I did want to say I really respect the fact that you stuck to your guns about not using Ace.

 

Thanks, I've had too many people warn me against it. I like my vet just fine, but he is not a "greyhound vet." Fortunately, he does ask my opinion and only does what I'm comfortable with.

 

I won't use it, nor will my vets, and I wish I remembered the name of the vet who is on here whose description of just how that drug works was so right on. It's a tranq and I know there are some people here who have no problem using it, but it's not the drug for anxiety issues and issues of that nature.

Edited June 2, 2011 by CaliforniaGreys

[Newgreymom]

I also vote no to Ace! My vet tried and I said "no thanks"...Claudia, is the vet you are trying to think of Dr. Feeman?? He's a wealth of information. I have researched a lot on meds for anxiety on dogs, and the Xanax didn't work for Daisy either. You really have to dose them high with the Xanax. What milligram were you giving?? My next med to talk to the vet about is Klonopin. It's in the same family as Xanax, but lasts a little longer. It's in the benzodiazopine family...

[CaliforniaGreys]

I also vote no to Ace! My vet tried and I said "no thanks"...Claudia, is the vet you are trying to think of Dr. Feeman?? He's a wealth of information. I have researched a lot on meds for anxiety on dogs, and the Xanax didn't work for Daisy either. You really have to dose them high with the Xanax. What milligram were you giving?? My next med to talk to the vet about is Klonopin. It's in the same family as Xanax, but lasts a little longer. It's in the benzodiazopine family...

 

Not Bill, this is a fairly new member and I don't think it's common knowledge they are a vet, it will come to me, but God only knows when

[Batmom]

I wouldn't medicate the dog for a "just in case" scenario.

[Guest Sunset123]

I also vote no to Ace! My vet tried and I said "no thanks"...Claudia, is the vet you are trying to think of Dr. Feeman?? He's a wealth of information. I have researched a lot on meds for anxiety on dogs, and the Xanax didn't work for Daisy either. You really have to dose them high with the Xanax. What milligram were you giving?? My next med to talk to the vet about is Klonopin. It's in the same family as Xanax, but lasts a little longer. It's in the benzodiazopine family...

 

I got up to 2.5mg. If it didn't have any effect I would have gone a little higher, but it was having the opposite effect on her. She was hyperalert.

[Guest Sunset123]

I wouldn't medicate the dog for a "just in case" scenario.

 

She won't be medicated just in case, but we will have the medication on hand just in case the episodes happen. She has a history with anxiety episodes, and it's important to me that we have a way of helping her if when (if!) they do happen. This is why I keep refusing when my vet offers anything that needs to build up in the system-- I don't want to use it if I don't have to.

 

Under normal circumstances I would not introduce medication, but since it's a big long 3200 mile road trip, and we will be at hotels and she will be with a dogsitter soon after we get to our new home, there needs to be a solution if necessary in order to keep the peace.

Edited June 2, 2011 by Sunset123

[Guest d0ggiem0mma]

I used Trazodone with my cocker spaniel a few years ago. It was very helpful. The veterinary behaviorist at OSU uses it quite frequently. It's not just a sedative, it works on the seretonin in the brain to help calm them but it also has sedative effects.

[Guest budsmom]

I also vote no to Ace! My vet tried and I said "no thanks"...Claudia, is the vet you are trying to think of Dr. Feeman?? He's a wealth of information. I have researched a lot on meds for anxiety on dogs, and the Xanax didn't work for Daisy either. You really have to dose them high with the Xanax. What milligram were you giving?? My next med to talk to the vet about is Klonopin. It's in the same family as Xanax, but lasts a little longer. It's in the benzodiazopine family...

 

I got up to 2.5mg. If it didn't have any effect I would have gone a little higher, but it was having the opposite effect on her. She was hyperalert.

 

 

Twiz was prescribed 3 mg and that is exactly how it effected her, also. I'm very interested to hear how the trazodone works, I think I'm going to talk to my vet about trying it with the Twizzle.

[Guest Sunset123]

I also vote no to Ace! My vet tried and I said "no thanks"...Claudia, is the vet you are trying to think of Dr. Feeman?? He's a wealth of information. I have researched a lot on meds for anxiety on dogs, and the Xanax didn't work for Daisy either. You really have to dose them high with the Xanax. What milligram were you giving?? My next med to talk to the vet about is Klonopin. It's in the same family as Xanax, but lasts a little longer. It's in the benzodiazopine family...

 

I got up to 2.5mg. If it didn't have any effect I would have gone a little higher, but it was having the opposite effect on her. She was hyperalert.

 

 

Twiz was prescribed 3 mg and that is exactly how it effected her, also. I'm very interested to hear how the trazodone works, I think I'm going to talk to my vet about trying it with the Twizzle.

 

Good to know Arrisa's not the only one it did that to. I'll update with how the Trazodone works. I'm going to try it out first in the house (for safety), and then in the "field."

[Guest Sunset123]

I used Trazodone with my cocker spaniel a few years ago. It was very helpful. The veterinary behaviorist at OSU uses it quite frequently. It's not just a sedative, it works on the seretonin in the brain to help calm them but it also has sedative effects.

 

Thanks! That's what I was hoping to hear. Any side effects?

[Guest Sunset123]

I think we might have a winner with the Trazodone! I need to try it out "in the field" now that I've tried it at home, but it seems to be just right.

 

Strangely, the vet ordered 100mg tabs, but I gave her a half. I wasn't about to give her twice the dose that was prescribed to my 160lb husband! (My husband has a pretty full bottle, but it's out of date. I am going to test those ones on myself to see if they're still effective.)

[riverbosun]

Trazodone is sedating and can drop blood pressure causing fainting. It can leave humans feeling "hung over". I wouldn't consider it for a dog.

[Guest Swifthounds]

I wouldn't medicate the dog for a "just in case" scenario.

 

 

People also often forget that what we term canine anxiety really is nothing like psychiatric conditions in humans and thus the medications are not performing the same functions in a dog as they do in a human. No matter what you give, the ultimate effect is merely sedation or tranquilization and little else. Any good vet who prescribes meds for canine behavior is grossly negligent in doing so without a behavioral/training component in place with the medication as a temporary item to facilitate healing. One unfortunate thing humans and dog's both do get from these meds is side effects and organ damage.

[Ullaluv]

First time I have heard of Trazadone being used in dogs. Trazadone is one of the oldest antidepressants used for people. It hasn't been used as an antidepressant for a long time, but is sometimes used as a sleep aid for people because of its sedative side effects. The usual dose for humans is between 50 and 150 mg at bedtime.

 

Has it been studied in dogs? I'd be interested to know.

[JJNg]

People also often forget that what we term canine anxiety really is nothing like psychiatric conditions in humans and thus the medications are not performing the same functions in a dog as they do in a human. No matter what you give, the ultimate effect is merely sedation or tranquilization and little else.

I'm not sure I understand your point here. Do you believe that dogs don't experience emotions the same way humans do? While there is obviously no way to know for sure, I absolutely believe that dogs can experience anxiety and have psychiatric conditions just like, or very similar to, people. Their brain chemistry and physiologic responses parallel those of humans. Even their behavioral responses are similar - a dog who is scared and panicking does all the same things that a person would do when they are scared and panicking. Why would we assume that their emotional experience is 'nothing like' what we experience ourselves?

 

Similarly, why would psychoactive medications not perform the same functions in a dog as they do in a human? Many medical diseases we treat in dogs have equivalents in humans (ie. infections, metabolic disorders, organ failure, etc). We use many of the same medications in both veterinary and human medicine, and the drugs work the same way in both species. Why do you feel anti-anxiety medications would be different? I believe that a dog who relaxes on a car ride when given Valium is experiencing the same anti-anxiety effect as a person who takes Valium for air travel, not simply sedation.

 

Any good vet who prescribes meds for canine behavior is grossly negligent in doing so without a behavioral/training component in place with the medication as a temporary item to facilitate healing. One unfortunate thing humans and dog's both do get from these meds is side effects and organ damage.

I agree that behavioral modification is an important and essential component to treating behavior problems, especially if the problem is severe enough to warrant medication. Using long term medication like Prozac or Clomicalm for ongoing problems like separation anxiety or generalized anxiety without a behavior modification program in place is inappropriate.

 

However, for some situational cases, like the OP's upcoming move, there may not be a practical way to train. For what may be a single traumatic episode for a dog with a history of anxiety, I think the OP is being responsible to plan ahead to find something that will help if the need arises.

 

Realistically, I also find that many owners do not have the time or desire to train, especially if the behavior is very situational and intermittent. I'm not saying I agree with this, but I do feel that these dogs can still benefit from medication. Severe anxiety and other psychological problems are as detrimental to health and well-being as other medical problems, and I feel that we need to do our best to treat them. Any medication has the potential for side effects, and the benefits need to be weight with the risks regardless of what we're treating.

 

In an ideal case, medication is used as a temporary measure to facilitate learning and then weaned off after significant progress has been made. However, just like many people need to stay on antidepressant/anxiolytic meds long term, some dogs will backslide when drugs are decreased and may need to stay on meds long term. There are a number of dogs who fall into this category, even with owners who do everything they should in the training department. Psychiatric disorders are true medical problems that can't always be 'cured' with behavioral modification.

 

Ullaluv, I've noticed that veterinary behaviorists have been using trazodone more in the last few years. Seems to be a relatively new thing. It's mostly used as an adjunctive medication when the more common meds alone aren't enough. Here's one study that I found. In general, there aren't a whole lot of controlled studies for any of the behavioral medications that are used in veterinary medicine. Large scale studies often aren't financially possible without the backing of pharmaceutical companies, and behavior isn't a very popular field. And especially if there's any aggression involved, no company is going to touch it due to the potential for liability.

[Guest d0ggiem0mma]

Sunset- You should never assume your vet's dosing is wrong just because it is higher than a human dose. Dogs metabolize meds very differently than humans do. I can give my 35# whippet 2mg of Xanax and he's fine but if I took that I would be drooling on myself. Same with Tramadol where an adult human would take 50mg and large dog might take 100mg or more! I do not know the correct canine dosing for Trazodone off hand so you'll need to check with your vet.

 

I did not have any unusual side effects with my cocker spaniel. We used it in conjunction with several other medications as he was a very messed up pup.

 

 

 

Swifthounds- I will have to completely disagree with you. Dogs absolutely have anxiety and my goal when medicating a dog is to relieve that anxiety with as little sedative/tranquilizing effect as possible. My whippet is on Clomicalm, a SSRI, for severe separation anxiety. It does NOT sedate him at all, but it does help him a lot with his anxiety so we can more effectively work on behavioral modification. Of course some sedation for a short-term issue like travel may actually be preferred but the anti-anxiety effects are more important.

[Guest greytkidsmom]

Kebo was prescribed xanax years ago for travel anxiety. He gets 1.5mg about 1/2 to 1 hour before a car trip and it sort of helps. It has been the best of the options we have tried over the years. (We have done "desensitization", herbals, antiemetics, benadryl, you name it.)

 

When he was at Virginia Tech for his first surgery, he panicked one night and they gave him Ace. That is one of the many reasons I will not go back there for anything elective. They also wouldn't give him any anxiety medicine to travel home stating that tramadol was adequate (sorry, I digress) At NC State, he did a similar thing after his second surgery and they gave him trazodone. They said that it really did a good job calming him down. When I asked for them to give him something to help tolerate the 3 hour car ride home, they gave him 50mg before we picked him up. His behavior in the car was the best I had seen.

 

They gave him 50mg tablets but he was also on 100mg tramadol at the time and the two drugs act synergistically. They told us when he had stopped the tramadol that we could go up to 100mg of the trazodone. He seems so much better on the trazodone than when he was on xanax. He actually lays down in the car and lays down at the vet's office once we are in the exam room. I only use the 50mg dose because he seemed a little oversedated on the 100mg. We give it to him 30min to 1 hour before he has to ride in the car.

 

I am happy with the results and will probably continue to use it instead of xanax. It sounds like you have had similar favorable results. Good luck!

[Guest Sunset123]

Kebo was prescribed xanax years ago for travel anxiety. He gets 1.5mg about 1/2 to 1 hour before a car trip and it sort of helps. It has been the best of the options we have tried over the years. (We have done "desensitization", herbals, antiemetics, benadryl, you name it.)

 

When he was at Virginia Tech for his first surgery, he panicked one night and they gave him Ace. That is one of the many reasons I will not go back there for anything elective. They also wouldn't give him any anxiety medicine to travel home stating that tramadol was adequate (sorry, I digress) At NC State, he did a similar thing after his second surgery and they gave him trazodone. They said that it really did a good job calming him down. When I asked for them to give him something to help tolerate the 3 hour car ride home, they gave him 50mg before we picked him up. His behavior in the car was the best I had seen.

 

They gave him 50mg tablets but he was also on 100mg tramadol at the time and the two drugs act synergistically. They told us when he had stopped the tramadol that we could go up to 100mg of the trazodone. He seems so much better on the trazodone than when he was on xanax. He actually lays down in the car and lays down at the vet's office once we are in the exam room. I only use the 50mg dose because he seemed a little oversedated on the 100mg. We give it to him 30min to 1 hour before he has to ride in the car.

 

I am happy with the results and will probably continue to use it instead of xanax. It sounds like you have had similar favorable results. Good luck!

 

Yeah, since the 50mg seemed to be fine, I'll stick with that if I need it. I do feel like Xanax was the "safer" option, but I am not going to even try giving that to her again because she just seemed uncomfortable.

 

Of course, I hope not to even have to give the Trazodone at all, but I feel relieved to have something ready if the need arises. I even tested it out on myself to see what it felt like!

[Guest budsmom]

Kebo was prescribed xanax years ago for travel anxiety. He gets 1.5mg about 1/2 to 1 hour before a car trip and it sort of helps. It has been the best of the options we have tried over the years. (We have done "desensitization", herbals, antiemetics, benadryl, you name it.)

 

When he was at Virginia Tech for his first surgery, he panicked one night and they gave him Ace. That is one of the many reasons I will not go back there for anything elective. They also wouldn't give him any anxiety medicine to travel home stating that tramadol was adequate (sorry, I digress) At NC State, he did a similar thing after his second surgery and they gave him trazodone. They said that it really did a good job calming him down. When I asked for them to give him something to help tolerate the 3 hour car ride home, they gave him 50mg before we picked him up. His behavior in the car was the best I had seen.

 

They gave him 50mg tablets but he was also on 100mg tramadol at the time and the two drugs act synergistically. They told us when he had stopped the tramadol that we could go up to 100mg of the trazodone. He seems so much better on the trazodone than when he was on xanax. He actually lays down in the car and lays down at the vet's office once we are in the exam room. I only use the 50mg dose because he seemed a little oversedated on the 100mg. We give it to him 30min to 1 hour before he has to ride in the car.

 

I am happy with the results and will probably continue to use it instead of xanax. It sounds like you have had similar favorable results. Good luck!

 

 

So, you are using this just for specific situations? That's what I'm looking for - Twiz has severe storm phobia and I don't want to go to something like Prozac that she has to be on all the time. I have tried every holistic/home remedy as well as valium and xanax and nothing really helps. Her fear is far too ingrained now to even attempt counter conditioning, I just want to help her get through the few really severe storms we get each year.

[Guest grammarules]

I've never given it to my dog but I take it at night for RLS and nerve pain. I was surprised to find you could even give it to animals.

 

 

[JJNg]

Twiz has severe storm phobia and I don't want to go to something like Prozac that she has to be on all the time. I have tried every holistic/home remedy as well as valium and xanax and nothing really helps. Her fear is far too ingrained now to even attempt counter conditioning, I just want to help her get through the few really severe storms we get each year.

In areas where storms are fairly frequent, dogs with severe storm phobias can benefit greatly from being on a medication like Prozac through the storm season. You can start the medication a few weeks before the start of storm season, and then wean off at the end of the season. Most of these dogs still need additional anti-anxiety medication during actual storms, but do well with lower doses. And having the 'background' medication in their system also helps when you're not home to administer the situational medication.

 

I also don't believe fear can ever be "too ingrained" to use desensitization and counter-conditioning (DS&CC). These severe cases are the ones that have the most to gain from a combination of behavior modification and medication. The best time to start a DS&CC protocol for a storm phobic dog is during the off-season when there won't be any storms to create a full blown fear response.

 

To plan a DS&CC protocol, you need to identify an artificial simulation of parts of the storm sequence that the dog reacts to. The most commonly used stimuli are audio CDs of rain or storms. To see if the dog responds to it, you just play the CD at normal volume and watch the dog's body language closely. You don't necessarily need to see a complete panic response like for a real storm - even minor signs of anxiety (ears going back, panting, trembling, calming signals) are enough to indicate the dog will benefit from DS&CC to that CD.

 

Once you're ready to start with the behavior modification protocol, you want to start playing the CD at a volume that's low enough that it doesn't elicit any response from the dog. Reward the dog for happy, relaxed body language with praise and treats. Very gradually increase the volume (over a number multiple short sessions). The goal is to go slowly enough that you never elicit an anxious response. If you see any subtle signs of anxiety in the dog's body language, you've gone too fast. With time, you should get to the point where you can play the CD at normal, or louder than normal, volume, and the dog stays happy and relaxed.

 

Depending on the individual dog's response and triggers, a protocol might begin with a CD of just rain, then progress to CDs of mild storms, then stronger, more violent storms. Some dogs react to other aspects of the storm like the lightning, or wind, and if you get creative, you can even attempt DS&CC to some of the other stimuli if you can figure out a way to simulate it in a controlled way. I've known of a case where a strobe light was used to simulate lightning, and the early stages of DS&CC started with the strobe light at the far end of the house away from where the dog was, then gradually getting closer as the dog became desensitized to the flashing light.

 

Obviously there are also components of storms, like barometric pressure and static electricity that we can't control and desensitize to. But a large proportion of dogs react mostly to the noise of the storm and can benefit from DS&CC to audio CDs.