How Long Does Trazodone Last In Dogs

Trazodone use in veterinary medicine.

How long does trazodone last in dogs. Trazodone for dogs can be used to help treat behavioral issues in our canine friends. At the aspca animal poison control center we become concerned with naïve dogs who are exposed to trazodone at 5 mg kg though mild signs can be seen at doses lower than that. This is especially true if the unwanted behavior is dangerous or aggressive. Patients with heart kidney or liver disease or closed angle glaucoma should use this medication with caution.

Most veterinarians prescribe trazodone at the lower dosage range to minimize side effects and may gradually taper the dose up after 3 to 5 days. We typically see signs within 30 60 minutes post exposure. The time of onset and how long it lasts does vary from dog to dog so it will be informative to do a practice test a day or two before a potentially fearful event so you can optimize the timing. For example a 20 pound beagle would need somewhere between 50 and 300 milligrams of trazodone per day.

Trazodone oral tablets are commonly used off label to treat short term anxieties or as an adjunctive treatment for behavioral disorders in dogs and cats. Another method to dose dog is by total mg size based on weight. In some cases dogs may be given up to 15 mg per pound every 24 hours. Possible side effects of trazodone.

Most commonly the clinical signs can last 10 12 hours but they may last over 24 hours. Trazodone dosage for dogs. After a single dose in a healthy adult trazodone will be mostly out of your system in one to three days. In 2008 gruen and sherman studied 56 dogs prescribed trazodone in combination with other primary behavior therapies and discovered that trazodone seemed to offer therapeutic benefit with relatively minimal adverse effects.

While the use of prescription medications can be valuable for treating anxiety based behaviors in dogs it s important noting that their use along with behavior modification therapy is what benefits the dogs the most. Side effects may include sedation behavior changes vomiting and priapism. Trazodone is given every 8 hours and as needed based on the dog s weight and response. Trazodone is available in generic and brand name options and the most common dosages include 50 100 150 and 300 mg.

This means that every 5 to 13 hours the level in your blood will drop by 50 percent. Typically vets recommend that owners give dogs between 2 5 milligrams and 15 milligrams of trazodone per pound of body weight every 24 hours. The dosage for dogs varies but a general guideline is a daily dose of around 2 5 mg to 3 5 mg per pound. For trazodone the half life is approximately 5 to 13 hours.