What happens if you take dog tranquilizers

Help us make PetMD better Was this article helpful? Yes No. Share this article. What did you find helpful? What was not helpful? Say more Sign me up for the PetMD Newsletter. Submit Feedback. Still have questions? Continue to Chewy. Connect With a Vet Experienced vets answer all your pet questions via chat or video. Motion sickness can also be treated with acepromazine.

Acepromazine maleate is a tranquilizer that can last several hours. Giant dog breeds and Greyhounds my be sensitive to acepromazine as well, while Terriers may require higher doses. Read more about Gabapentin for Dogs here. Dog tranquillizer pills like Alprazolam Xanax work well as do antidepressants and anti anxiety medications.

Although formulated for people, this drug has been used to treat pets. There are many reasons why someone would want to use a dog tranquilizer. In most of these cases, a prescription product is a better choice than trying an OTC. It is very common to use tranquilizers after your dog has surgery, to keep them quiet and calm as they recover. But even for a spay or neuter, a dog who is too active afterwards can cause complications.

Sometimes expensive complications. If your dog is a bouncy, energetic one, then definitely request a sedative to go home with you after surgery! Most of the time, behavior problems are best treated by a combination of prescription tranquilizers and training. Anxiety in dogs can be expressed in many different ways, from destructive chewing to escape attempts.

Often, these behaviors are also potentially dangerous to the dog and owners. If you dog has severe anxiety, then medications may well be the difference between life and death. This is probably the most common reason for an owner to request a sedative. Whether your dog hates nail trims or the groomer, or gets scared in the car, there are just times you need them to be calm. Both OTC and prescription drugs can work for these situations.

Whether one is a better choice than the other will really depend on your dog. I can get by using Benadryl for the 4th of July holiday, because none of my dogs have a strong reaction to fireworks. But if I had a dog who was really scared of them, I would use a prescription product in a heartbeat. You might be interested in: Calming Music for Dogs. The key to using a tranquilizer for situational anxiety is to get the medication on board about an hour BEFORE the stressful event starts.

You have to dose your dog before they start getting anxious, and re-dose them as needed to keep them calm. There are alternatives to using drugs for anxiety, and it is usually a good idea to try these before you move on to using medications! You can find a lot of calming supplements for dogs online, and I have used many of them successfully. These supplements are usually given mixed with food, or as a treat. You will have to play around and find what works for your dog.

I particularly like a product called Zylkene, which is made from milk proteins. It has a natural, mild calming effect.

Affected dogs may show just symptoms or several. So try to observe as much as possible. Behavior modification training a dog to be less fearful and respond to stressful stimuli in healthier ways is always indicated for dogs with anxiety. Behavioral modification and medications often work well together. Medications allow a dog to be calm enough so that training is effective. Meanwhile, training addresses the root cause, which may allow a dog to eventually discontinue their anxiety medications or at least use them less often or at a lower dose.

Behavior modification is crucial for separation anxiety and other long-term issues. But it can also help in short-term situations. This is actually why we install treat bars at the front of each of our clinics and encourage our clinics to stop by for a treat — we want the pups to associate us with something enjoyable. But, done improperly, it can reinforce anxious behaviors.

Therefore, behavior modification should always be done under the guidance of a professional — your veterinarian, a veterinary behaviorist, or a dog trainer with a lot of knowledge in experience in anxiety issues.

For dogs with mild anxiety, a vet may recommend starting with these therapies prior to prescribing a sedative or anxiety medication:.