# Trazodone..has anyone used it, motion sickness or otherwise?



## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

Shadow just returned from his appt. with the new vet and didn't throw up in the car. It was about 8 miles each way, it was quite the miracle considering this was only his 2nd. car ride in over 4 years that he did not throw up on!!!
The vet suggested Trazodone for him in case his motion sickness is due to anxiety. 
Just wondering if anyone has used this for anything and if it appeared to have any side effects!


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

I haven't, but I have heard of other people using it...


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

Tere said:


> Shadow just returned from his appt. with the new vet and didn't throw up in the car. It was about 8 miles each way, it was quite the miracle considering this was only his 2nd. car ride in over 4 years that he did not throw up on!!!
> The vet suggested Trazodone for him in case his motion sickness is due to anxiety.
> Just wondering if anyone has used this for anything and if it appeared to have any side effects!


We've been using it (on and off) for the last year. We haven't used it specifically for motion sickness/ car ride anxiety. Perry's been taking it especially when he was on crate rest for surgeries. It never knocked him out, just mellowed him out a bit. There were several months that he was taking it continuously - so that included car rides too.

He used to get car sick - we got to a point where he could go for a 15 minute ride and only throw up once we got out of the car . We got to a point (after trying benadryl and a few other things) where we could do a longer ride without throwing up - but it required no feeding that day + cerenia 2 hours before we traveled and we still ended up with a lot of drool.

However, in the last year we've had almost no car sickness incidents. I can't say it was because of the trazadone - there were other things that changed during that time as well. He's been traveling in a varikennel on the back seat (before it was usually his sherpa bag though he also got sick once when he wasn't confined and I think - though could be misremembering - that he has gotten sick in a varikennel before), and we've been doing a lot more travel in the car with him in the last year than we did before.

I was able to take him on a slightly longer ride (pre-trazadone) if he didn't eat at all since the night before. So he may have been slowly outgrowing it too (though he would still get sick too, so who knows  ).

After his procedures/ surgeries last year he was on trazadone to chill him out with all the crate rest, etc. he needed to do. That also meant on some longer car rides to the vet for check ups (weekly 3 hour round trip rides for a while). The vet recommended that we give it before those visits because it improved the chances they could do his xrays without anesthesia. Whether it was the trazadone or a combination of that and other things, he's been doing really well traveling since then. We've even been able to do rides after he's eaten in the morning. We have gotten to a point that he's riding fine, even after eating, without the trazadone - so don't know if it was the other factors, or if the trazadone helped him get past his anxiety at traveling in the car. Whatever the reason, I'm very thankful (I wouldn't be surprised if the trazadone helped) because now I don't even think twice about taking him with us in the car whereas before I would do everything possible not to... which is great because with his vet appointments, PT, etc. he's in the car at least once a week just for his stuff and sometimes more if we go somewhere.)

He doesn't take it every day now - I do give it to him when I have to leave him in the crate when I'm leaving the house and there does seem to be a difference - both at home and in a hotel when I've done that we've come back and he wasn't barking like crazy (like he usually does) so I think it does help him chill out in those cases.

He gets quite a small dose - 1/4 of a 50mg tablet - before when I needed him chilled out all day it was every 8-12 hours, now it's when needed - I give it up to 2 hours before we leave (the vet said that it's at it's optimal 2 hours before the anxiety causing incident, but I've also given it as little as 1/2 hour before leaving him... so you could discuss the dosing timing with your vet.)

I haven't noticed any side effects. As I mentioned, it doesn't knock him out, he just seems a little more mellow and not as bouncy but he still eats and plays and everything - just doesn't seem to have as much of the need to run around, if that makes sense.


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

Thanks for the great information, Melissa! Poor Perry, he's been through a lot! It sounds like the Trazodone is worth a try. Shadow really doesn't seem anxious about the car. He actually tries to get in the car even when we aren't going anywhere and so happy when we are going.
It sounds like it's worth a try and pretty inexpensive. Compared to the Cerenia. The Cerenia never helped Shadow. He seemed to get sicker taking it. We tried it 3 times.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Melissa Brill said:


> Whether it was the trazadone or a combination of that and other things, he's been doing really well traveling since then. We've even been able to do rides after he's eaten in the morning. We have gotten to a point that he's riding fine, even after eating, without the trazadone - so don't know if it was the other factors, or if the trazadone helped him get past his anxiety at traveling in the car. Whatever the reason, I'm very thankful (I wouldn't be surprised if the trazadone helped) because now I don't even think twice about taking him with us in the car whereas before I would do everything possible not to... which is great because with his vet appointments, PT, etc. he's in the car at least once a week just for his stuff and sometimes more if we go somewhere.)


One of my good vet friends (The breeder of Ducky’s sire) is a veterinary behaviorist. She says that one of her hardest tasks is getting people to understand how important it is not to let dogs continue to practice unhealthy anxious behaviors “hoping” that they will get better with time. She says that if she can take the edge off that anxiety with the right drugs, the dog can experience those settings without feeling so upset. Then they can begin to learn. They begin to believe, “I’m not gonna die!” (or in the case of the car sick dogs, “I’m not gonna puke!”  )

When their body is flooded with stress hormones, they are incapable of learning.


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

You guys are giving me hope that this might help. Both of the vets I've been to with Shadow insist that he is not anxious about the car and refused to prescribe anti-anxiety meds for him. 
Shadow would have so much to enjoy if he could go for a normal car ride. He loves going places, loves to meet people and he is so cute that they fuss over him! I would be out of my mind happy if something were to help him. I'm going to call first thing and ask for the script!!!


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## Heather's (Jun 18, 2012)

Trazadone was prescribed after Scout's leg surgeries. It helped to keep him calm and sleep during the weeks he was on crate rest.


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

Tere said:


> Thanks for the great information, Melissa! Poor Perry, he's been through a lot! It sounds like the Trazodone is worth a try. Shadow really doesn't seem anxious about the car. He actually tries to get in the car even when we aren't going anywhere and so happy when we are going.
> It sounds like it's worth a try and pretty inexpensive. Compared to the Cerenia. The Cerenia never helped Shadow. He seemed to get sicker taking it. We tried it 3 times.


I was on the fence as to whether Perry's issue was anxiety or motion sickness, I suspected it was both (he does NOT run up to the car wanting to go into it, but that might be because he's always gotten car sick - from the first time we brought him home with us). The one thing I forgot in my long post was that he was/ is also on gabapentin at the same time (which is why I'm not 100% sure it was the trazadone or if it might have been a combo of different things) and gabapentin is one of the things the vet mentioned a while ago to help with anxiety but I hadn't wanted to add more meds... looking back, maybe I should have. 

That being said, I do think it's worth a try even if you don't think it's anxiety... even if he's not anxious about the trip itself, he may be anxious about throwing up a lot. 
Perry didn't like going into the car but he especially didn't like his sherpa bag (he was fine with his other bag that we use for flights) - I think it was definitely a reinforcing anxiety... he may have started out being motion sick and slightly anxious about going in the car and then he kept getting sick so that reinforced it so the bag was obviously evil as was traveling in the car . 

If it doesn't work, you could discuss gabapentin or a combo of trazadone and gabapentin with the vet. They're both pretty low doses and could be worth a try.




krandall said:


> One of my good vet friends (The breeder of Ducky’s sire) is a veterinary behaviorist. She says that one of her hardest tasks is getting people to understand how important it is not to let dogs continue to practice unhealthy anxious behaviors “hoping” that they will get better with time. She says that if she can take the edge off that anxiety with the right drugs, the dog can experience those settings without feeling so upset. Then they can begin to learn. They begin to believe, “I’m not gonna die!” (or in the case of the car sick dogs, “I’m not gonna puke!”  )
> 
> When their body is flooded with stress hormones, they are incapable of learning.


Looking back I can totally see that. I did try cerenia and other meds like that, but I really was resisting the whole idea of adding gabapentin (the 1st recommendation for anxiety) especially since, at the time, we weren't going in the car often. But now, looking back, we probably should have given gabapentin and trazadone a try much sooner. Of course, some things are also about timing - I think in our case what has helped has been a combination of things that weren't in place back then - I'm not sure that using it once every 3-6 months back then would have helped him realize that he wasn't going to throw up and reduce the anxiety about that... now, we're in the car so often going to vet appointments that the meds plus the varikennel plus more frequent travel has, it seems, reinforced the idea that it's not so bad to be in the car so that he isn't getting sick even without the meds (Ok, well, he's still on the gabapentin, not always on the trazadone). Best of all, I like that I don't have to figure out if I can feed him or not.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Melissa Brill said:


> I was on the fence as to whether Perry's issue was anxiety or motion sickness, I suspected it was both (he does NOT run up to the car wanting to go into it, but that might be because he's always gotten car sick - from the first time we brought him home with us).


Yes, I think it turns into a circular thing…



Melissa Brill said:


> I think in our case what has helped has been a combination of things that weren't in place back then - I'm not sure that using it once every 3-6 months back then would have helped him realize that he wasn't going to throw up and reduce the anxiety about that... now, we're in the car so often going to vet appointments that the meds plus the varikennel plus more frequent travel has, it seems, reinforced the idea that it's not so bad to be in the car so that he isn't getting sick even without the meds (Ok, well, he's still on the gabapentin, not always on the trazadone). Best of all, I like that I don't have to figure out if I can feed him or not.


Which is perfect, because now he can learn by positive repetitions, that he ISN’T going to get sick every time he’s in the car!


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

I am regretting not changing vets sooner. Our visit yesterday to the new vet was totally different and a welcome change.
I feel some kind of hope for Shadow.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

Tere said:


> I am regretting not changing vets sooner. Our visit yesterday to the new vet was totally different and a welcome change. 💕
> I feel some kind of hope for Shadow.


That is SUCH good news!!! I know I was SOOOO relieved when I found the vets I am with now!!!


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Tere said:


> I am regretting not changing vets sooner. Our visit yesterday to the new vet was totally different and a welcome change.
> I feel some kind of hope for Shadow.


How wonderful! At the old house I had a great vet who is now too far away. I found a mobile vet to do their annual exams here at the new house which I have to admit is awesome. She seems good for doing routine blood tests and checking their teeth, however the resources she can provide from her mobile unit are limited. Although she actually does do routine surgery and dental cleanings. I have also been to two other vets here, one when I found a tumor on my cat and the other for the abscess on my yorkie’s shoulder. They were both fine vets for what I went there for. However, I am not sure how they might be for other health problems.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mudpuppymama said:


> How wonderful! At the old house I had a great vet who is now too far away. I found a mobile vet to do their annual exams here at the new house which I have to admit is awesome. She seems good for doing routine blood tests and checking their teeth, however the resources she can provide from her mobile unit are limited. Although she actually does do routine surgery and dental cleanings. I have also been to two other vets here, one when I found a tumor on my cat and the other for the abscess on my yorkie’s shoulder. They were both fine vets for what I went there for. However, I am not sure how they might be for other health problems.


THAT is the problem. I find there are lots of vets who are fine for routine stuff. It's when you have trickier stuff, like when Kodi had his original sports injury, where my old vet just wasn't able to help. the answer was just "drugs and cage rest". And we weren't getting anywhere. And I'm NOT suggesting he wasn't trying. I think he cared... he just really didn't know what to do. Sports medicine vets for dogs are few and far between. And if we hadn't switched, I suspect he would have e]been over his head when Kodi then began to have trouble with food intolerances and IBD. That was a LOT of sleuth-work to figure out. More recently, with Kodi's shoulder injury, my practice has all the rehab modalities on site, that he needed to eventually patch him back up.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

krandall said:


> THAT is the problem. I find there are lots of vets who are fine for routine stuff. It's when you have trickier stuff, like when Kodi had his original sports injury, where my old vet just wasn't able to help. the answer was just "drugs and cage rest". And we weren't getting anywhere. And I'm NOT suggesting he wasn't trying. I think he cared... he just really didn't know what to do. Sports medicine vets for dogs are few and far between. And if we hadn't switched, I suspect he would have e]been over his head when Kodi then began to have trouble with food intolerances and IBD. That was a LOT of sleuth-work to figure out. More recently, with Kodi's shoulder injury, my practice has all the rehab modalities on site, that he needed to eventually patch him back up.


I agree completely. Luckily so far I have only been to the vet a couple times in all these years other than checkups and these were routine things. Almost anything out of the ordinary may need some specialized training. If that happens, I may have to go to the University of Missouri Vet School because I doubt there is anyone near here that would do.


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## BoosDad (Mar 8, 2020)

Just started Boo on Trazodone today, 25 mg, twice a day. Hoping it will chill him down a little. It has only been 30 minutes. So, maybe, it will take a while to kick in.


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## elainewh (Feb 13, 2021)

We're using Trazadone as we work on Sklyer's separation anxiety. Like krandall mentioned, we want to avoid repeating anxious or panicked behaviors because that will reinforce his anxiety. A small dose of Trazadone takes the edge off as we desensitize him to our leaving and to leaving cues, like coats and keys. We try to time the dose so it wears off before his afternoon walk.


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## BoosDad (Mar 8, 2020)

A dose of 25mg seems to have knocked Boo out after about 75 minutes of administration. Of course, he has been up more that usual, during the past 12 hours. Any ideas how long the sedating effects last and anythig to watch for? I am hoping we all sleep better tonight. Boo is 13 pounds.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

BoosDad said:


> A dose of 25mg seems to have knocked Boo out after about 75 minutes of administration. Of course, he has been up more that usual, during the past 12 hours. Any ideas how long the sedating effects last and anythig to watch for? I am hoping we all sleep better tonight. Boo is 13 pounds.



The problem is, I know that drugs work VERY differently on geriatric humans than on younger humans, and I suspect the same is true with geriatric gdogs. I suspect that you are going to have to tell US what your experiences are. But if it's TOO sedating, I'm sure the vet can help you refine the dose! 💗


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

I haven't gotten the Trazodone yet, but the vet prescribed 25mg. once or twice a day. She said to give it 2 hours before the car ride and predicted that he would not be sedated but wipe out any anxiety. He is 14 pounds and 5 years old.
Karen's right, I think, that it hard to predict how drugs affect an elderly dog.
I applaud your vet for giving you the antianxiety meds for Boo. I hope you get some well needed rest.


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## BoosDad (Mar 8, 2020)

Tere said:


> I haven't gotten the Trazodone yet, but the vet prescribed 25mg. once or twice a day. She said to give it 2 hours before the car ride and predicted that he would not be sedated but wipe out any anxiety. He is 14 pounds and 5 years old.
> Karen's right, I think, that it hard to predict how drugs affect an elderly dog.
> I applaud your vet for giving you the antianxiety meds for Boo. I hope you get some well needed rest.


Thanks Krandall and Tere for the information. If anyone else has information about the workings of this drug, please let me know.


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## BoosDad (Mar 8, 2020)

krandall said:


> The problem is, I know that drugs work VERY differently on geriatric humans than on younger humans, and I suspect the same is true with geriatric gdogs. I suspect that you are going to have to tell US what your experiences are. But if it's TOO sedating, I'm sure the vet can help you refine the dose! 💗



I think 25 mg might be too much for Boo, at once. It sedated him foo much, making him unable to walk, when he first woke. Also, he appeared to be overheated. However, he did eventually cool down, and was able to pee outside without assistance. Now, he is sleeping quietly in my partner's arms. He is scheduled to take another dose in 3.5 more hours. I think I will hold off on another dose, until I talk to the vet tomorrow. I guess this drug is more sedating for a geriatric patient or, at least, a patient with Boo's profile.


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## BoosDad (Mar 8, 2020)

We stopped Trazodone, at the advice of Boo's specialist, and started on Gabapentin. So far, Boo has been doing good today.


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

Boos Dad, did the vet say anything about the overheating you mentioned? I remember Shadow's previous vet saying something about overheating being a side effect of a drug but I thought it was aceproxim(spelling is wrong). I was afraid to try it for that reason since we are in Florida.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

I am wondering if anyone has tried CBD oil? I have not tried it for my dogs but many folks in other groups claim it is beneficial.


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## Tere (Oct 17, 2018)

mudpuppymama said:


> I am wondering if anyone has tried CBD oil? I have not tried it for my dogs but many folks in other groups claim it is beneficial.


Yes, I tried it for Shadow's motion sickness and it did not help. I am against it in general but was desperate for something that might work for him. It did nothing for him that I could see. It was an expensive fail.


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

BoosDad said:


> Just started Boo on Trazodone today, 25 mg, twice a day. Hoping it will chill him down a little. It has only been 30 minutes. So, maybe, it will take a while to kick in.


When I give it to Perry he gets 12.5mg (1/4 of a 50mg tablet) and it doesn't knock him out just takes the edge off. He's 11 pounds. So if the 25mg knocks him out, you might discuss 1/2 it to see if that helps.


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

mudpuppymama said:


> I am wondering if anyone has tried CBD oil? I have not tried it for my dogs but many folks in other groups claim it is beneficial.


Perry's acupuncture vet recommends it - but she recommends specific brands because she says many of them don't really have what they say they contain (it's a completely unregulated industry). Unfortunately, because I've never tried it, I don't know which brands she recommends.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Tere said:


> Yes, I tried it for Shadow's motion sickness and it did not help. I am against it in general but was desperate for something that might work for him. It did nothing for him that I could see. It was an expensive fail.


I think the thing confusing about CBD oil is how to know if it is a quality product and what the dosage should be. Looks like there are different strengths also. My father in law says it helps his arthritis. He stopped it for awhile just to see and he said he could really tell a difference so he started it again. I am personally not against it, however I am confused as to identify a good product. I try to avoid all drugs if possible including CBD oil, however I realize they are sometimes necessary. They all have side effects and they can affect dogs differently. Mia can have some thunderstorm anxiety so I was considering CBD oil for that, however she has gotten lots better this past year.


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## mudpuppymama (Mar 24, 2012)

Melissa Brill said:


> Perry's acupuncture vet recommends it - but she recommends specific brands because she says many of them don't really have what they say they contain (it's a completely unregulated industry). Unfortunately, because I've never tried it, I don't know which brands she recommends.


Yes I think that is really true about CBD oil…how to identify a really good product. There are so many on the market. So it is hard to say if it works or not, depending on the quality of the product used.


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## BoosDad (Mar 8, 2020)

Tere said:


> Boos Dad, did the vet say anything about the overheating you mentioned? I remember Shadow's previous vet saying something about overheating being a side effect of a drug but I thought it was aceproxim(spelling is wrong). I was afraid to try it for that reason since we are in Florida.


Yes, I was told overheating was a side effect. Boo’s specialist felt Trazodone was not appropriate for him and switched him to Gabapentin, which has anti convulsive properties. Boo slept quietl last night and woke strong and refreshed. I gave him .25 ml of Gabapentin (liquid form).


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## BoosDad (Mar 8, 2020)

Melissa Brill said:


> When I give it to Perry he gets 12.5mg (1/4 of a 50mg tablet) and it doesn't knock him out just takes the edge off. He's 11 pounds. So if the 25mg knocks him out, you might discuss 1/2 it to see if that helps.


Yes. I was gonna try that. However, .25 ml of Gabapentin seems to work better for Boo, so gonna stay with that for now. However, thank you for your great advice.


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

BoosDad said:


> Yes. I was gonna try that. However, .25 ml of Gabapentin seems to work better for Boo, so gonna stay with that for now. However, thank you for your great advice.


I probably should read all the responses before I post - I hadn't seen the switch to gabapentin when I posted this... Perry is on gabapentin as well - it has the added bonus of addressing multiple issues - pain, anxiety (and you mentioned anti-convulsion) so does sound like a better option. 

If you'd prefer a pill, I finally found an online pharmacy (Wedgewood Pharmacy) that can compound 25mg or 50mg (or other doses) into a mini-tab. His vet's office has both in pill form but they were a lot more expensive but they're hard to find otherwise. It took some research before I found the pharmacy we're using now. They're a bit pushy - they wouldn't give me a quote without a "prescription" from the vet - even when I sent them a pic of the label of his bottle, they used that to contact the vet.. but they're the only ones who do that size so had to go with them anyway.


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## BoosDad (Mar 8, 2020)

Melissa Brill said:


> I probably should read all the responses before I post - I hadn't seen the switch to gabapentin when I posted this... Perry is on gabapentin as well - it has the added bonus of addressing multiple issues - pain, anxiety (and you mentioned anti-convulsion) so does sound like a better option.
> 
> If you'd prefer a pill, I finally found an online pharmacy (Wedgewood Pharmacy) that can compound 25mg or 50mg (or other doses) into a mini-tab. His vet's office has both in pill form but they were a lot more expensive but they're hard to find otherwise. It took some research before I found the pharmacy we're using now. They're a bit pushy - they wouldn't give me a quote without a "prescription" from the vet - even when I sent them a pic of the label of his bottle, they used that to contact the vet.. but they're the only ones who do that size so had to go with them anyway.


Thanks for the information. You must be a super sleuth to locate a pill form. Boo tolerates liquid forms of medications without any problems. He is on a sliding dose .25-.5 ml every 12 or 24 hours. So, I think liquid form might be easier to adjust dose, as needed, for him. But good to hear about an alternative, if needed.


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## krandall (Jun 11, 2009)

mudpuppymama said:


> I am wondering if anyone has tried CBD oil? I have not tried it for my dogs but many folks in other groups claim it is beneficial.


We use it for Pixel for thunderstorms and fireworks. She hears either and she comes RUNNING to me for her "Happy Juice". We go to the kitchen and get her bacon flavored CBD oil, and then she can get up in my lap and sleep until the noise is over!


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## Melissa Brill (Feb 22, 2017)

BoosDad said:


> Thanks for the information. You must be a super sleuth to locate a pill form. Boo tolerates liquid forms of medications without any problems. He is on a sliding dose .25-.5 ml every 12 or 24 hours. So, I think liquid form might be easier to adjust dose, as needed, for him. But good to hear about an alternative, if needed.


Liquid would definitely be easier to dose in between without having to have multiple pills around. I thought about the liquid, but for me it's easier to sneak a pill into his breakfast and then just "pill him" in the evening


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

[


BoosDad said:


> Thanks for the information. You must be a super sleuth to locate a pill form. Boo tolerates liquid forms of medications without any problems. He is on a sliding dose .25-.5 ml every 12 or 24 hours. So, I think liquid form might be easier to adjust dose, as needed, for him. But good to hear about an alternative, if needed.


QUOTE="BoosDad, post: 1496291, member: 74624"]
Thanks Krandall and Tere for the information. If anyone else has information about the workings of this drug, please let me know.
[/QUOTE]
We have used Trazodone and Gabapentin for our dogs. They both work well but ours do best with Trazodone for sleeping or anxiety, like the Fourth of July. I take Gabapentin for chronic pain and I like it because it doesn't leave me feeling buzzed.
JoJo took Gabapentin the last year of his life for anxiety and pain. It was wonderful and he was calmer and more content. At one point we increased the dose a little which is normal for Gabapentin. It was such a joy to see JoJo get some relief and interact again. He took the liquid form which we mixed with a little bit of pumpkin and he loved it.
Melissa is super in several ways😋


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## BoosDad (Mar 8, 2020)

JaJa said:


> [
> 
> QUOTE="BoosDad, post: 1496291, member: 74624"]
> Thanks Krandall and Tere for the information. If anyone else has information about the workings of this drug, please let me know.


We have used Trazodone and Gabapentin for our dogs. They both work well but ours do best with Trazodone for sleeping or anxiety, like the Fourth of July. I take Gabapentin for chronic pain and I like it because it doesn't leave me feeling buzzed.
JoJo took Gabapentin the last year of his life for anxiety and pain. It was wonderful and he was calmer and more content. At one point we increased the dose a little which is normal for Gabapentin. It was such a joy to see JoJo get some relief and interact again. He took the liquid form which we mixed with a little bit of pumpkin and he loved it.
Melissa is super in several ways😋
[/QUOTE]
Thank you for the reassurance about Gabapentin. So far, after one dose, Boo has been much calmer and relaxed, sleeping for 8-9 hours at night without yelping. On waking, he seemed more refreshed. Further, overall, he has been doing really well today, playing his puzzle games, snoozing, cuddling, and spending time in the back yard.

i have been keeping a medication log for the past 4-5 months, since Boo takes so many medications now. I expanded it to a daily activities log to monitor his progress. I just do it "old school" with a clipboard, pad of paper, and pen. It works wonderfully lol.


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

BoosDad said:


> We have used Trazodone and Gabapentin for our dogs. They both work well but ours do best with Trazodone for sleeping or anxiety, like the Fourth of July. I take Gabapentin for chronic pain and I like it because it doesn't leave me feeling buzzed.
> JoJo took Gabapentin the last year of his life for anxiety and pain. It was wonderful and he was calmer and more content. At one point we increased the dose a little which is normal for Gabapentin. It was such a joy to see JoJo get some relief and interact again. He took the liquid form which we mixed with a little bit of pumpkin and he loved it.
> Melissa is super in several ways😋


Thank you for the reassurance about Gabapentin. So far, after one dose, Boo has been much calmer and relaxed, sleeping for 8-9 hours at night without yelping. On waking, he seemed more refreshed. Further, overall, he has been doing really well today, playing his puzzle games, snoozing, cuddling, and spending time in the back yard.

i have been keeping a medication log for the past 4-5 months, since Boo takes so many medications now. I expanded it to a daily activities log to monitor his progress. I just do it "old school" with a clipboard, pad of paper, and pen. It works wonderfully lol.
[/QUOTE]
That describes JoJo's reactions, Boo is such a great little man! I do the same thing you do. I have clip boards everywhere😆 The vet really appreciates though. It also made it easier for Ed to take a quick note if he observed something with JoJo. You can rest assured that it would not be possible for Boo to thrive more with any other Dad. You are the cat's meow😋


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## She (Jul 19, 2021)

krandall said:


> We use it for Pixel for thunderstorms and fireworks. She hears either and she comes RUNNING to me for her "Happy Juice". We go to the kitchen and get her bacon flavored CBD oil, and then she can get up in my lap and sleep until the noise is over!


Previously, I used Trazodone 2 hours prior to vet appointments and visits to the groomer. I found that it did mellow her out a bit but do not want to use pharmaceuticals on a daily basis. I just purchased CBD oil from a vendor I trust and gave Minnie (14 lbs) 2 drops as recommended before we took a 25 minute car ride. She barked and cried the entire time, then played with other pups for almost 2 hours and cried for much of the ride home. I plan to experiment with some higher doses and daily short car rides. She does not get sick and she wants to go in the car but I believe this is a combination of motion discomfort and anxiety/excitement. Any suggestions are welcomed.


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## JaJa (Jun 28, 2020)

She said:


> Previously, I used Trazodone 2 hours prior to vet appointments and visits to the groomer. I found that it did mellow her out a bit but do not want to use pharmaceuticals on a daily basis. I just purchased CBD oil from a vendor I trust and gave Minnie (14 lbs) 2 drops as recommended before we took a 25 minute car ride. She barked and cried the entire time, then played with other pups for almost 2 hours and cried for much of the ride home. I plan to experiment with some higher doses and daily short car rides. She does not get sick and she wants to go in the car but I believe this is a combination of motion discomfort and anxiety/excitement. Any suggestions are welcomed.


I think you're on the right track with starting low and gradually increasing. We tried it with JoJo and it just didn't work for him. Dogs are different just like people and a high quality CBD oil can be quite beneficial. JoJo was old and had a host of conditions so we were okay giving him Gabapentin daily because we knew his time was limited. The only suggestion I have is researching brands online thoroughly. If it is a quality company, there should be independent (third party COA) lab results on their web page or they should be willing to send a copy of the report to you. 
Personally, I also looked for organic which means it should be suspended in MCT oil, such as coconut, olive, sunflower or almond. I didn't care for the feedback at the place in our town that was reputable so I went to the next city and found someone who really knew the information to answer my questions appropriately. I gave ours to my friend's sister for her dog and it worked beautifully. I'll keep my fingers crossed for Minnie😋


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