Experiences with trazodone for vet visits?

June 12, 2024 11:18 AM

My geriatric dog needs to see a dental specialist. Previously, he’s needed twilight sedation to allow people to look at his mouth, but this vet recommends that I get gabapentin or trazodone from my usual vet.

I don’t want to use gabapentin because he’s had it for arthritis and it made him more sound sensitive. What have your experiences been like using trazodone?

I’m a bit skeptical that it will be enough for him - he’s very reactive about being handled, and bites when anyone tries to look in his mouth.

Apologies for the the lack of pet tax, I'm trying to be as private as I can here. Just picture the cutest dog you can think of and you'll be pretty close.

posted by wheatlets to Pets & Animals (6 answers total)

My very cute piece of shit brain broken dog is a nightmare at the vet, and I give him trazodone. It does help, but only as once piece of a larger intervention into his overall...deal.

Ask your vet about an appropriate dosage for your dog. For Kuiper, who is about 15 lbs, we did 50mg before bed the night before the appointment, 25mg when he woke up, and another 25 mg an hour before the appointment.

I have also been working very hard with him over the 3 years he's been home with me to get more used to touching. This has included regular appointments with a very patient groomer as well as my acceptance that I probably won't make it to middle age with 100% of my fingers. He has improved a lot, but he's still unhappy in institutional settings.

I also kept him plied constantly on the way to the vet and during the appointment with his favorite treat, sliced banana. Was handling a baggie of old wet banana unpleasant for me? Yes, but if his mouth is full of banana he might shut up for one gd minute.

And then finally, I go to a really good vet practice that's part of a teaching hospital, so he has many very eager, very patient vet techs to bite his way through keep him distracted during the worst parts.

Our last vet appointment was such a success, relative to past ones. Yes yes yes to the trazodone, but the other work was important, too. No biting this time!!!! Just a whole lot of pissy moaning and wailing, and judicious use of the cat gloves by the professionals.
posted by phunniemee at 11:33 AM on June 12

Trazadone has helped, if it was double dosed and done a couple hours before hand.

But gabapentin + trazadone was the cocktail that got my neurotic greyhound through chemo.
posted by dpx.mfx at 11:42 AM on June 12

Trazodone (10 and 2 hours before) helped my little bundle of neuroses at the vet, definitely more than gabapentin did, but only to the extent of somewhat taking the edge off. If your dog has previously required twilight sedation for dental work, I'm a little surprised they're suggesting just trazodone/gabapentin now.
posted by praemunire at 5:40 PM on June 12

(phunniemee, Kuiper is amazing!!!!)
posted by praemunire at 5:41 PM on June 12

Yes! That is one sassy dog.
posted by wheatlets at 8:20 AM on June 13

I use Trazodone with one of my dogs for fear stimuli. (fireworks, etc) and it works a charm for keeping him calm, but it is absolutely crucial to get it onboard before the stimuli happen and before you start prompting a reaction from your bug!
posted by drewbage1847 at 12:09 PM on June 13