# Dog Anxiety Treatments (as needed, not on-going)?



## Amy3125 (Sep 2, 2012)

My 3-year-old beagle/lab/blue heeler/who knows mix, Stella, broke her leg when she was 3 months old. Ever since, she has been jumpy and gets nervous very easily, mostly when she's away from home/me. When I go out of town, I am lucky enough to not have to board her with a stranger; she either goes to my parents' house (where we lived for a while when she was younger, and where she is very comfortable), or to my sister's house (with her litter mate brother).

My sister and her dogs recently moved into a new house, and Stella is especially nervous staying there. The last time she did, she did not sleep and paced around the house, barking at every small noise she heard all night (including the central air kicking on and off).

I am going out of town for two nights in a few weeks, and she is going to stay at my sister's while I'm gone. For both her sake and theirs, I would like to try and give her something to calm her down so she won't be so anxious and everyone can sleep. She does not act like this at my house, so this would not be something that needs to be given on a regular basis, only when staying in an unfamiliar place.

I have read that some vets will give dogs Alprazolam (Xanax) for anxiety, which is what I also take. Has anyone ever given this to their dogs, and if so, what is the dosage on it? Stella weighs around 80 lbs. and my pills are 0.5mg, which is the next to lowest strength.

If it is safe to give them to a dog, that would save me a trip to the vet and some money since I already have them and could easily leave them with my sister while I'm gone. I am absolutely going to call the vet on Tuesday and double check with him before I would even consider giving them to her; I was just wondering what other people had done for their dogs with anxiety issues.

Thanks so much!


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## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

I give my dog xanax for vet visits and it has made a big difference. She gets it 3 hours before her appt so that it has time to kick in before we get there. I've never given it to her over several days so I don't know the implications. The vet will be able to tell you about dosage. We get our dog's pills from CVS - under her name, which makes me laugh. 
Ask about a trial run with it before you leave town. Maybe give her the vet recommended dosage and then take her over to your sister's for a half day visit - see how she does. 

The more you can work with her in lots of situations, including desensitization and obedience training, the more confident she'll become in general. That should help her settle down eventually at your sister's.

Lots of good help here: www.fearfuldogs.com


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## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

dup post (weirdness)


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## threemuttcorp (Aug 31, 2012)

i have a sheltie with major issues. he was on prozac for a while and with careful training we took him off of it and then started the xanax as needed.
i have had good luck with it! 

however i am a little unsure of you giving her your xanax. human meds and dog meds are the same, but i just cant say for sure if i would do that or not.


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## mashlee08 (Feb 24, 2012)

Melatonin. Hopefully spotted nikes will pop in on this thread she is like the queen of all knowledge melatonin  

http://www.vetinfo.com/melatonin-supplements-for-dogs.html
http://www.petplace.com/drug-library/melatonin-melatonex/page1.aspx

Here is some info on it which can explain it a lot better then I can.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

mashlee08 said:


> Melatonin. Hopefully spotted nikes will pop in on this thread she is like the queen of all knowledge melatonin
> 
> http://www.vetinfo.com/melatonin-supplements-for-dogs.html
> http://www.petplace.com/drug-library/melatonin-melatonex/page1.aspx
> ...


Thanks! Yes, I would try Melatonin before any prescription drugs. It works very well, with not really any side effects. Dosage is 1 mg per 20 lbs of weight up to 3 mg, or 6 mg for giant breeds. Ideally, give before the stressful event (like when you are leaving to go to your sisters or immediately upon arrival.) Be aware Melatonin comes in 1, 3, 5 and 6 mg pills. If your dog has medical problems, is elderly or pregnant, ask your vet about giving it. You can buy it at grocery stores, drug stores in the supplement aisle or sleep aisle.


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## luv2byte (Oct 21, 2009)

Work with your vet before giving meds. We tried trazodone since Skyler gets nervous (thankfully not aggressive) when at new places like a new vets office. It was of moderate help. We decided not worth it. What we found works best is Composure chews. Not perfect but 4 chews makes a BIG difference.


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## WestieLove (Jan 29, 2012)

Do NOT give your dog any medications that are prescribed for you. Consult with your veterinarian!!! You don't know the dose range of the drug and there may not be a wide marjin for dosing with this drug which means you could potentially overdose your dog and end up with some serious problems resulting in an emerg vet visit. Especially when estimating your dogs weight. This may also not be a suitable drug to be giving your dog. Reading it online does not necessarily mean its safe. Work with your veterinarian, self-dosing is not worth the risk. There are other alternatives out there for anxiety ie) kalm aid


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## PackMomma (Sep 26, 2011)

My Shiba gets occasional anxiety, not separation anxiety but if were in large crowds, or there are loud noises (thunderstorms, fireworks, etc) or in strange places.. etc (he will get a light case of SA if he's staying at someone elses house), I use Melatonin combined with a Thundershirt in any situations I feel he may get stressed out. I find it works pretty well. I found that one or the other didn't work quite as well as combining the two, but these are both safe and natural methods to calm any type of dog anxiety/stress, and would suggest trying them before using meds.

For my high energy dog, I use the Thundershirt and Melatonin as well to keep him 'relaxed' when we are visiting at other people's houses, or if we're camping etc or any situation where I dont' want him running around like an idiot and barking or bothering people to play. Even vigorous exercise before doesn't tire him out or calm him down in situations I want him to be relaxed and I have found the thundershirt and melatonin to help in these situations.


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## hub3 (Jul 10, 2010)

I have a dog that suffers from anxiety. I have tried every non prescription substance possible to help him as well as Valium. The only thing that works for him is xanax. He is 40lbs and takes 1mg during a high anxiety event. Ask your vet, they should be open to giving you some. The more times a dog experiences high anxiety, the easier it is to reach that level again, absolutely do whatever needed to keep her feeling safe.


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## odiesmom (May 31, 2007)

spotted nikes said:


> Thanks! Yes, I would try Melatonin before any prescription drugs. It works very well, with not really any side effects. Dosage is 1 mg per 20 lbs of weight up to 3 mg, or 6 mg for giant breeds. Ideally, give before the stressful event (like when you are leaving to go to your sisters or immediately upon arrival.) Be aware Melatonin comes in 1, 3, 5 and 6 mg pills. If your dog has medical problems, is elderly or pregnant, ask your vet about giving it. You can buy it at grocery stores, drug stores in the supplement aisle or sleep aisle.


I followed spotted nikes advice and gave my lab Lucifer 5 mgs of melatonin about 2 hours before we left for out 200 mile drive to my parents . The only hard part was he was soooo sleepy we had to about carry him to the car ( usually he is so nervous in the car it makes him sick )I did a couple trial runs before our trip, dif doses etc. I also had some xannax but didnt have to use it Human melatonin works fine, you can get 3mg, 4 mg or 5 mg and I get mine in a quick desolve pill, great to give the dogs !


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

odiesmom said:


> I followed spotted nikes advice and gave my lab Lucifer 5 mgs of melatonin about 2 hours before we left for out 200 mile drive to my parents . The only hard part was he was soooo sleepy we had to about carry him to the car ( usually he is so nervous in the car it makes him sick )I did a couple trial runs before our trip, dif doses etc. I also had some xannax but didnt have to use it Human melatonin works fine, you can get 3mg, 4 mg or 5 mg and I get mine in a quick desolve pill, great to give the dogs !


5 mg is probably too much for the dog's size. max for non-giant breeds is 3mg. For Giant breeds (Great dane/Mastiff/Dt Bernard) they can go up to 6 mg. So if you had a 180 lb dog, you could go up to 6 mg...not 9. For Non giant breeds, 1 mg per 20 lbs UP to 3 mg. So a 90 lb lab, which isn't giant, would get max 3 mg. Hope that clarifies it.


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## odiesmom (May 31, 2007)

spotted nikes said:


> 5 mg is probably too much for the dog's size. max for non-giant breeds is 3mg. For Giant breeds (Great dane/Mastiff/Dt Bernard) they can go up to 6 mg. So if you had a 180 lb dog, you could go up to 6 mg...not 9. For Non giant breeds, 1 mg per 20 lbs UP to 3 mg. So a 90 lb lab, which isn't giant, would get max 3 mg. Hope that clarifies it.


I checked with the vet when he went in for his bordadello, he said try 3mg, then 4mg and then up to 5mg . Lucifer is also big for a lab, 91 lbs at the vet that day ! I agree 5 made him a little loopy but 4 mg he was still very nervous ( foaming at mouth, panting etc ) With the 5 mg he just curled up and slept most of the way!


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

I give 65 pound Abbylynn 1/2 of a 3 mg human melatonin tablet. The only side effect I have seen is also the sleepiness for her with a full 3mg. Weirdly enough ... after using the melatonin and some training during the thunderstorms ... I have not had to give her any for the last few storms! Yay!!! 

Something to ponder about the training while taking the drug.


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Abbylynn said:


> I give 65 pound Abbylynn 1/2 of a 3 mg human melatonin tablet. The only side effect I have seen is also the sleepiness for her with a full 3mg. Weirdly enough ... after using the melatonin and some training during the thunderstorms ... I have not had to give her any for the last few storms! Yay!!!
> 
> Something to ponder about the training while taking the drug.


 I haven't had to use melatonin on my dog for several yrs. I think I had to give it to her before storms/fireworks for about a yr, then the storms and foreworks no longer bothered her.


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## winniec777 (Apr 20, 2008)

Thanks for the tip on melatonin, guys. It's very encouraging to hear that it can have some good effects in combination with training. We have a vet visit coming up and will talk to the vet about it then.


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## rangerpuppy (Nov 25, 2014)

I know this is an old thread so I don't know if I will get a response, but I figured I could try! Does melatonin work for separation anxiety?


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## spotted nikes (Feb 7, 2008)

Yes it can...One of the posters here has used it for that. I would also read the book "I'll be home soon" which teaches how to train dogs out of it.


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## rangerpuppy (Nov 25, 2014)

Thanks! I'll order that tonight


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## OwnedbyACDs (Jun 22, 2013)

I have tried the calming meds for dogs and nothing works like melatonin, I got some from nutra pet or something like that from TSC because i was there already and the sale price was cheaper than the melatonin, so I was like "Meh whats there to lose?" 

well shoot! I am glad I didnt pay full price for the stuff because I have to give the dog (my parents not mine) like 6 pills a day (by her body weight) and I only have to give like, 2 melatonin or something like that MAYBE 3 if she is having a bad day. so back to melatonin it is i guess!


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## TraciLeigh (Sep 7, 2013)

I just ordered "I'll Be Home Soon". Thank you all so much for the suggestions! My Mollie has suddenly gone from crying for a few minutes when I leave the house to "howling like a heartbroken wolf" for 2 to 4 hours at a time; sleeping a while and starting again until I get home. Yesterday she started when I grabbed my purse before putting on my shoes. I *MUST* figure out why so I can help her.


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