Can Trazodone Kill A Dog? Can Trazodone Hurt Dogs?

If your dog has been put on Trazodone for one reason or the other, it may get to a point where you start wondering whether the Trazodone can kill the dog. There are also those who, just out of curiosity, may want to know whether Trazodone can kill a dog. Read on, to find the answer.

Can Trazodone kill a dog? The answer is ‘yes’, Trazodone can kill a dog, but usually only if the dog has way too much of it. Above 250 mg per pound of dog weight, Trazodone can be fatal. But at the normally prescribed levels, it would be highly unlikely for Trazodone to kill a dog.

Dogs differ in their sensitivity to medications like Trazodone. Thus, there are rare cases where Trazodone dog overdose symptoms may be observable even in dogs that have taken relatively little Trazodone.

But the standard Trazodone for dogs dosage chart tends to be fairly reliable. It is reliable in determining how much Trazodone a given dog should take.

Most cases of Trazodone overdose dog deaths occur when dogs accidentally get into Trazodone packages, and take way too much Trazodone than their bodies can handle.

Rarely do normal doses of Trazodone for dogs cause major adverse effects or death.

But before going any further in exploring the can Trazodone kill a dog subject, it is important for us to first understand what exactly the Trazodone in question is.

What Is Trazodone?

Trazodone is an antidepressant medication, which also has efficacy at treating anxiety and behavioral issues in dogs.

Therefore in humans, Trazodone is mostly an antidepressant. But in dogs, it is used ‘off-label’ to treat issues like separation anxiety, the anxiety that dogs sometimes experience when there are thunderstorms, fireworks and so on.

Trazodone works by inhibiting the reuptake of the neurotransmitter known as serotonin from the brain. Therefore what Trazodone does is effectively increase the levels of serotonin in the brain.

When the levels of serotonin in the brain are high, problems like anxiety go away. Thus a dog that had thunderstorm or fireworks anxiety calms down upon taking Trazodone.

Similarly, a dog that had an issue like separation anxiety experiences relief, upon taking Trazodone…

With this background information, we can proceed with our search to the can Trazodone kill a dog question answer.

But before getting right into the can Trazodone kill a dog question, we first need to know whether you can give a dog Trazodone, how Trazodone affects dogs and how much Trazodone a dog can take.

Only then will we be able to give a meaningful answer to the can Trazodone kill a dog question.

Can You Give Trazodone To A Dog?

Usually, way before the can Trazodone kill a dog question comes this one – on whether dogs can take Trazodone.

Sometimes, the person asking this question may be having some Trazodone pills they got for their own use. Then they notice that their dogs have anxiety or other issues. And that gets them wondering whether they can share the Trazodone with their beloved dogs.

So, indeed, can you give a dog Trazodone? The answer is ‘yes’, you can give your dog Trazodone – but only if a vet has prescribed it for the dog.

You can’t arbitrarily take the Trazodone you got for your own use, and give it to your dog. But if your vet recommended Trazodone for your dog, then you can give the dog Trazodone: as per the vet’s prescription.

Can Trazodone kill a dog if you give it arbitrarily, without a vet’s recommendation? The answer is ‘yes’. That is because in that case, you may end up giving the dog more Trazodone than its body can handle.

Can Trazodone kill a dog if you give it under a vet’s prescription? The answer is still ‘yes’ – though that is very unlikely to happen. The vet will usually only prescribe as much Trazodone as the dog’s body can handle.

Rarely do you ever hear of cases where dogs have taken Trazodone as per vets’ prescriptions, and ended up dying on account of it.

Thus if you wondering, can I give my dog Trazodone, now you know that the answer is ‘yes’ – as long as you are giving the dog Trazodone pursuant to a vet’s prescription.

How Does Trazodone Affect Dogs?

Trazodone usually has the effect of reducing anxiety in dogs. A dog that had an issue like separation anxiety may get relief, upon taking Trazodone. Similarly, a dog that had an issue like thunderstorm or fireworks anxiety may get relief, upon taking Trazodone.

Trazodone can also be helpful in sedating a dog. And it generally improves a dog’s mood, making an otherwise jumpy dog to become somewhat jolly.

What about the side effects? In terms of side effects, Trazodone may cause a dog to become drowsy. Sometimes, dogs on Trazodone may have too much appetite. And in some few cases, there may be drunken gait (ataxia) in dogs that are taking Trazodone.

Lethargy and vomiting is sometimes witnessed in dogs that are on Trazodone. More serious side effects may include colitis and heart arrhythmias.

Sometimes, Trazodone may have a paradoxical effect: where instead of decreasing anxiety in a dog, it actually worsens it.

How quickly does Trazodone take effect in dogs? Or to put it differently, how quickly does Trazodone work for dogs/how long does Trazodone take to work in dogs? The answer is that Trazodone usually starts working in 1-2 hours.

Thus, even in case you go beyond the max dose of Trazodone for dogs, the Trazodone for dogs overdose symptoms will usually start appearing in 1-2 hours.

And how long does Trazodone last in dogs? The answer is that the effect of Trazodone for dogs normally lasts 12 hours. But it may, in some cases, go for up to 18 or 24 hours.

And can Trazodone kill a dog? The answer is ‘yes’ – if a dog takes way too much Trazodone, then it can be lethal.

How Much Trazodone Can A Dog Take?

In answering the how much Trazodone can a dog have question, we need to make reference to the Trazodone for dogs by weight dosage chart.

Now Trazodone is normally prescribed at dosages ranging from 2.5 to 15 mg per pound of dog weight per day.

Using that guideline, you can calculate how much Trazodone for 15 lb dog, how much Trazodone for 30 lb dog and how much Trazodone for 50 lb dog.

You can still use it in working out how much Trazodone for 60 lb dog, how much Trazodone for 70 lb dog… and so on.

For instance, the minimum effective Trazodone dosage for 70 lb dog may be 70 x 2.5 mg giving 175 mg.

And the maximum safe Trazodone for 70 lb dog may be worked out through the same formula.

So that is how you work out how much Trazodone can you give a dog.

But really, for a layman, in answering the how much Trazodone should I give my dog question, the simple solution is to follow your vet’s prescription.

In the above example, the actual Trazodone dosage for 70 lb dog will depend on what exactly is being treated.

Thus, in working out how many mg Trazodone for dog, the vet will normally consider the condition that the dog is suffering from.

How many mg of Trazodone for dogs suffering from, say, separation anxiety may be different from how many mg Trazodone for dog suffering from thunderstorms anxiety.

The appropriate doses of Trazodone for dogs depend on so many things.

Moreover, the vet also provides guidance on how often can you give a dog Trazodone. And that is critical, because how often to give dog Trazodone is just as critical as the Trazodone for dogs how much aspect.

What Is The Maximum Dose Of Trazodone For Dogs?

In exploring the how much Trazodone for dog subject, we also have to deal with the question of maximum dosage.

That may also be helpful in answering the broader can Trazodone kill a dog question.

Now as per most of the Trazodone guidelines, the maximum dosage of Trazodone for dogs is 15 mg per pound of dog weight.

If you make reference to the 50mg Trazodone for dogs dosage chart, that is the figure you will normally find.

Even if you make reference to the 100 mg Trazodone for dogs dosage chart, that is still the cited figure.

Can you overdose a dog on Trazodone? The answer is ‘yes’. If you go beyond the maximum dose of Trazodone for dogs, you would be venturing into the overdose territory. And that is very risky.

You also have to make reference to answer you get, upon asking your vet how often can my dog have Trazodone? The ‘how often’ is just as critical as how much Trazodone for dogs aspect.

Thus, when asking your vet, how much Trazodone can I give my dog, you also need to ask him, how often can I give my dog Trazodone?

The importance of the how often can you give your dog Trazodone question should be obvious.

You may be giving the dog the right amount of Trazodone per dose. But if you are giving the Trazodone too often, you will end up administering way too much Trazodone for dogs.

You have to remember that Trazodone dosing in dogs is a delicate affair. You therefore need to be careful, to avoid a Trazodone dog overdose.

And in that, the question of ‘how much’ is equal in important to that of how often can I give Trazodone to my dog.

Can Trazodone Hurt Dogs?

Normally, the can Trazodone kill a dog question is preceded by this one: on whether Trazodone can hurt dogs.

For starters, can you give a dog too much Trazodone? The answer is ‘yes’. If you go beyond the max Trazodone dose for dogs, then that would be too much.

And will Trazodone hurt a dog? The answer is ‘yes’ – if you exceed the max dose Trazodone for dog, then the dog may get hurt.

Thus, it is important to understand, how much Trazodone can my dog take? You should really make a point of asking your vet, how much Trazadone can I give my dog?

The vet will normally make reference to the Trazodone for dogs dosage by weight chart. That is how they work out how much Trazodone to give a dog.

Suppose you ask your vet, how much Trazodone can I give my 50 pound dog? The vet will make reference to the chart, and give you an appropriate answer.

The same applies if you ask, how many Trazodone can I give my dog? Or if you go further and ask, can I give my dog Trazodone for pain and in what dose?

In all this, the aspect of how often can you give Trazodone to a dog is also important. It is actually as important as the how much Trazodone for a dog aspect.

Therefore you shouldn’t just ask, how many mg of Trazodone can I give my dog? On top of asking, how many milligrams of Trazodone can I give my dog, you should also ask, how often should I give my dog the Trazodone?

All in all Trazodone can hurt dogs – if they take too much of it, leading to the dog Trazodone overdose symptoms.

Can Trazodone Kill A Dog?

The simple answer is ‘yes’. If dogs have too much Trazodone, it can actually kill them.

How much Trazodone will kill a dog? Anything above 250 mg per pound of dog weight can be fatal. So that is the answer to the how much Trazodone is lethal for dogs question.

Thus if you were wondering, can dogs overdose on Trazodone, the answer is ‘yes’.

And if you go beyond the lethal dose of Trazodone for dogs, then death may occur.

Thus dog overdose on Trazodone may, at worst, result in death.

That is why it is very important to know how many Trazodone can you give a dog safely? Or in other words, how much Trazodone is safe for dogs.

In all this, just remember that overdose of Trazodone in dogs can lead to death.

But now that Trazodone can kill a dog, one may ask, can Trazodone be used to euthanize a dog? Or in more personal terms, can I euthanize my dog with Trazodone?

So, indeed, can you give Trazodone to dogs for euthanasia purposes? The simple answer is that Trazodone would be too inefficient a drug for euthanasia purposes.

Drugs like phenobarbital, which cause a quick, painless death are better for this purpose.

All in all though, the answer to the can Trazodone kill a dog question is ‘yes’ – if dogs have too much of it.

How Much Trazodone Will Hurt A Dog?

Usually, the person posing the can Trazodone kill a dog question will want to know how much Trazodone can hurt a dog. In other words, how much Trazodone is too much for a dog?

The truth of the matter is that anything above the maximum safe dose of Trazodone for dogs can hurt them.

For instance, if you go above 15 mg of Trazodone per pound of dog weight, there may be ill effects.

If, for instance, you are making reference to the Trazodone 100mg for dogs dosage chart, you can see how many 100mg Trazodone tablets would hurt a dog.

That may also be helpful in working out how long the ill effects will last. So, for instance, you ask, how long does 100mg of Trazodone last for dogs?

In the final analysis, anything above 15 mg Trazodone per pound of dog weight can hurt a dog.

How Much Trazadone Will Kill A Dog?

A natural extension to the can Trazodone kill a dog question is this one: on how much Trazodone can kill a dog.

And the truth of the matter is that the fatal dose of Trazodone for dogs is usually anything above 250 mg per pound of dog weight.

If you give your dog that much trazodone, it may die. Or if your dog accidentally has that much trazodone, it may die.

What Happens If I Give My Dog Too Much Trazodone?

Anyone with the can Trazodone kill a dog question may also want to know what happens if a dog has too much Trazodone.

For instance, can you give dogs Trazodone beyond the maximum dose level, with no ill effects?

And can a dog overdose on Trazodone even at low amounts?

Now what happens if a dog has too much Trazodone is that it may experience Trazodone overdose symptoms. Those include drowsiness, lethargy, vomiting and potentially fatal cardiac arrhythmias.

Sometimes, dogs that take Trazodone beyond the maximum dose level may suffer no harm. But it is a risk not worth taking, as you don’t know how sensitive your dog is to Trazodone.

There are cases where dogs turn out to be hyper-sensitive to Trazodone. Such dogs may show Trazodone overdose symptoms, even when they have Trazodone at fairly low doses. That is why close monitoring is essential with these sorts of medications.

Final Verdict – Can Trazodone Kill A Dog

Trazodone can kill a dog: especially if they have way too much of it.

At the normally prescribed doses, Trazodone is highly unlikely to kill a dog. But if a dog is hypersensitive to this medication, then it may be fatal even at a fairly low dose.

Most guidelines cite 250 mg of Trazodone per pound of dog weight as the lethal dose.

In the cases where Trazadone causes death in dogs, it is normally by way of inducing the serotonin syndrome as well as fatal cardiac arrhythmias.

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Rajkumar Ravichandran

Welcome to Learn About Pet. My name is Rajkumar Ravichandran and I love all pets, travel, and amazing food. I write about my passion and personal experience caring for multiple pets in this blog! ❤️