My Dog Ate A 1mg Klonopin, Is He Safe? 15 Clear Facts

A situation where you realize that your dog has eaten 1mg Klonopin can get you greatly worried. You will want to know whether Klonopin is safe for dogs and if yes, how much of it is safe. You will specifically want to know whether 1m Klonopin is alright for a dog – and if not, what can be done about it. Read on, for answers.

My dog ate a 1mg Klonopin, will he be alright? The answer is yes. 1mg Klonopin is within the reasonable dosage limit for most dogs, except the smallest ‘toy’ dogs. The dog is likely to experience the usual treatment effects of the medication, and perhaps some few side effects. But it should be largely alright.

Only dogs with severe liver issues or severe kidney issues may be unable to tolerate 1mg Klonopin well. In expectant dogs, it can cause birth deformities.

For all other dogs though, 1mg Klonopin should be alright.

Klonopin use in dogs is common. Klonopin for dogs is used in the treatment of conditions such as seizures and various forms of anxiety.

In most cases, Klonopin dog dosage is above 1mg. In other words, dogs regularly take Klonopin at dosages higher than 1mg, without issues.

Therefore if my dog ate Klonopin 1mg (accidentally or otherwise), I wouldn’t be too worried.

What Is Klonopin?

Klonopin, whose generic name is clonazepam is a medication used in the treatment of seizures and various forms of anxiety.

It is in the class of medications we refer to as benzodiazepines.

The FDA approves it for use in humans, treating seizures and various forms of anxiety – including panic attacks. But some vets also use it, ‘off label’, for treatment of the same conditions in dogs.

Klonopin usually comes in tablets, including the 1mg tablet under discussion here. Therefore people (and pets) who need to use it normally take it orally.

Its effects normally kick in around one hour after ingestion.

For cases of anxiety, it has a calming effect. For seizures, it has the effect of stopping them (or preventing them).

This is the sort of medication that can be somewhat addictive. It is for this reason that it is only available as a prescription medication.

Whether for human use or for use by pets, Klonopin is a prescription medication.

In a situation where my dog ate a 1mg Klonopin tablet, this sort of background information would be potentially useful.

Can Dogs Take Klonopin?

Dogs can take Klonopin. That assertion can be quite relieving, in a scenario where my dog ate a 1mg Klonopin tablet – especially if it was accidental and it hasn’t happened before.

In that sort of scenario, the first question would be, can dogs have Klonopin? (Or can dogs take clonazepam – seeing that that is the generic name for the medication).

So the simple answer to the can dogs have clonazepam question is ‘yes’. But there are several caveats that apply, when it comes to the use of clonazepam for dogs.

For one, clonazepam in dogs is strictly a prescription medication.

And further, clonazepam in dogs is only appropriate within certain dosage limits.

All in all though, can dogs eat Klonopin? The answer is ‘yes’.

Klonopin, under proper prescription, can be useful and safe to dogs.

Yet what may be at play is a situation where my dog ate a 1mg Klonopin tablet meant for my (human) use.

So in that scenario, the question would be, can a dog take human Klonopin? And the answer is ‘yes’ – though Klonopin dosage for dogs will obviously be different from that for humans.

Thus if my dog accidentally ate clonazepam meant for my own (human) usage, I wouldn’t be unduly worried.

That is of course unless there is suspicion of clonazepam dog dose excess (clonazepam dog overdose). In that case it would be a real emergency.

Here, one may ask, can dogs take Klonopin for anxiety? Or to pose it in a more personal way, can I give my dog Klonopin for anxiety?

[That is because most people use the medication for anxiety, and one may consider sharing it with the dog too].

So, can dogs have Klonopin for anxiety? The answer is yes – but only under a vet’s prescription.

What Happens If My Dog Eats A Klonopin?

In a case where my dog ate a 1mg Klonopin, my main concern would be on what is likely to happen next.

So in other words, the question would be, what if my dog ate clonazepam – what to expect?

Now what happens when a dog eats Klonopin depends on how much of it the dog takes.

There are two possible scenarios. The first is where the dog eats Klonopin at an appropriate/reasonable dosage. And the second is where the dog eats Klonopin at an overdose. We will be looking at each of these scenarios, to see what happens in either case.

What Happens If My Dog Eats Klonopin At An Appropriate Dosage?

If a dog eats Klonopin at an appropriate dosage, there are two things to expect. First, it is reasonable to expect the normal desirable (treatment) effects of the medication.

And secondly, it is reasonable to expect certain side effects. The latter are undesirable, but they still tend to manifest with all medications.

The normal desirable effects of Klonopin (for which the medication is administered) include things like relief from seizures and various forms of anxiety.

Therefore if a dog takes Klonopin at a normal, appropriate dosage, such effects are expectable and welcome.

The side effects that may occur, even at a normal clonazepam dog dosage include things like drooling, excess sleepiness and excess appetite.

Another set of side effects are the ones we refer to as ‘paradoxical’ ones. These may include where a dog, on account of ingesting Klonopin, ends up being too excited and even showing signs of excess aggression.

All in all, for the most part, 1mg Klonopin is within the appropriate clonazepam dosage for dogs. Thus if my dog ate a 1mg Klonopin, these would be the effects – desirable effects and side effects – to expect.

Even if the dog accidentally ate clonazepam 1mg, these would still be the likely effects.

Thus before running out crying “help my dog accidentally ate 1mg of a Klonopin”, I would first watch out for these effects.

But then again, if my dog ate a 1mg Klonopin tablet, and it has, say, severe liver or kidney problems (or is expectant), there may be worse outcomes.

What Happens If My Dog Eats Klonopin At Overdose?

If a dog eats Klonopin at a dosage that is excess, it is reasonable to expect very severe adverse effects.

For instance, there may be a situation where the dog’s heart rate slows to a dangerous level. The dog’s breathing rate may also slow down to a dangerous level.

All this would be on account of the fact that Klonopin is a central nervous system depressant. So its overdose leads to depression in the respiration rates as well as depression in the heart rates.

The dog with Klonopin overdose may exhibit disorientation, vomit and eventually lose consciousness.

Thankfully, if my dog ate a 1mg Klonopin, these effects would be unlikely: because 1mg is a reasonably low dosage for most dogs.

For a very small ‘toy’ dog, 1mg may be close to overdose: but still not high enough to cause such extremely severe effects.

How Much Klonopin Is Safe For A Dog?

In a scenario where my dog ate a 1mg Klonopin tablet, the most important thing I would be seeking to know is how much Klonopin is safe for a dog.

This, in other words, is a question on how much Klonopin can a dog take? Or how much Klonopin can I give my dog?

For those who prefer using the generic name, the question would be, how much clonazepam can I give my dog?

Now how much Klonopin to give a dog depends on factors like the weight of the dog, as well as what is under treatment.

Let’s start with the aspect of clonazepam dosage for dogs by weight.

Here, we see that the guideline is to give clonazepam at the rate of 0.05 mg per pound of body weight on the lower side. Most regard this as the lowest effective dosage, but it is just a general guideline.

And the maximum is at the rate of 0.25 mg per pound of body weight.

Thus, for instance, if a dog is 20 pounds, on the lower end, it can take 1 mg Klonopin. And on the higher side, it (a dog of 20 pounds) can take maximum of 5 mg clonazepam.

So the general guideline is between 0.05 mg per pound of dog weight to 0.25 mg Klonopin per pound of dog weight.

Actually, with that information, we can proceed to create some sort of Klonopin for dogs dosage chart.

Klonopin For Dogs Dosage Chart

Worth mentioning is the fact that the figures in the clonazepam dosage chart for dogs may need to be administered 3 times per day. So, for instance, you give a 20 pound dog 2.5mg Klonopin 3 times per day.

Clearly then, if you ask, is clonazepam safe for dogs at 1mg, you see that in most cases it is.

Klonopin Dosage For Dogs By Condition Under Treatment

How much Klonopin a dog should take also depends on the condition under treatment. For instance, clonazepam dosage for dogs anxiety may be rather different from clonazepam dosage for dogs’ seizures.

One may ask, can I give my dog clonazepam for thunderstorm anxiety? And the answer would be ‘yes’, though the dose is likely to be different from that for, say, seizures.

Or one may ask, can you give a dog clonazepam for panic attacks? And the answer would be ‘yes’ – though the right dosage may be different from that for other forms of anxiety.

Someone else may ask, can I euthanize my dog with clonazepam? And the answer would still be ‘yes’, though it may not be the most efficient dog euthanasia medication.

Ultimately, we see that the appropriate Klonopin dosage depends not just on the weight of the dog, but also on what is under treatment.

The whole thing is similar to asking, how much Klonopin is safe for a cat? Or how much clonazepam can I give my cat? The answer is obviously likely to be different from that for dogs.

My Dog Ate A 1mg Klonopin – What Are The Likely Effects?

If your dog ate a 1mg Klonopin, the likely effects will largely depend on the dog’s size/weight.

For most average to big size dogs, 1mg Klonopin is too low to cause severe negative effects.

But for a very small ‘toy’ dog, 1mg Klonopin may be high enough to cause a bit of disruption.

In an average to big size dog, there may be a bit of sedation. So the dog may become sleepier than usual.

Further, in an average to big size dog, there may be more drooling, and possibly even a bit of wobbling.

If the dog was experiencing some sort of anxiety, it may resolve, due to Klonopin’s action.

Similarly, if the dog had any sorts of seizures, they may resolve (for the time being) due to the Klonopin’s action.

For a very small ‘toy’ dog, consuming 1mg Klonopin (which is a slight overdose) may cause vomiting, excess sedation and maybe even some brief but scary slowdown in respiration.

In this context, you may want to know, will Klonopin hurt a dog? And the answer is that it is unlikely to hurt the dog too much at this (1mg) dose.

Thus, even if the dog accidentally ate clonazepam, but at this sort of low dose, it shouldn’t be too disturbing.

One key thing to note though is that there are conditions that can turn the ingestion of Klonopin for a dog into quite a crisis.

For instance, if the dog has severe liver or kidney issues, and it takes Klonopin, that may be quite serious.

An expectant dog taking Klonopin may end up giving birth to puppys with deformities.

So once those contraindications come into the picture, the whole thing changes.

My Dog Ate Klonopin What Should I Do?

What you need to do depends on how much Klonopin the dog ate. It may also depend on the state of the dog.

If it was a low dose (like where my dog ate a 1mg Klonopin) the most ideal thing to do would be to just let the dog be.

But in the meantime, maintain a close watch on the dog – in case of any severe side effects or paradoxical effects.

In case there are any severe reactions, regardless of the dose, consult a vet immediately.

If what the dog took was a very high dose of Klonopin, the most important thing would be to consult a vet without waiting.

Before taking the dog to the vet, you may call the vet first and ask for any first aid advice you can use. The vet may, for instance, provide advice on how to induce vomiting, which can be helpful in the meantime before you get to the vet clinic.

With regard to the state of the dog if, for instance, the dog has severe liver issues or severe kidney problems or is expectant, the whole situation may be quite serious.

Therefore if a dog with severe liver or severe kidney problems takes Klonopin, even at a low dose, it may be worthwhile to consult a vet. The same also applies if an expectant dog happens to take Klonopin, even at a low dose.

Thus, if my dog ate a 1mg Klonopin tablet, but it has severe kidney or liver problems or is expectant, I would tend to treat it as an emergency.

My Dog Ate A 1mg Klonopin – What Are The Treatment Options?

In a situation where my dog ate a 1mg Klonopin tablet, and it is having a very bad reaction to it, it would be best to just take the dog to a vet.

One form of treatment the vet may opt to use is the one where they induce vomiting. If it is not too long from when the dog ate the Klonopin, meaning that the Klonopin is still in the stomach, induced vomiting can help get it out.

Another form of treatment the vet may use is the one where they pump the medication out of the dog’s stomach. If the window within which emesis is possible is over, then stomach pumping may be what is worth exploring.

So they pump the Klonopin out of the dog’s stomach. Then they use activated charcoal to absorb what may remain thereafter.

And yet another form of treatment the vet may use is the one where they opt to stabilize the dog’s blood pressure with fluid therapy.

In most cases though, 1mg Klonopin tends to be too low to warrant these sorts of treatment measures.

Most dogs that take in 1mg Klonopin tend not to suffer effects bad enough to warrant emesis, stomach pumping or fluid therapy.

Final Verdict – My Dog Ate A 1mg Klonopin

For most medium size to big size dogs, 1mg Klonopin is not likely to cause major problems. That is because 1mg Klonopin is within the reasonable dosage range for such dogs.

In those medium to big size dogs, Klonopin’s normal anticonvulsant and anxiety-relieving effects may manifest.

Side effects, such as sedation, excess drooling or paradoxical effects such as excess excitability and greater aggression may manifest as well.

For very small ‘toy’ dogs though (like those under 5 pounds in weight), then 1mg Klonopin can prove too much.

In such dogs then, there may be things like extreme sedation, vomiting and some wobbling.

Extreme Klonopin overdose in dogs can lead to heart and respiration rates slowing down to dangerous, sometimes fatal levels.

Where there are severe adverse effects following consumption of too much Klonopin, treatment options may include induction of vomiting, stomach pumping or use of fluid therapy to manage blood pressure.

As a pet lover, make sure to learn about pet more and give your pet dog a good and comfortable life!

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! ❤️