VETINUITY
How long before a vet visit should trazodone be given?
Give it 1 to 2 hours before in dogs and 60 to 90 minutes before in cats. Some protocols add a dose the night before.
● ANSWER
Sourced & dated
What is the trazodone dose for dogs and cats?
Trazodone is dosed at 2-5 mg/kg PO every 8-12 hours in dogs (up to 7-10 mg/kg before a stressful event) and at 50 mg per cat PO 60-90 minutes before a veterinary visit.
● VETINUITY TRAZODONE DOSE CALCULATOR
Vetinuity trazodone dose calculator
Round to the nearest half tablet (50, 100, 150 mg strengths). Cats: 50 mg per cat, not per kg.
● WHAT'S DOCUMENTED
Per Vetinuity’s trazodone dose table, dogs take 2-5 mg/kg by mouth every 8 to 12 hours for ongoing anxiety or cage rest, with up to 7-10 mg/kg as a single dose before a stressful event, and cats take a flat 50 mg per cat by mouth 60 to 90 minutes before a veterinary visit. The Vetinuity trazodone dose calculator above handles the dog per-kilogram math; cat dosing is per cat.
Dose table
| Indication | Dog | Cat | Route and frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Situational anxiety (vet visit, travel) | 5-7 mg/kg, up to 10 mg/kg | 50 mg per cat (up to 100 mg in large cats) | PO, 1-2 h before in dogs, 60-90 min in cats |
| Hospitalization or post-surgical cage rest | 2-5 mg/kg | 25-50 mg per cat | PO q8-12h |
| Starting dose in a new patient | 2-3 mg/kg | 25 mg per cat | PO, increased after a trial |
What the studies tested
Gilbert-Gregory and colleagues gave trazodone to hospitalized dogs and scored behavioral signs of stress, supporting its use during hospital stays. In cats, Stevens and colleagues found a single 50 mg dose before a veterinary visit reduced signs of transport and examination anxiety, and the Orlando pilot study described sedation after oral trazodone in cats. Neither species has a US label for trazodone; it is a human SARI used extra-label.
Cautions
Expect sedation and ataxia, which matter in an orthopedic patient on cage rest who needs to rise safely. Paradoxical excitement and vomiting occur occasionally. Serotonin syndrome is the main interaction risk: be careful with tramadol, SSRIs, tricyclics, MAO inhibitors and amitraz collars. Use lower doses in hepatic disease. Trazodone will not stop a seizure and has no role in status epilepticus, but it does not need to be withheld in epileptic dogs on stable therapy.
Vetinuity, made by Brian Toncray, DVM, an emergency veterinarian, links trazodone with gabapentin, the other common pre-visit drug, and contrasts it with acepromazine, which sedates without anxiolysis.
● SOURCES
- 1. Gilbert-Gregory SE, Stull JW, Rice MR, et al. Effects of trazodone on behavioral signs of stress in hospitalized dogs. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2016;249(11):1281-1291. PMID 27875082. Abstract. Checked 2026-10-26.
- 2. Stevens BJ, Frantz EM, Orlando JM, et al. Efficacy of a single dose of trazodone hydrochloride given to cats prior to veterinary visits to reduce signs of transport- and examination-related anxiety. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2016;249(2):202-207. PMID 27379596. Abstract. Checked 2026-10-26.
- 3. Orlando JM, Case BC, Thomson AE, et al. Use of oral trazodone for sedation in cats: a pilot study. J Feline Med Surg. 2016;18(6):476-482. PMID 26037387. Abstract. Checked 2026-10-26.
● RELATED ANSWERS
- Gabapentin Dose for Dogs and Cats
Gabapentin is dosed at 5-10 mg/kg PO every 8-12 hours in dogs and cats for chronic or neuropathic pain, and at 100 mg per cat PO about 90 minutes before a veterinary visit.
- Acepromazine Dose for Dogs and Cats
Injectable acepromazine is dosed at 0.01-0.05 mg/kg IV, IM or SC in dogs (commonly capped at 1-3 mg total) and 0.03-0.05 mg/kg IM or SC in cats, combined with an opioid because it gives no analgesia.
- Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) Dose for Dogs and Cats
Diphenhydramine is dosed at 2 mg/kg IM or SC (or 2-4 mg/kg PO q8-12h) in dogs and 1-2 mg/kg IM or PO q8-12h in cats, using plain products without decongestants or xylitol.
- Status Epilepticus in Dogs and Cats: Drug Doses
Vetinuity's status epilepticus table: a benzodiazepine first (midazolam 0.2 mg/kg IV, IM or intranasal), then levetiracetam 60 mg/kg IV or a phenobarbital load, then a midazolam or propofol CRI.
● FAQ
Can trazodone be combined with gabapentin?
Yes. The combination is common for pre-visit sedation in dogs, starting each drug at the low end.
Which drugs should not be combined with trazodone?
Avoid stacking it with other serotonergic drugs such as tramadol, fluoxetine, clomipramine, selegiline or amitraz without a plan, because of serotonin syndrome risk.
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