Can i give my cat trazodone?

Do you have a feline friend who is anxious, agitated, or restless? Has your vet prescribed trazodone for your furry pet? If so, you may be wondering whether it’s safe to give trazodone to cats and what effects it might have on them.

To answer these questions and more in a comprehensive yet entertaining manner, we’ve compiled the definitive guide on giving trazodone to cats. From dosage recommendations and potential side effects to alternatives and medical considerations – we’ve got you covered. So let’s dive right in!

What Is Trazodone?

First things first: What exactly is this drug that veterinarians are prescribing for anxiety in cats? Well, technically speaking, trazodone is a serotonin antagonist reuptake inhibitor (SARI).

That means it affects the levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin in your cat’s brain by blocking its absorption back into nerve cells. As a result, serotonin stays active longer between those cells – leading to mood changes that can help alleviate anxiety symptoms.

Does all this sound like Greek to you? Don’t worry; we’ll break down how traz works in simpler terms soon enough.

But now that we know what kind of drug trazodone is let’s move onto some of the most pressing questions for pet parents considering giving their furry friends this medication:

Is It Safe To Give Trazodone To Cats?

Yes! Sort of…

Here’s where things get complicated. While catering anti-anxiety drugs such as diazepam or alprazoam seems safer since they were extensively studied than SSRIs/SNRI type antidepressants which’ effectiveness could not accurately be evaluated due lack clinical trials. That being said if administered correctly with careful monitoring; traz _may pose minimal health risk when given under direct supervision from a qualified veterinarian.

How Does Trazodone Affect Cats?

So we know what trazodone is and that it can be safe for cats when prescribed appropriately. But what actually happens to your feline friend’s mind and body after you administer traz?

Well, let’s break down serotonin-balancing drugs take effect in straightforward terms:

  • Reducing Anxiety: the increased presence of Serotonin in the brain
  • Inducing Sleep: Enhance relaxation causes drowsiness.

What Are The Benefits Of Giving Trazodone To Cats?

Now comes the fun part: why would giving your cat all this? Here are some of they’re key benefits:

  • Relieve anxiety symptoms without sedating your cat completely.
  • Minimizing destructive behavior caused by separation anxieties or additional stressful scenarios.

However, like any medication, trazodones potency varies based on the individual administering it with possible side effects.

What Are The Side Effects Of Trazodone In Cats?

If you give something to someone (or a pet) who already works relatively accurately fine functions-abuse will result adversely. Below listed are potential consequences observed from using initially balanced/healthy serotogenic medicament prescribed at an appropriate dose level:

Common Side Effects

  • Drowsiness or lethargy
  • Lack of coordination
  • Digestive issues included Vomiting/Diarrhea

Rare Side Effects

It affects more than 1% of cats but larger doses could potentially affect them;

 Aggressive behaviour(change)
 Seizures/Fits/Twitches  
 Hyperexcitability/Jitteryness

Whilst unlikely to happen concurrently severe outcomes worth reporting include sudden breathing difficulty/swelling/lividity which could indicate allergic reaction resulting in comas/death although rarely witnessed in domestic cats taking traz.

Is There An Alternative To Give My Cat Besides Trazodone?

Wondering if there are other ways to help your cat with anxiety besides using trazodone? The answer is yes! In fact, some alternatives may be less risky and more effective for certain cats.

The most common alternative would probably be doing nothing except just giving them all the love & affection they deserve. After all they are not people so it’s hard for us to understand diagnosis’ of mood swings in their context (try telling our labrador he has ADHD). However taking a more active route- play-time bonding/interaction training/cuddle sessions can aid in hectic schedule along with prescription medication helping dogs-like humans-with serious behavioral issues.
But when it comes to medicine specific medications approved by veterinarians would include:

  • Propanolol
  • Gabapentin
  • Diazepam

How Much Trazodone Can I Give My Cat?

If you’ve decided that trazodone is the way forward, you’ll need to know how much you should give your cat.

Now does this match up on a milligram per kilogram ratio which represents titration recommended by manufactures information guide as shown below:

Initial dose : 
2mg/kg orally twice daily; increase in weekly intervals. Max dosage resides around:
14 mg/kg/day.

However hear me out for an instant…
Does anyone else smell burnt bacon, or could that just be my undersized furball snoozing under his blanket?
Okay nevermind, back at it again _ continue _ reading…

When Shouldn’t You Give Your Cat Trazodone?

We’ve talked about what situations may benefit from administering traz – but do any circumstances mean we shouldn’t take meds into account whatsoever? It turns out there are some cases where providing “extra” assistance will outweigh negative effects occurring after usage making its use counterproductive.

Allergic Reactions To Medication Substances

If your cat has reacted allergically to trazodone before, then using it again may result in severe side effects which merit medical treatment right away. 

Organic Brain Disease

Doctors recommend that those with organic brain disease—which includes conditions such as dementia—shouldn’t take this medication due to the complex and indeed tumultuous impact on their thought process/pharmaceutical balances..

In addition, usage of medicament for cats still going through children health stages are discouraged potentially resulting in significant outcomes.

Conclusion:

Phew! That’s a lot of information about giving trazodone to cats. While there is no black or white area when taking into account medications/behavioral conditions experts have seen an immense success rate prescribing traz strictly from licensed professionals who understand the complexity of animals putting both feline patients and their owners at ease.

We hope this guide has proved helpful/beneficial for you – whether you’re already thinking about asking your vet about trazodone or merely curious regarding anxiety cures within our furry friends. If you want more recommendations/help/tips brush up with credible sources (not outlandish internet forums) ensuring correct action implement another alternative meanwhile always doing what’s best interest for precious pets keeping them healthy/happy is truly imperative regardless of pharmaceutical shortcuts we can procure while struggling with uncontrollable strain in life.

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