Trazodone for cats

In this article:

• What is trazodone used for in cats?
• Situational anxiety (sedation)
• Is trazodone safe for cats?
• Trazodone dosage for cats
• Trazodone alternatives for cats
• Summary

In this article

• What is trazodone used for in cats?
• Situational anxiety (sedation)
• Is trazodone safe for cats?
• Trazodone dosage for cats
• Trazodone alternatives for cats
• Summary

Trazodone is a serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SARI) used to treat people with depression. In veterinary care, trazodone is commonly prescribed to treat dogs with anxiety-related behavior issues and sometimes as a sedative before vet visits. Although veterinarians sometimes use trazodone in cats, it’s more widely used and well-studied in dogs.

What is trazodone used for in cats?

Veterinarians may use trazodone to help cats relax in situations that cause situational anxiety, such as veterinary visits, hospitalization, thunderstorms, or travel. It may also be prescribed to prevent cats from being overly active while they recover from surgery. However, veterinarians are more likely to use gabapentin to sedate cats since its use has been better studied than trazodone and proven effective and safe. Some veterinarians may add a trazodone dose to the gabapentin dose in exceptional cases where the gabapentin doesn’t sufficiently calm the cat’s behaviors.

RELATED: Gabapentin for cats

For trazodone to effectively calm cats, it must be given about two hours before the cat experiences stress. For instance, if the cat needs sedation for vet visits, the pet parents should give the trazodone dose two hours before putting that cat in a carrier for transport. They will have to give their cat a tablet. If this proves too hard, the vet can provide a liquid version for easier dosing. 

Long-term use of trazodone for anxiety

Trazodone’s use as a long-term anxiety medication has not been researched in cats, even though it is used in dogs as an add-on daily medication to calm anxiety-related behavior problems, such as aggressiveness or fearfulness. For long-term use in cats, most veterinarians start with a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) like Reconcile (fluoxetine) or a tricyclic antidepressant such as amitriptyline, clomipramine, imipramine, or doxepin, since these drugs have dosage guidelines. 

RELATED: How trazodone can help anxious dogs 

Is trazodone safe for cats?

Trazodone is not well-studied in cats. In two studies using trazodone to calm cats before and during a vet visit, trazodone doses of 50 mg, 75 mg, and 100 mg were effective and didn’t cause any side effects that would cause worry.

Side effects of trazodone in cats

The most common side effects of trazodone in cats are relatively mild and include:

• Sleepiness
• Poor coordination
• Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
• Appetite changes
• Agitation
• Changes in behavior

Among potential side effects, the most concerning is serotonin syndrome. Serotonin is a chemical that transmits signals between nerves. Trazodone is a serotonin antagonist and reuptake inhibitor (SARI). That means the drug increases active serotonin levels at the connections between nerves throughout the central nervous system. However, medications like trazodone can overdo it sometimes, resulting in too much active serotonin at the nerve connections, resulting in a host of problems collectively called serotonin syndrome. Fortunately, it’s not likely to happen if a cat or dog only takes one drug that increases serotonin, like trazodone. It’s more of a risk if other serotonin-increasing drugs are taken along with trazodone. 

Serotonin syndrome can be very serious and even fatal, so get emergency veterinary treatment for the cat if you notice a cluster of symptoms, including:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Seizures
• Sensitivity
• Depression
• Pupil dilation
• Abnormal or excessive vocalization
• Disorientation
• Loss of coordination
• Heightened reflexes

Interactions of trazodone with other pet meds

Like all drugs, trazodone could cause problems when combined with other medications.

Veterinarians are most concerned about serotonin syndrome, which is typically a result of combining trazodone with other types of antidepressants. Still, anti-anxiety medications, some opioid pain relievers, and the acid reflux drug metoclopramide can cause serotonin syndrome when combined with trazodone.

Because trazodone makes a cat sleepy, veterinarians are cautious about combining it with other sedatives and narcotic pain medications like tramadol. However, cats may receive several sedatives when they undergo surgery or are hospitalized. That’s normal, but veterinary professionals will monitor the cat.

Some drug interactions increase the risk of trazodone side effects. These include some antifungal drugs, macrolide antibiotics, and phenothiazines (a type of antipsychotic).

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) might also be a problem when combined with trazodone. Cats aren’t given human NSAIDs like aspirin or ibuprofen, but they can be prescribed robenacoxib or meloxicam for osteoarthritis or post-surgical pain. Trazodone could theoretically increase the risk of digestive system complications from NSAID treatment.

Trazodone dosage for cats

There’s no standard trazodone dosage chart for cats, although there is one for dogs. Still, Plumb’s Veterinary Manual suggests a starting dose of 25 mg for a cat that needs sedation before a veterinary visit, post-operative confinement, hospitalization, or other stressful event such as traveling. The dose may need to be increased if the cat remains too stressed. 

Another suggested dosage is 10 mg per kilogram of body weight. That works out to 40–50 mg of trazodone for an average healthy cat. 

At least one study has shown that doses of 50 mg, 75 mg, and 100 mg of trazodone can safely and effectively sedate a cat before veterinary procedures, as measured by how much the medicine reduces the cat’s activity. 

Another placebo-controlled study found that 50 mg doses were effective and safe for calming cats before a vet visit. This study, too, was limited in that only 10 cats were involved.

To be effective, cats must be provided trazodone about two hours before the stressful event. The medicine is given orally as a tablet, but liquid versions can be prepared to make dosing easier.

For hospitalized cats or those confined after surgery in a vet’s office or animal hospital, veterinary professionals will administer trazodone doses. Trazodone is widely available as an oral tablet, and injectable versions are uncommon. 

Can cats overdose on trazodone?

Trazodone overdoses have not been studied in cats, and there is no maximum trazodone dose for cats. Research has determined that doses as high as 100 mg are safe for cats.

It’s unlikely that a pet owner will give a cat too much trazodone unless they give it on their own. Currently, the only use for trazodone in cats is to sedate a cat before vet visits, so the vet will probably give owners only one or two doses.

When a person overdoses on trazodone, the effects are generally mild, usually sleepiness and nausea. In the worst situations, a trazodone overdose can throw off the heart’s rhythm, sometimes badly enough to cause death. It can also slow down breathing to the point where breathing stops altogether.

If a dog is given too much trazodone, it can develop symptoms very similar to serotonin syndrome, a potentially serious side effect of drugs like trazodone. Symptoms of a trazodone overdose in animals include:

• Depression
• Loss of coordination
• Disorientation
• Hypersensitivity
• Frequent peeing
• Changes in heart rate
• Changes in blood pressure
• Tremors
• Seizures

If a cat is given too much trazodone or shows unusual symptoms after being given a dose, contact the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center or a local emergency veterinary hospital.

Can I give my cat trazodone every day?

Veterinarians usually don’t prescribe daily trazodone for cats. Instead, veterinarians use trazodone in cats to calm them temporarily in extraordinary situations like a veterinary examination or travel. The cat may only need one dose or, at most, a few days of trazodone doses. 

The veterinary literature only discusses trazodone dosages for short-term situational sedation. There are no dosing or monitoring protocols for treating cats with daily doses of trazodone. If a veterinarian prescribes trazodone as a daily medication, ask the veterinarian why trazodone is the best choice and if there are alternatives. Follow all the dosing instructions given by the vet.

How to give your cat trazodone

Veterinarians usually ask cat owners to give their cat a single dose of trazodone. Some situations, like travel over several days, may require a few doses.

If administering a tablet is too difficult, ask the veterinarian for an oral suspension. This could be done by the vet’s office or a compounding pharmacy.

Give the trazodone dose with food at least two hours before the anticipated stressful situation, such as putting the cat in a carrier to go to the vet’s. The medicine takes about two hours to reach its peak effects in a cat.

Trazodone alternatives for cats

Trazodone is not the drug of choice for sedating a cat, and there are more commonly prescribed alternatives. The first-line choice is gabapentin because of its effectiveness and safety. If gabapentin is not an option, other alternatives include clonidine, acepromazine (a tranquilizer), and benzodiazepines such as lorazepam or midazolam. Some of these drugs are more powerful sedatives than trazodone and may be more likely to cause adverse effects.

Save on trazodone & other pet meds

Bottom line

Though not the drug of choice, trazodone is sometimes used to calm or sedate a cat before veterinary visits, veterinary procedures, or other anxiety-inducing situations. It works very well and has minimal side effects. Because there are risks, trazodone should only be given to a cat under the direction of a veterinary professional.