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My dog gets anxious when traveling. What are the best ways to help?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Mixed Breed Medium (23 - 60lb) | Male | neutered | 58 lbs

What solutions are available for dog travel anxiety

5 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on July 6th, 2017

There are medications you can get from your vet that help dogs with anxiety due to travel. Unfortunately there are no OTC medications you can give them. You can also get them thunder shirts, which have been reported to help dogs with travel anxiety. Without knowing exactly what type of travel they will be doing (i.e. plane, car), I can't give more specific advice, but I would call your vet today to discuss the use of medications for your dogs, and you can order thunder shirts online. I hope this helps :-)

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    Answered By Megan, DVM, CVA

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    There are a few different options and I would talk to your vet about which would be the most appropriate for your dogs, their size and their health history. Some of the most commonly used drugs are Benadryl, melatonin, and acepromazine. I hope this helps.

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    Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on March 9th, 2019

    He is very cute! If his is having anxiety issues then you could try an Adaptil collar and Solliquin chews and see if that helps. Otherwise, talk to your vet about an anti-anxiety prescription medication.

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    Answered By Dr. Leigh, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 28th, 2017

    Poor Emmy! You could try an Adaptil collar and/or Soliquin chews and see if that helps relieve some of he anxiety. Otherwise, your vet could prescribe an anti-anxiety medication, like Prozac, Trazodone, etc. to see if that helps.

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    Answered By Angel Alvarado, LVT

    Licensed Veterinary Technician

    Published on March 29th, 2019

    Gradual desensitization to the triggers may help. If Oscar is afraid of people, gradually expose him, for ever increasing periods of time, to one person. Praise and reward him as he progresses and introduce another person once he is comfortable. If he is afraid of dogs, do the same thing. If he has severe anxiety, Oscar may need medication. For this, an exam would be required. You can also consider a consultation with a veterinary behavioral specialist. Pheromone products, such as the Adaptil collar or DAP plug in diffuser, may also help to decrease anxiety

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Related Questions

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Hi, is there medication I can buy over the counter for my dogs anxiety? We are taking him away for the first time tomorrow & he’s a very anxious dog at home.
The only things that are likely going to be effective for anxiety like this would be Zylkene (available through your vet or online) or perhaps a thunder shirt (available in most pet stores). You can also try an Adaptil collar, also available at many pet stores.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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My miniature schnauzer has been having a terrible time dealing with thunderstorms and I'm thinking of some anti anxiety medication for him to help. Any recommendations for over the counter meds that are safe for him or should I wait for a visit to th
You can always try over the counter remedies for anxiety before resorting to drugs. That being said, I have rarely seen these "natural" products work on dogs especially ones that have severe anxieties. Here are some things you can try: 1. Thundershirt: http://www.thundershirt.com/?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIzuHJ_Y2j1QIVFo1-Ch00fwx0EAAYASAAEgKaavD_BwE 2. Rescue Remedy for Pets: http://www.bachflower.com/rescue-remedy-pet/ 3. DAP (dog appeasing pheromone): http://dapdiffuser.com/ If those do not help, I would suggest you speak to your vet about a prescription of Trazodone. I think it is the best anti-anxiety medication without many side effects and it doesn't make them too groggy or "out of it". Hope this helps. Best wishes!
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I'm going on vacation Rexy is coming along I was wondering if their anything over the counter I can give her to relax she travel s a lot with me in the pass my vet proved med. I didn't know if there I need to take her in for more med or if anything o
VetriScience Composure chews or liquid daily for at least a few days prior to your trip is effective in noticeably calming many patients. It contains natural ingredients including theanine and is available on chewy.com and PetCo.com. If you find that the Composure is not sufficiently relaxed with just Composure, I would schedule an appointment with your vet to make sure that Rexy is up to date on vaccines and flea/tick/heart worm prevention and to inquire about a sedative such as trazadone or prescription Xanax that your vet may be comfortable with for Rexy. If you are flying, definitely inquire with the airline about whether an official health certificate is required. Enjoy your vacation!
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My dog is 15/16 years old and this wil be his last holiday at the coast but he's doesn't like the car journey and It stresses him is there a sedative I can give him to put him to sleep or relax him? I've tried herbal stuff and it doesn't work
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My dog has separation anxiety and gets anxiety in the car and in crates. I am taking a road trip with him from South Carolina (where I live) to visit my family back home in New York. I wanted to know if there was anything I can give him for the car r
Benadryl is generally quite safe for dogs so it's unlikely that this would cause any harm; however, it rarely does much to help with anxiety in my experience. A better option would be to talk to your veterinarian about prescription anti-anxiety medication such as alprazolam or trazodone - these medications are much more effective for anxious pets, and can be used as-needed for car rides or other situations that may cause stress :)
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We are moving and have a long drive ahead of us. Honey get very anxious and whiny in the car. What can I give her to keep her calm and make the drive bearable?
Hi there. You can try a natural calming supplement like Zylkene or Composure just before the trip, along with a DAP pheromone collar. If she gets extremely anxious and you think this might not be enough, I would suggest talking to your veterinarian about prescription anti-anxiety medication such as trazodone or clonazpam.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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Hello. We have a 57lb Australian shepherd and gets very anxious when traveling in cars. We will be moving out of state and traveling close to 1200 miles. Is there a sedative you recommend over another for this long a distance?
I certainly understand your concern. i just moved across the country with my dogs and cats, and it was an adventure. There are a number of medications that we use for travel anxiety. Depending on how long you have before you will be traveling, I would recommend a trial of different medications to see which works best for Chewy. For non-prescription drugs, we will sometimes try Benadryl or Dramamine. For presciption drugs, we will sometimes try anti-anxiety medication like Trazadone or some veterinarians prefer tranquilizers like Acepromazine. There are pros and cons to each drug, so discuss it with your veterinarian and see what they would recommend for Chewy. Then be sure to allow time to try it before you travel to make sure it has the desired effects. Please let me know if that was helpful. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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The need has arisen to transport our dog on an airplane (will be in cabin), a first for our dog. He can get very anxious in new surroundings and doesn't have patience to sit still very long. Is there a safe OTC supplement or medication to give him
You can give Dramamine which would be better than Benadryl. Regular Dramamine, not non-drowsy. The active ingredient should be dimenhydrinate. Dogs take a higher dose than humans do so don't be alarmed. It is 4mg per pound of body weight so at about 30 pounds he needs 120mg. They come in 50mg tablets. So, I would give two tablets (100mg). Do a trial at home first with the medication to see how it affects him. When traveling it is recommended to give it at least one hour (90-120 minutes would be best) prior to leaving the HOUSE. You can re-dose it every 8 hours as needed. Again, please try it at home first to see how he does with it.
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What can I give my 10 yr old terrier for motion sickness?
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I have a 15 ur old pit bull n planning a long distance road trip he doesn't ride in car good he doesn't have a regular vet he goes for rabie shots so not sure what do to I would like to get him a calm down prescription
Chewy would need to be examined by a veterinarian in order to prescribe any medication. Set up an appointment for a general check up with a local veterinarian. During the apt, you can can discuss medications to relieve anxiety or stop vomiting/drooling if needed. I hope this helps and please feel free to post any additional questions.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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