My dog has car anxiety. What can I give him for a road trip? Benadryl?

Related Answers from Veterinarians

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  Answered By Rebecca, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on

  I would recomend a vet visit before your trip. There are very effective prescription medications that can help Willie with his anxiety and car sickness. If he already has anxiety issues and this trip is a brand new thing for him then I suspect benedryl is not going to be nearly enough to help either issue. Good luck and safe travels.

  

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  Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

  Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

  Published on September 1st, 2017

  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 Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

  

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  Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM

  Veterinarian

  Published on July 28th, 2017

  You may consider asking your vet for some sedation for the trip in the car like acepromazine or gabapentin. These are the more commonly used sedatives and are fairly safe. I would also recommend taking your dog on short trips in the car frequently, about once or twice a week to try and desensitize him to the car rides. It may also be helpful to use lots of positive reinforcement like treats and his favorite toys when he is in the car. Good luck with your trip!

  

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  Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

  Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

  Published on July 19th, 2017

  Poor Elvis! Some dogs do get extremely stressed and anxious on car trips - I can definitely sympathize. If you have tried natural calming supplements and herbal remedies without much luck, I would strongly suggest talking with your regular veterinarian about prescription medication such as trazodone or alprazolam to use for the car ride. These will both be much more effective than anything that you can get over the counter, since unfortunately there aren't many other OTC options apart from the things you have already tried.

  

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