My dog's Xanax isn't working; is he acting worse? Can I increase dose?

Question

My 8 year old boxer is on 2 mg Xanax 8-12 hours as needed due to severe severe anxiety. Today I gave it to him and he did not show any signs of it working. I took him for a walk and he went berserk. I could barely control him and couldn’t distract him which usually works. Could he be acting worse Bc of the medicine and can I increase the dosage? He is 76 pounds. Pet's info: Dog | Boxer | Male | unneutered | 7 years and 5 months old | 76 lbs

Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA · Accepted Answer

Hi there. I would recommend discussing this with Diesel's regular veterinarian. Xanax can occasionally cause something called "paradoxical agitation," meaning that the dog gets more restless and anxious rather than more relaxed, but this shouldn't suddenly happen if he's already been taking the medication and it's worked well for him in the past. There may be room to increase his dosage, or your veterinarian may recommend switching to a different anti-anxiety medication instead. We cannot legally advise you to make any changes in how you're currently giving a prescription medication, so I would call your vet in the morning to discuss your concerns.

My dog's Xanax isn't working; is he acting worse? Can I increase dose?

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