Efficacy of a single dose of trazodone hydrochloride given to cats prior to veterinary visits to reduce signs of transport- and examination-related anxiety

Abstract

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the efficacy of a single dose of trazodone for reducing anxiety in cats during transport to a veterinary hospital and facilitating handling during veterinary examination. DESIGN Double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized crossover study. ANIMALS 10 healthy client-owned cats (2 to 12 years of age) with a history of anxiety during transport or veterinary examination. PROCEDURES Each cat was randomly assigned to first receive trazodone hydrochloride (50 mg) or a placebo PO. The assigned treatment was administered, and each cat was placed in a carrier and transported by car to a veterinary clinic, where it received a structured veterinary examination. Owners scored their cat's signs of anxiety before, during, and after transport and examination. The veterinarian also assessed signs of anxiety during examination. After a 1- to 3-week washout period, each cat received the opposite treatment and the protocol was repeated. RESULTS Compared with placebo, trazodone resulted in a significant improvement in the cats' signs of anxiety during transport. Veterinarian and owner scores for ease of handling during veterinary examination also improved with trazodone versus the placebo. No significant differences were identified between treatments in heart rate or other physiologic variables. The most common adverse event related to trazodone administration was signs of sleepiness. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE Oral administration of a single dose of trazodone to cats prior to a veterinary visit resulted in fewer signs of transport- and examination-related anxiety than did a placebo and was generally well tolerated by most cats. Use of trazodone in this manner may promote veterinary visits and, consequently, enhance cat welfare.

Trazodone: A Review of Its Pharmacological Properties and Its Off-Label Use in Dogs and Cats

“…The safety profile of trazodone has been speculated to not be affected by breed, age, or dose in dogs (Gilbert-Gregory et al, 2016;Gruen et al, 2014;Gruen and Sherman, 2008) and cats (Orlando et al, 2016;Stevens et al, 2016). However there is no specific report to confirm and this issue should be further investigated.…”

“…A search for information on the pharmacokinetics of trazodone in cats was also attempted from different scientific data bases; however, no reports were found for this species. In contrast, two clinical studies of trazodone that reported sedative and anxiolytic properties in cats were found (Orlando et al, 2016;Stevens et al, 2016). Although there is a lack of trazodone studies in cats, trazodone has been documented to be administered at 1-2 mg kg −1 in this animal species (Perrin et al, 2014).…”

“…The known adverse effects associated with oral administration of trazodone in dogs and cats are basically mild and well-tolerated. The most common adverse effects of oral trazodone include gagging, vomiting, colitis, sedation, increased appetite, paradoxical excitement and panting, hyper salivation and behavior disinhibition in dogs (Gilbert-Gregory et al, 2016; Gruen and Sherman, 2008;Jay et al, 2013) and sedation and behavior disinhibition (struggling, aggression and vocalization) in cats (Orlando et al, 2016;Stevens et al, 2016). Trazodone may not cause cardiovascular depression in dogs and cats after oral administration (Jay et al, 2013;Orlando et al, 2016) although some studies reported this adverse event in humans (Rausch et al, 1984;Reeves and Bullen, 1995;Service and Waring, 2008).…”

“…The second study reported that trazodone has been recommended to promote low-stress veterinary visits for dogs (Herron and Shreyer, 2014) and cats (Stevens et al, 2016) that have signs of anxiety. In dogs, trazodone (dose 4 to 12 mg kg −1 , not exceeding 300 mg per animal) administered by the owner 1.5 h prior to a veterinary visit significantly reduced stress associated with handling and examination (Herron and Shreyer, 2014).…”

Psychogenic stress in hospitalized veterinary patients: Causation, implications, and therapies

“…The cats that received the trazodone showed decreased signs of anxiety and were more easily handled when compared to controls. Sleepiness was the most common adverse effect …”