Difficulty transporting a pet to the clinic and associated stress of the patient and pet owner can be barriers to routine veterinary care.1 Stress-reduction techniques can benefit the clinic, patient, and owner.
This double-blinded, placebo-controlled crossover study evaluated the impact of trazodone (9-12 mg/kg PO once) administered to dogs 90 minutes prior to transport to the clinic for complete physical examination with physiologic measurements (eg, heart rate, serum cortisol). Each dog was given trazodone or placebo in random order prior to 2 separate clinic visits one week apart, allowing each dog to serve as its own control.
Examinations were video recorded, and behavior analysis was performed by blinded observers who showed fair agreement in scoring. Owners scored personal and pet stress, and investigators scored patient sedation, aggression, and compliance during examination.
Based on owner scoring and observer video analysis, patient stress scores during examination were significantly lower in dogs given trazodone; however, scoring by investigators was unchanged in dogs receiving placebo versus trazodone. In dogs receiving trazodone, respiratory rates were significantly lower and mean heart rates were higher; no other significant differences in physiologic variables were noted.