Can I give my dog atarax?

Atarax can be used to treat a variety of conditions in humans, but how about for dogs? If your dog doesn’t travel too well and you’ve got a big trip planned you may be contemplating what to do for them so that they’ll be OK. Or perhaps they’re showing signs of an allergic reaction and you want to help them with that.

In most instances medications meant for humans shouldn’t be administered to dogs unless it’s under a direct veterinarian recommendation. There are too many variations in breeds, weights, and medical histories to make sweeping generalizations.

The generic name is Hydroxyzine and doctors prescribe it to reduce symptoms for a range of conditions from allergies to motion sickness to alcohol withdrawal symptoms. The consensus is that Atarax shouldn’t be given to dogs unless there is an accurate diagnosis and the appropriate dose is given.

Can I Give My Dog Atarax? Answer: Not Recommended

The problem with following a dosing chart that relies entirely on the weight of your dog is that they aren’t taking into consideration what you’re treating your dog for, nor do they know how your dog specifically handles medication like this.

Proper diagnosis of a condition is crucial for the best outcome, and unless you are a trained veterinarian you will only be making your best guess as to what their problem is, and how to fix it.

It you are thinking of using Atarax to simply calm your dog down, there are other more natural ways to go about this that don’t involve exposing them to medication that could be harmful for them.

Thundershirt can work wonders for dogs that seem anxious either on car trips, or during thunderstorms, or just whenever you leave them home alone. It’s a vest that compresses your dog a little to make them feel snug and secure, and of course there’s no side effects to it, and you don’t need a prescription for it.

Dogs and Anxiety

Anxiety in dogs is pretty common, and is usually something that can be helped by just making a few adjustments to their lifestyle. You could try to upgrade their dog food as a start to see if that helps calm their nerves. It could be a nutritional imbalance that is causing them to be so anxious.

If it’s situational anxiety you can get a prescription from your doctor that can be administered before the triggering even so that you can avoid it altogether.

Canine Motion Sickness

Most dogs love a good car trip, sticking their head out the window and enjoying themselves immensely. Others don’t really like the sensation and have trouble finding their footing, and can even get nauseated and vomit in the car, which is no fun for anyone.

There are specially prescribed motion sickness remedies for dogs that your vet can recommend or that you can pick up from the pet store. It’s worth going out of your way to get the kind that are made for dogs, both because they’re more effective, and because you know you’re giving your dog something that won’t hurt them.

When To Do Nothing

Sometimes it’s best to check yourself and see if your dog really needs any intervention on your part at all. It’s easy to be overly cautious about our beloved pets, and we forget that they’re very natural creatures and very in tune with nature, and most things that happen to them will run their course and they’ll be back to normal soon enough.

Even though it might not be very fun for us to watch them go through it, it’s often better to just let them handle it on their own. You’ll know if they need your help, or need to go to the vet, but they almost never need something like Atarax.

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