I am flying with my 30 pound dog in the cabin this Thursday and am wondering if it is safe to give her Klonopin to help with the extreme anxiety that she experiences in the air. The prescription is from a while ago and she hasn't tired it yet, but more conservative approaches like Benadryl did not work for her. We are out of time to go into the vet and I just want to make sure that the Klonopin (in correct dosages for her weight) is an okay route to take. Thank you!

Updated On December 18th, 2017

Pet's info: Dog | Goldendoodle | Female | spayed | 5 years and 9 months old | 32 lbs

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Answered By Daniel Fonza, DVM

Veterinarian

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Hi there and thank you for using PetCoach to address your concern. Klonopin (Clonazepam) is a drug that we commonly use for anxiety in animals. Based on the veterinary drug book, the recommended dose for Clonazepam in dogs is 0.1 - 1 mg/kg by mouth every 12-24 hours. So for example, 30lb would equal 13.6kg. So the dose this body weight should receive would be 1.4mg every 12-24 hours as the lowest dose and 13.6mg every 12-24 hours as the highest dose. I always recommend testing out a new medication prior to using it for its intended purpose to see if it works. If this is expired, I would refrain against using this. As always, I would contact your veterinarian, whom you usually see for Olive and discuss using this medication with the vet on the phone as I do not know the full medical history on Olive. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

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    Answered By C. Rathjens, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Klonopin can certainly be used as an anxiety medication in dogs. If it's expired or was prescribed for something other than anxiety I would check with her veterinarian via phone before giving it. If she has been to the vet recently, they may be able to prescribe something over the phone for her anxiety. If the Klonopin was prescribed for anxiety, and is not expired, then yes it's fine to use it during a flight. Good luck! I hope you have a calm flight and happy holidays!

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