Benadryl for thunderstorms?

Dr. Marie replied:

I'm sorry to hear that Bella is not doing well with thunderstorms. Some dogs can get terribly upset with thunderstorms and we don't really know why.

There is definitely no harm in giving Benadryl, although it may not do too much. While some dogs get a little bit sedated with Benadryl it is usually not a lot of sedation. If you wanted to give Benadryl though, the dose is 1-2mg per pound. It usually comes in a 25mg strength so for a 7 pound dog I would likely give 1/4 to 1/2 of a tablet.

I'd like you to read this question that was asked of me last year:

Can Melatonin be used for thunderstorm anxiety?

This person asked me about using melatonin for helping her dog with thunderstorm anxiety. I had not heard of doing this but did some research for you in some veterinary behavior archives that I had access to. If you read to the end of the question you'll see that it worked really well for her dog. I have since then been recommending it for some of my clients and I think that it is a good solution. You'll also read in the link above about other medications that can be prescribed.

If you do use the melatonin I'd love to hear back from you on how it worked!


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