Antidepressant Antihistamine Capsules for Pet Anxiety and Skin Conditions

Product Description

Doxepin HCl 75mg Capsules are a prescription tricyclic antidepressant and antihistamine used off-label in dogs and cats. By blocking dopamine and histamine receptors in the central nervous system, it helps reduce anxiety-driven behaviors and control allergy-related itching. Vets prescribe it for depression, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorders, noise phobias, and pruritic skin conditions linked to allergies or anxiety.

Benefits

• Anxiety and Depression Treatment: Helps manage depression, noise phobias, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive behavioral issues in dogs and cats daily.
• Antihistamine Skin Relief: Blocks histamine receptors to relieve itching and skin irritation caused by allergic and psychogenic dermatological conditions in pets.
• Psychogenic Dermatosis Treatment: Used for self-traumatic skin conditions driven by anxiety or obsessive-compulsive grooming behaviors in dogs and cats.
• Dual Mechanism of Action: Combines antidepressant and antihistamine properties in a single daily medication, addressing both behavioral and skin conditions simultaneously.
• Lower Cardiac Risk: Among tricyclic antidepressants, doxepin carries a comparatively lower risk of adverse cardiac effects at therapeutic doses.

Ingredients

Active Ingredients

Doxepin Hydrochloride

How to Use

Doxepin HCl 75mg Capsules are a prescription-only medication. A valid veterinarian prescription is required to purchase this product.

Please follow your veterinarian’s specific instructions for the dosage and administration of this medication for your pet.

Disclaimer: Dosage and administration of this medication must be determined by a licensed veterinarian. Always consult your veterinarian before administering or adjusting any prescription medication for your pet.

Hiding the capsule inside a soft pill pocket or pill wrap treat makes administration easy and stress-free for both you and your pet. This medication may be given with or without food, but if your pet vomits when given on an empty stomach, offer it with food on future doses. Make sure your pet always has fresh water nearby while taking this medication.

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Additional Information

Precautions

• Avoid With MAOIs: Keep away from pets that received selegiline or amitraz in the past 14 days as a dangerous drug interaction can follow.
• No Amitraz Flea Collars: Amitraz-containing flea collars must never be used during doxepin treatment due to risk of a dangerous MAOI-type interaction.
• Avoid Aged Cheese: Feeding aged cheese to pets taking doxepin can trigger a dangerous reaction and must be avoided throughout treatment.
• Avoid in Glaucoma: Do not give to pets with glaucoma or urinary retention as this medication can make both conditions significantly worse.
• Caution in Seizures: Use very carefully in pets with any prior seizure history as doxepin can lower the threshold at which seizures occur.
• Caution in Hyperthyroidism: Avoid in hyperthyroid pets as doxepin may react badly with elevated thyroid hormone levels and lead to toxicity.
• Drug Interaction Risk: Inform your veterinarian if your pet takes cimetidine, estrogens, fluoxetine, sedatives, enalapril, verapamil, or ranitidine before starting doxepin.

Possible Side Effects

• Sedation and Drowsiness: Sleepiness tends to ease as the pet settles into the medication; it is the most commonly reported reaction overall.
• Dry Mouth and Constipation: Anticholinergic effects including dry mouth and constipation are commonly reported in pets during doxepin treatment.
• Blue-Green Urine: Some pets develop blue-green urine while on doxepin; this is harmless but worth flagging at the next vet visit.
• Excitability and GI Upset: Some pets may show paradoxical excitement or gastrointestinal upset, particularly at the start of treatment.
• Serious Cardiac Effects: Ventricular arrhythmias have been reported after overdose and need immediate emergency veterinary care right away.

Storage Information

• Controlled Room Temperature: Keep capsules in a sealed container at a steady temperature between 68F and 77F, well away from heat and moisture.
• Protect From Light: Sunlight and damp spots can break down the capsules over time, so keep them somewhere cool, dark, and dry.
• Keep Out of Reach: Put this medication somewhere children and untreated pets cannot get to it on their own.

Note: For generic medications, the product image shown may not reflect the actual item received. Generic medications can vary in size, color, and shape between orders depending on the manufacturer. Additionally, your medication may arrive packaged in a HardyPaw Pharmacy vial.

Shipping & Return

We offer ground, express, and priority delivery; see our shipping policy for details.

For return instructions or product concerns, please refer to our detailed refund policy.

Prescription items are NON-RETURNABLE and NON-REFUNDABLE.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What conditions does doxepin treat in dogs and cats?

Ans: Doxepin is used in dogs and cats for depression, separation anxiety, noise phobias, and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Its antihistamine action also makes it useful for allergy-driven itching and psychogenic skin conditions. The vet decides whether it fits the pet’s behavioral or skin needs based on the full clinical picture.

Q2: Why does doxepin cause blue-green urine in pets?

Ans: The blue-green tint comes from how doxepin and its byproducts are broken down and passed through the kidneys. It is harmless and not a sign of anything wrong, but it is still worth bringing up at the next vet appointment so the treating vet can confirm everything is on track.

Q3: Why must aged cheese be avoided when giving doxepin to pets?

Ans: Aged cheeses like cheddar, parmesan, and blue cheese are high in tyramine, which can trigger a dangerous blood pressure spike when mixed with tricyclic antidepressants. This reaction can come on quickly and severely, so all aged cheeses and high-tyramine foods need to stay off the menu for the full treatment period.

Q4: How long does doxepin take to work for behavioral conditions in pets?

Ans: For behavioral issues, full effects may take several days to a few weeks to show. For allergy-driven itching, giving it consistently before allergen exposure works better than waiting until itching starts. The vet will track the pet’s progress and make any adjustments to the plan as the treatment moves forward.

Q5: Can doxepin be used alongside other antihistamines for pets with allergies?

Ans: Doxepin can be paired with other antihistamines to boost allergy control, but stacking sedating medications raises the risk of the pet becoming overly drowsy. Always let the vet know every product the pet is currently on before adding doxepin to an existing allergy treatment plan.