# 408 - Beyond Trazodone: When the "Chill Protocol" Isn’t Chilling

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-cone-of-shame-veterinary-podcast-1191328/408-beyond-trazodone-when-the-chill-protocol-isn-t-chilling
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-cone-of-shame-veterinary-podcast-1191328/408-beyond-trazodone-when-the-chill-protocol-isn-t-chilling.md
Podcast: [The Cone of Shame Veterinary Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-cone-of-shame-veterinary-podcast-1191328)
Published: 2026-07-16T04:01:00+00:00
Episode link: https://the-cone-of-shame.captivate.fm/episode/408-beyond-trazodone-when-the-chill-protocol-isnt-chilling
Audio file: https://episodes.captivate.fm/episode/019ba9ca-2276-490a-b581-7598c8fd891a.mp3
Processing state: not_requested
JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-cone-of-shame-veterinary-podcast-1191328/episodes/408-beyond-trazodone-when-the-chill-protocol-isn-t-chilling
Duration seconds: 1892

## Resource

Beyond Gabapentin and Trazodone, Smarter Pre-Visit Anxiety Meds with Dr. Chris Pachel Dr. Chris Pachel, DVM, DACVB, joins Dr. Andy Roark to tackle a problem every clinic knows too well, stressed pets, stressed owners, and appointments that start going sideways before the car even leaves the driveway. They dig into pre-visit pharmaceuticals beyond the usual gabapentin and trazodone, including when to increase doses, when sedation is masking anxiety (not fixing it), and how options like clonidine, benzodiazepines, and even dexmedetomidine can fit the patient in front of you. Chris also shares how his new Animal Behavior Clinic space in Portland is reducing stress fast, plus practical tips for at-home trial runs, safety planning, and cautions around acepromazine and “chill protocol” variations. Gang, let’s get into this episode. Dr. Chris Pachel is a board-certified veterinary behaviorist and is the owner and lead clinician at the Animal Behavior Clinic in Portland, Oregon. Dr. Pachel lectures extensively worldwide, teaches courses at multiple veterinary schools in the United States, and has authored numerous articles and book chapters for veterinarians and pet owners. He is a sought-after expert witness for legal cases and serves on the Editorial Advisory Board for dvm360. He is also a Vice-president of Veterinary Behavior for Instinct Dog Behavior and Training, as well as co-owner of Instinct Portland, which opened in the fall of 2020.

## Actions

- request_transcript: `POST https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-cone-of-shame-veterinary-podcast-1191328/episodes/408-beyond-trazodone-when-the-chill-protocol-isn-t-chilling/transcription-requests` — Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode.
- read_markdown: `GET https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-cone-of-shame-veterinary-podcast-1191328/408-beyond-trazodone-when-the-chill-protocol-isn-t-chilling.md` — Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource.

A page view does not enqueue transcription. Agents should invoke `request_transcript` explicitly when they need this episode processed.

## Transcript

Full transcripts are not published on public pages unless there is a clear rights basis.