Prozac for dogs
Indianapolis-based pharmaceuticals giant Eli Lilly has developed a canine version of Prozac:
To be marketed under the name Reconcile…the drug is chewable and flavored with a doggie-delectable zing. It is the latest in a string of recently approved canine drugs, reflecting the growing market for pet pharmaceuticals…The U. S. Food and Drug Administration approved Reconcile in February after clinical tests in dogs showed it significantly improved symptoms of separation anxiety, a problem that strikes 10 to 20 percent of canines with varying severity; dogs affected may bark, chew household items, or urinate in inappropriate locations when left alone. The drug, which will go on the market in April and will be sold along with a behavior modification program, is the first product introduced by a new division of Lilly devoted entirely to pets.
(From MIT Technology Review)
…” it significantly improved symptoms of separation anxiety” ….
Looks like a great idea, but I hope the pills don’t cost too much.
Our dog being a rescue dog has a whole ton of separation anxiety now that he has firmly bonded with us.
Dog Breeds Lover Steve
28 Jul 07 at 1:12 am
Personally the idea of drugging up my dog with Prozac is a horrendous one. It’s unbelievable that people would force these sorts of drugs on their dogs. All a dog needs is the proper love, exercise, and training of someone who really cares about them. To me the sort of person that would give their dog Prozac would be the sort of person that just couldn’t be bothered to deal with the dogs behavioral problems. It seems to me that all they want is a quick fix!
The-Dog-Site.net
18 Oct 07 at 10:00 am
No offense to you dog site, but *I* am one of those people who have had to resort to prozac for our puppy. Frank has been in training since he was 10 weeks old because of his breed, we didnt want to risk him being untrained. He has always been a nervous dog, and has become aggressive. After 3 CGC’s, 2 behaviorists, 1 trainer and 2 veterinarians, our choices are 1. to continue training with the aid of prozac as a temporary measure to help him control himself. or… 2. put him to sleep for aggression.
Sorry to say that in this case, it is all we have left for hope.
Btw, Frank is not a small breed dog that can be controlled in his aggressive states. He is a 150 pound Great Dane Puppy that is a very dangerous animal.
lisa
24 Oct 07 at 2:08 pm
We’re in the same boat, Lisa. I am not a fan of anti-depressants in general; in fact, I don’t even like to take aspirin for a headache. But, we have a Mastiff mix that we rescued; he’s six, but we’ve had him for four years. He’s a doll with people and children, but he’s aggressive with other dogs. We’ve showered him with love, training and socialization, but he’s too unpredictable to take a chance with. He doesn’t have separation anxiety, as I work from home, and he and our other dogs get a lot of attention. Our vet and trainers have encouraged us to try this drug, in conjunction with a DAP pheromone collar and ongoing training. We don’t want to put our dog to sleep either, so this is a path we have to pursue unfortunately. I guess we should be glad we have these options available to us; in the past, these dogs would have surely been put to sleep. I’ve seen success w/ these drugs for people I know who have gone through trauma. I hope this works for Frank and our dog.
Bond's Mom
9 Nov 07 at 8:17 am
Our 35lb dog just got prescribed 20mg of Prozac per day. Does that seem high?
Dog Lover
26 Nov 07 at 8:42 pm
I am having a hard time trying to decide weather or not to put our Bull Terrier on some sort of medication. She is highly agressive towards people, and I cant have her around Children and other dogs. She is still maturing and has been in training for about 5 months. She does have seperation anxiety and she tries to dominate everyone. She is only a year old and we are hoping that after this training that she will hopefully calm down a little because our trainer said at 8-14 months that she is like a teenager. We are definetly not lazy and we take her everywhere and take her for walks and there is usually someone always with her. But she just has terrible mood swings. Anyone have any suggestions?
Mallory
26 Nov 07 at 9:42 pm
Not a drug fan either, but for 2 months, my almost 13 year old dog suddenly started coming unglued at night in the same service porch area he and my other Westie have been sleeping in for 8 years. We’ve tried everything but he scratches to get in to the point where he has damaged the door and surrounding woodwork. Bring him in, and he still makes noise so that none of us are sleeping. I’d prefer not to do this, but if it calms him down so he and the rest of the house can sleep, I’ll try it.
Aidan's mom
28 Nov 07 at 6:07 pm
I’m sure the drug will help the dog that really need it, but there sure will be a lot of abuse from unscroupulous vets trying to make money and lazy owners.
Mike Mathews
1 Dec 07 at 2:26 am
Dog Lover said, on November 26th, 2007 at 8:42 pm
Our 35lb dog just got prescribed 20mg of Prozac per day. Does that seem high?
No, it’s actually on the low side, a full dose would be closer to 40 mg.
For dogs, the dose of fluoxetine (prozac) is 0.5 to 1 mg per pound
You don’t need to use the expensive “Reconcile”, you can get the generic equivalent fluoxetine filled at Walmart for $4 for a 30 day supply.
wolfdogged
23 Dec 07 at 3:17 am
My 13 year old Westie has Canine Cognitive Disorder and Selegiline has stopped working. The vet has suggested Prozac as an alternative. Is anyone familiar with Prozac treatment for Canine Dognitive Disorder?
CCC
4 Jan 08 at 5:31 pm
CCC said, on January 4th, 2008 at 5:31 pm
My 13 year old Westie has Canine Cognitive Disorder and Selegiline has stopped working. The vet has suggested Prozac as an alternative. Is anyone familiar with Prozac treatment for Canine Dognitive Disorder?
Using Prozac for CDS - No, I don’t think so. Unless some of the CDS behaviors being expressed are aggression and obsessive-compulsive disorders. NEVER use Seligiline and Prozac at the same time. Wait 3 to 5 weeks before discontinueing one and starting the other, otherwise there’s potential for serious problems with high blood pressure.
Vivitonin may be something you might wish to try. It’s mentioned on this page about CDS. http://www.thensome.com/cds.htm
Google vivitonin for other UK pharmacies.
This is the yahoo group mentioned at link above where you might find additional help.
http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/caninecognitivedysfunction/
Be sure to look in the group’s archives.
wolfdogged
6 Jan 08 at 8:25 pm
Thanks, “wolfdogged” for your comment. I joined the user group you suggested and have found their responses - as well as yours - very helpful. I went back to my vet yesterday, and we will not be discontinuing the Selegiline and trying Prozac as she first suggetsed. My last attempt to stall the progression of this disease will be to augment her present treatment (Selegiline and her b/d Hills food) with Cholodin, a non-prescription supplement that my vet said would not cause any harm.
There have been no aggression issues since she began Selegiline. In addition to the common CCD symptoms menitoned, Chrissie has not barked in two years, grinds her teeth when anxious, and drools almost constantly. I can deal with the lack of housebreaking, forgetting of all training, the relentless pacing, and her corners “fetish”, but to see this once friendly, confident dog so anxious and stressed makes me think it is time to put en end to her suffering. Then she’ll surprise me by not having a housebreaking accident or responding to her name and I think it’s too soon to end her life.
I’ve never had to make this kind of decision before, so I want to make sure it is the right one. Thanks for your help.
CCC
CCC
12 Jan 08 at 8:44 am
CCC said, on January 12th, 2008 at 8:44 am
“My last attempt to stall the progression of this disease will be to augment her present treatment (Selegiline and her b/d Hills food) with Cholodin, a non-prescription supplement that my vet said would not cause any harm.”
Should the supplement not work, here’s my experience. My thirteen (and a half) year old dog has been on Selegiline since about age ten. My vet and I played around with the dosage for several weeks before we got it right. She now takes almost the max dosage for her weight four days a week, with three days off. About once a year, it entirely stops working. As per my vet’s suggestion, I take her off of it for two weeks to give her system a chance to clean out (unless the symptoms become significantly worse sooner) and when I put her back on, it starts to work like a charm again.
It’s pricey to pick up for just a reference, but there’s a case study in “Veterinary Psychopharmacology” (Blackwell Publishing) that indicates that dogs do generally reach a plateau.
Hope Chrissie is doing better!
wray
17 Jan 08 at 11:58 pm
As for Prozac and Dogs, I take offense that anyone would say I need to love and train my dog more. My dog developed severe sp. anxiety when he was 9 years old. During his episodes he did thousands of dollars of damage to our home, broke his teeth, cut his feet and face open, and was terrified. After seeing a canine neurologist, 2 behaviorists, having complete physical and blood work done we decided to put our dog on prozac. It worked. It was a heartbreaking and difficult decision and I am so glad we made it. About a year ago we took him off of prozac slowly but after a month he had an “episode” so he went back on. This medication allows him to feel safe and calm while we are gone. Just be thankful you never had to deal with a situation like this!
Kelly
24 Feb 08 at 2:24 am
Someone up there said Walmart sells this medication for $4 for a 30 day supply?? My dog is 13 lbs. and I just paid $50 for a 30 day supply at Rite-Aid. I’d love to know what people are paying. My dog is 15 years old and has developed compulsive behaviors and anxiety, and I hope this will make her more comfortable.
Donna
11 Mar 08 at 8:15 pm
I had a dog with Doggie prozac and crating the dog was the only way I could leave the house! The dog even tore up his crate before Prozac!
Chris Miller
12 Mar 08 at 1:47 am
I also have had a problem with my dog and his separation anxiety. He is good when we are home but when we leave he tears up the house and pees all over the floor. We have tried everything, including crating him. We’ve been through two crates (he has chewed through both of the WIRE crates) My husband and I are expecting our first baby on April 7th, so I decided to bring the dog to the vet yet again, and see if he had any other suggestions.
The vet prescribed me with the reconcile (32 mg) However, I found the generic version (Fluoxetine) to be a lot cheaper. I have been giving my dog 30 mg. of Fluoxetine since Feb. 25th. It does not seem to be doing too much. I was wondering if giving him 40 mg. would be too much. He is about 50 lbs. Also, I just got off the phone with the pharmacist at Wal-Mart, and they do the 4.00 prescriptions for the fluoxetine even for dogs! Thanks so much for the advise, that saves a lot of people 50.00 a month!
Sara
13 Mar 08 at 9:44 pm
I need help. My part lab and pit (she is 11) has developed severe anxiety. She lost her best friend in August(a yellow lab) They were both rescued together 10 years ago. She has progressively gotten worse in the last 3 months. For some reason and we don’t know what it could be She gets worse when my boyfriend comes over. We don’t know why she all of a sudden feels this way about him. She always has liked him. No aggression as of yet, but she shakes, pants, drools and wants to crawl all over me. Nothing I do calms her.She used to go outside while my friend was here, but now she is digging and tearing up my fence to get out. She has gotten out 2 times now and I’m scared she will hurt herself or get run over. I just took her today and tried acupunture. The Dr. also wants to put her on some type of herb, but I think this might take too long and in the meantime I’m scared she will get hurt. I guess what I am asking, should I give the prozac a try?
Peggy
18 Mar 08 at 1:57 am
Prozac? The pharmaceutical companies have manipulated us again!
Of course, many people with dogs aren’t home enough in the first place. So any creature would be expressing upset.
Good training, adequate attention and some alternative medicine works really well. Has anyone tried Bach Flower Essences or homeopathy for these animals?
I’ve seen many dogs’ separation anxiety behaviors lift within hours of the first dose. And, you don’t use them indefinitely. Instead, stopping when the problems resolve.
Get in touch with a vet or practitioner with experience in these modalities. You’ll be glad you did.
Luna
22 Mar 08 at 6:46 pm
My greyhound is on prozac, and he hasn’t seemed to be doing all that much better with his separation anxiety. I am wondering if the Bach flower remedy will work for him, but I can’t just take him off of the prozac cold turkey, so I am wondering if I can give him the prozac and the bach flower remedy at the same time until I can ween him from the prozac. Is this okay or is it too much?
Tonya
1 Apr 08 at 1:01 am
I’m glad that my dog is now on prozac. I used to be anti-prescription drugs, but now he is better than ever. He used to bark at everything, pee every where and bit who ever he wanted. But now he is mellow and doesn’t pee just because he’s alone. So I have to say prozac is working for us. I tried re-training, but his breed is very stubborn and hard to train to begin with, so anyone who has a tough dog knows what I am talking about. So prozac was a last resort, but is doing well for us.
Marc
3 Apr 08 at 3:49 am
I’m glad that my dog is now on prozac. I used to be anti-prescription drugs, but now he is better than ever. He used to bark at everything, pee every where and bit who ever he wanted. But now he is mellow and doesn’t pee just because he’s alone. So I have to say prozac is working for us. I tried re-training, but his breed is very stubborn and hard to train to begin with, so anyone who has a tough dog knows what I am talking about. So prozac was a last resort, but is doing well for us. I hate those people who say that I am a lazy owner, because I really have tried everything and this is the only thing that works. So unless you would like to knock on my door with how my dog used to be, than they should keep their comments to themselves. Like every person, every dog is different.
Marc
3 Apr 08 at 3:54 am
I find it frustrating that some people are so judgemental of dog owners that result to prescription medication for assistance with canine behavioral problems. If they had a mother, father, sister, best friend with a mental disorder who decided to use medication to help ease the symptoms, would they judge them as well? As the loving owner of a nearly 4-year-old German Shepherd who has been displaying signs of aggression that are increasing in ferocity, I am exploring my options. I have contacted several animal behaviorists who are extremely expensive. If her vet offers medication to me as a possible solution to this problem, i will gladly accept and try it out. If it works, then doggie medication will have saved me from having to consider giving away my best friend. Don’t be so judgemental.
Lindsay
9 Apr 08 at 6:35 pm
I have a terrier pitt and a dalmation. The pit is sowing agression and also the dalmation.
the pit ways 55 pounds and the dally weighs 65 pounds. can I give them them 20 mg each day or is it each week.
Thanks Rose
rose
10 Apr 08 at 4:58 pm
i put wrong e-mail. terrier pitt and a dalmation. the pit is showing agression and also the dally. the pit is 55 pounds and the dally is 65 pounds. can I give them 20mg a day or is it a week.
Thanks so much
rose
10 Apr 08 at 5:00 pm
I will be putting my 75lb dog on 20mg of Prozac soon due to fireworks/thunder phobia. For those of you who do not have a dog with severe anxiety or phobia’s, it is easy to suggest drugging your dog is horrible, etc….My dog is 7 years old, and was home fed, exercised daily (rain or snow), gets lots of attention and rides to pet stores and spoiled rotten and still has an extreme fear to thunder/lighting/fireworks. I have tried rescue remedy, anxiety wraps, other homeopathic methods, melatonin, distraction and playing cd’s to work with fear to no avail. As with everything, what works for one dog, may not work for all. In addition to all the things he does get from me and family, like love, exercise, etc…..he is highly trained and has been thru obedience class after class as I used to train. Not to mention my major was in Psychology with interest in behavior modification. When you are not home when a thunderstorm rolls in and you find your dog has been trying to dig in ceramic floor, gouging drywall and nail beds bleeding, please don’t knock those who have gone out of their way for years struggling to keep their dogs safe at all cost and not resorting to putting them to sleep.
Anyone who knows me, knows what I have gone thru for my baby, and if Prozac or some other anti-anxiety medication can help him feel more comfortable and increase his quality of life, please do not judge.
Christina
15 Apr 08 at 6:24 pm
Thank you for understanding Christina. Our dog is also well-trained, has lots of companionship and plenty of exercise, but out of the blue devleoped sp anxiety at age 4. (She is now 7.) Uncontrolled urinating, shaking (she actually vibrates), drooling, panting …and then hiding in the yard when we get home because she is ashamed. Sometimes this occurs when we are gone as little as 5 minutes. She is skin and bones- will hardly eat some weeks. She is a only 35 lb greyhound mix, but has broken through a wire crate, and injured herself. Now the crate terrifies her, no longer an option, although we used a crate successfully for the first 3 years we had her.
This is a stressful and difficult situation and putting her on medication does not mean we are uncaring or looking for the easy solution. We are trying mightily to improve her quality of life.
She has been taking Clomicalm for 2 years, we have definitely seen some improvement -we did combine w/ beh. therapy. Some months have been better than others, though, and now she is in a gradual steady decline again. Thinking of switching to Reconcile- has anyone tried both and can compare results for me?
kate
23 Apr 08 at 3:23 am
After reading some of these posts, it’s frankly amazing to me that some of you are having discussions about having to save money on your dog’s medication (by selecting generic vs. name brand) when you really have no business putting your dog on this type of medication to begin with. The main reason why Prozac was approved by the FDA was because Eli Lilly fudged its own clinical trials in the late ’80s. Some people during the clinical trials became suicidal or committed suicide, but this information was suppressed. Yet the drug was still unleashed upon the human population. Prozac may have helped some people, but it has claimed the lives and sanity of others. In the meantime, there has been a clear correlation between the increase in the marketing of psychotropic drugs on television, an increase in doctors prescribing the medication, and an increase in school shootings. A black box warning had to be issued by the FDA in 2004 on all psychotropic medications because of the increase of suicidal/homicidal behaviors among children/teenagers. So if it’s already clearly risky putting our children on these drugs, there’s no reason putting our dogs on them.
CRS
3 May 08 at 7:51 pm
Our 13 year old beagle developed severe seperation anxiety and tore up our house, including every door on the bottom floor. He was more upset than we were. He was on Colmacalm for over a year, with Alprozalam and was completely normal, but got used to the dosage and the anxiety came back. He is now on Prozac and is completely normal again. We are going to switch from Reconcile to the generic, because of the expense. The change is amazing. We feel like we have our puppy back again. No shivering and panting. He has always slept on our bed at night, gets walked every day, played with and petted. We adore him. He is now 15 and we hope to have several more happy years with him.
Sharon
5 May 08 at 12:28 am
We’ve had a boxer for over 10 years who we adopted from a boxer rescue group. She had severe separation anxiety when we got her that we partially solved through training and the addition of a second dog. However, she has never been good around strangers and recently became very aggressive toward our other dogs. After two dog fights, where she got the worst of each, our vet tried Prozac. For a year, she was happy and normal–doing all the things she did before, except the aggression toward our other dogs disappeared, and lessened toward strangers. Because she was getting older, and the Prozac sometimes seemed to make her lathargic, we made the big mistake of taking her off of it. Within one month, her aggression returned twofold. We have renewed her prescription, however, we have had to separate her from the rest of the household until the prescription takes effect–up to 8 weeks.. We’re not sure what’s going to happen when we try to reintroduce her, if we can do it at all. It has been heartbreaking. I would definitely recommend trying Prozac, but make sure you understand everything about it before you start.
Carly
4 Jun 08 at 3:50 am
Over the past 3 months our 20 month old weimaraner Harriett has decided to start testing our authority as well as violently attacking and injuring our 12 yr old Chesapeak.
We have tried to working with her and increasing her exercise….working to reinforce her position in our ‘pack’, but still she seems dead set on attacking and hurting our chessie, and challanging our ‘Alpha’ spots. She has bitten my partner twice now while attempting to break up the bloody fights/attacks.
Our vet believes some of this is seperation anxiety since we recently lost our room mate who was in the home the hours we were not. Our vet also suggested we try her on a low dose of prozac to simple allow her to relax. She has only been on the meds for 2 days and already I see a difference. She is more relaxed when not directly being addressed or stimuled with play or attention. She is still playful and ready for her walk.
I truly have hope that training/behavioral modification and the meds may solve our problems. We want nothing more than to have a happy health well adjusted Hariett
Mark
5 Jun 08 at 6:27 pm
I just began Reconcile, (prozac for dogs), with my newest rescue.
I have had over 100 foster labs, and rescued at least 100’s more. Never have I had such a problem child !!
I train each dog, but this boy…he has eaten through a 3″ wooden gate, busted through 2 other wooden gates, squeezed through a 2 ” opening in a chain link fence, as well as busteing out of my car and a colassal crate…..
He is a nut if he is out of my sight! The only history I have is he was picked up as a stray with an imbedded collar that needed to be cut off his neck!
Ummm, I would never consider puppy prozac, but this boy is in need of….after a month with me, he is un-adoptable. Puppy prozac is his only hope.
For those dogs…there is a need!
karla
7 Jun 08 at 3:58 pm
Peggy - I have the same situation with my (? year old) Cairn Terrier rescue that we have had or 3 years. Have you tried anything yet?
Rhonda
11 Jun 08 at 1:55 pm
I have the same situation Peggy has with my (? year old) Cairn Terrier rescue that we have had or 3 years. Have you tried anything yet?
Rhonda
11 Jun 08 at 1:56 pm
I’ve been reading through these posts from people who are adamantly against the use of prozac on dogs. First off, every situation is different and you all should not be so judgmental on cases that you really know nothing about. People tell me all the time that my 1-year-old Boston Terrier is aggressive because I allow him to be or I don’t give him enough love or I give him to much love and I don’t discipline him. NONE of the above is true. I am a novice dog trainer and have trained many dogs that I have rescued before finding homes for them. I know quite a bit about dog training. I’ve used ALL of that on my Boston and NOTHING works. He also been to see professional trainers and they have not been able to help either. The root of his aggression most likely lies with trauma from a young age as he was attacked by a larger dog when he was a puppy and was never the same again. I have been working with him EVERY DAY since then and although he has improved, he is still VERY aggressive towards people. I have to watch him around children and warn everyone that he will bite, because HE WILL. Granted, he is small, but his behavior is unacceptable. He is disciplined for his actions and DOES NOT care. We recently got him neutered (he is cryptorchid) and we are hoping that perhaps this solves the problem, but it has been a couple of weeks and nothing has changed. My vet suggested prozac after spending quite a bit of time with him (he was at the vets overnight several times) and witnessing his aggression. I was apprehensive about the drug as I don’t like to take drugs myself, but I have read a lot of positive things about the drug and I know that my vet would not suggest it if we did not have any other choice. Right now, I am waiting to see if anything will change since he was neutered, and if it doesn’t he is going to go on the drug. I believe that it will give my dog a better quality of life and give me back the dog that I used to have. I am anxious to see it’s results if I do end up going down that road. I just want my dog to be happy.
Tanya
17 Jun 08 at 4:26 am
I have a problem with two dogs - they are part pit bull. They are very loving to me. THe smaller one - 40 pounds jumps on people and is very hyper. The problem is this - when I try to take them for a walk they can be agressive to other dogs that are wandering around and may try to run to them - what can I do - I put a muzzle on my dogs but I am at the mercy of other dog owners who let their dogs run and I don’t want mine to harm theirs. I get dirty looks from people who think it is their right to let dogs run - but I don’t want my dogs to harm their dogs. The smaller one barks and tugs (even with pinch collar) when she sees another dog she goes crazy and tries to bite my other dog (75 pounds pit bull). Once a dog came running to us - another pit bull off the chain and my dog got his face and wouldn’t let go!!! They also tear up - I mean chew wood for a snack - I can’t let them in the house and now I have to cordon off the back yard, they have torn that up too - I am at a loss - I don’t want to give them up but it has stopped becoming a pleasure for me!
brenda
18 Jun 08 at 3:44 pm
The blanket statements about how people should raise their children, care for their pets, and live their lives simply show ignorance. These people will never be convinced otherwise because their minds are closed and they choose tidbits of inaccurate data to support their skewed views. If you’re going to use scare tactics to convince others to conform to your own ideals you should at least get the data right.
First of all, in the data the FDA used to create the Black Boxed Warnings for antidepressants, there were NO actual suicides committed. There was an increased incidence of “suicidality” in people less than age 24, which includes thoughts and gestures that did not result in death. There is a lot of debate about the causality of the transient increase in suicidal thoughts in these people. Several of the kids were suicidal to begin with which prompted the initiation of medication. The drug takes up to 6-8 weeks to take effect. Someone’s mood can very well get worse during those initial weeks just as it may have done if they weren’t taking a medication. In all of the studies, suicidality was decreased in the rest of the population, especially the elderly, who began taking the medication.
Secondly, the warning was not issued on “all psychotropics” as stated in the previous post. Only antidepressants and those antipsychotics that are indicated for major depression received this warning.
Lastly, the warning is specifically for suicidality and has nothing to do with homicidal thoughts. There are so many facts wrong with the statement that referenced the school shootings to prozac use that there is not enough room to address them all here. However, it has to at least be stated that many of the kids involved in organizing the school shootings around the country were not on prozac, or any other antidepressant. Any reasonable person who takes the time to learn the facts would draw NO conclusion that the two are related. This is a basic concept of research. If it is discovered that people who are diagnosed with lung cancer all have ash trays in their homes, does that mean the ash trays are causing lung cancer??? NO, even if the data linked prozac to school shootings (which it absolutely has not) you can’t just look at data and take it for face value. You have to actually use your brain and determine the missing links. You NEVER know what is going on in people’s lives. If they are taking prozac, they probably had some drama in their lives to begin with.
It is so shallow to make assumptions that are biased based on your personal beliefs and then try to make others feel guilty because they are desperately trying to help their loved ones, whether it be human or canine. You obviously have your own issues that you need to address which cause you to degrade others for the sake of your own ego. Isn’t that what they say about school bullies. . . the ones these kids reference in their suicide notes before they head to school with a gun in their bag???
Hmmm. Words cut deep and you should be careful how quickly you judge people and ridicule strangers when you have no idea what situations people are having to endure.
Haffey
20 Jun 08 at 9:48 pm
I have a 5 year old female Dalmatian (65 lbs.) rescue who is subject to separation anxiety and redirected aggression. I exercise her and am home all day with her and my other 3 older and smaller female dogs. She has attacked the other dogs several times, injuring one of them to the point of surgery. The attacks are escalating and come about usually as a result of everyone barking at a squirrel, the dogs next door or the mail carrier. She just turns on the one closest to her and a vicious fight ensues. Not only am I unable to afford the massive vet bills, I don’t want my other 3 dogs to be at risk for life threatening injury. You name it, I’ve tried it to resolve this problem without medication, but with no success. I’ve been bitten twice and required medical attention. Here are my choices, per my vet: 1) Euthanize her. 2) Find another home for her. 3) Medicate her. I love this dog very much. I chose Prozac.
For all those who are judging me as we speak, I say this: Just because you’ve never been faced with this situation doesn’t mean it isn’t real or that the fault lies in me. It doesn’t mean I am a bad pet owner. My other 3 dogs are just fine and have never exhibited any of this behavior. Two of them are almost 14 years old. I hope you never have this experience. But for those who are faced with this problem, I say give your dog the best chance of a quality life and forget about the narrow minded people who don’t know what they’re talking about.
WalMart has generic Prozac for $4.00 and they filled the veterinary prescription with no questions asked.
Deb
22 Jun 08 at 1:26 am
Those dog carers that are not dealing with an aggressive dog have no right to judge. Our wee Terrier is from the pound and has several different forms of human and dog aggression. We have tried everything and it is because we LOVE him that we have decided to try Prozac. I hope you never have to deal with this but if you do, you may realise waht a nightmare it is and what an agonising decision it is to put your beloved dog on medication.
Kaz
1 Jul 08 at 7:23 pm
K, my rescue has been on this for a month, upped meds, due to the fact he freaked out (again) mutilated his face and broke a canine tooth trying to get out.
Another $600 and a root canal…..
Yukon is calming down, I have had dogs for 40 years, hundreds of rescues….
this boy, without meds, he would be PTS
So , please do not judge. individual situations….
never thought I would have a dog on prozac…whatever works, alternative sux
karla
4 Jul 08 at 3:53 am
I have tried all kind of training and it’s time for prozac. Though people who say no way are just lucky they got a good dog. When no one can come in your house or walk your dog because of aggression your do anything to make your dog live more in peace. Just like they are good and bad people the same gores for dogs. Some need the extra help. Who wants to buy pills and have to worry about giving them if there were other chosing. The people who say no I hope it never happens to you. You can never say never when you done know …
Melissa
21 Jul 08 at 12:31 am
sorry for my spelling i was trying to go to fast cause it makes me so mad to be judged . That’s whats wrong with the world…
Melissa
21 Jul 08 at 12:33 am
We just put our 11 year old carin terrier mix on Prozac a couple of days ago. Yes, we get it at Wal-mart for $4 for a months supply. She has had anxiety about almost everything since we got her at 3 months and things have gotten worse over the years. She has horrible anxiety over being left (chewed up her crate side so badly that she lost the two front teeth…blood all over/nothing can be put in her crate or she chews that also; open spaces; other dogs…the list goes on. She is loving and great to small dogs, children and people in general…just don’t leave her alone (she will pee in the house if I leave her to get the mail!) We have tried natural calming agents…no effect. Tried sedative….use to work at times, but who knows when a storm is coming and it may be orer by the time the meds kicked in, plus she can be in a drugged state if giving too much, etc. Had a professional, who trained police dogs, come to housesit our dog over the last 7 years. She just said we have done all the right things, training wise, but there are just some dogs that are “sensitive souls”!!
I have started her on 5mg. prozac (she weighs 13 lbs.) for a couple of days to see reaction, and now will go to 10mg. (the vet said that with her weight she could take 11mg. but the meds. come in 10mg & 20mg.). After two days we can see a real difference in her. The frantic behavior is calming down. Just as Prozac can give a person a better quality of life when taking it, shouldn’t the same be said about a dog. Other than stiff joints she still is in good health, loves children & people and is a loving dog. To see a dog like that so terrified and not do something about it would be cruel. People may laugh and think you are “over the top” giving your dog Prozac, but I bet they are the same people who think clinical depression is “just in your head” and people should just snap out of it vs. taking any medication for it. Wake up, be informed about the illness and see that dogs have always been a lot like people!!
christina
24 Jul 08 at 7:57 pm
My 12 yr old shishzu was stolen and gone for three weeks a year ago, I thankfully got him back but he was a different dog, he shook all the time, tried to hide any where he could find, was not eating well. I tried everything I could training, staying home with him, a doggy shrink. I had decided that I could no longer let him suffer. My heart was breaking as I had gotten him when my husband and son were killed. I took him to vet, there was a new vet covering for my vet. She suggested I try the prozac. At first I did not want to try, but I did not want to put him down. So he is on it, the shaking has stoped, his tail is up and he is not hiding from everyone. We walk and he has become the social dog he was. Some people may think I am a crazy lady but he is my family and I will do what will help him.
Sandi
8 Aug 08 at 3:35 pm
I have had a border/mix rescue dog for over a year. She is gentle, even with my two senior min-pins. Her problem is separation anxiety. She is well behaved when I am home, but has done thousands of dollars in damage while I work (teacher). I come straight home and it certainly is not from lack of training that she behaves this way. I spent the entire summer working on every technique written for separation anxiety. I am going today to pick up the prescription for Prozac, as I have two weeks before school starts again. Something I have read over and over on here, and through research can offer, is everyone in the field says not to crate a dog with this condition, as it can do more harm, emotionally and physically. The above stories verify the statement (broken teeth, cuts, etc.). However, I will put trigger locks on all of my handguns, just in case she contemplates suicide.
Brenda
8 Aug 08 at 5:03 pm
Just started my 11 yr old lab/pitt mix on Prozac as a last resort. Have triied everything, even acupunture and Chinese herbs, I was having to give her Benadryl just to keep her from hurting herself, but that only made her sleep. It’s hard to find a vet that really understands. I don’t think they know what to do either. She’s only been on it 4 days, I think it might be helping, but it is too soon to know for sure.
Peggy
10 Aug 08 at 2:46 am
My poor 5 year old Scottich terrier has just been to the vet and I was told that she has “SCOTTIE CRAMP”(which shocked me cause i never heard of it}
She has been walking into everything -loosing her balance -head bobbing too…Scottie cramp can be treated by Prozac I have been told..HAS ANYONE HERE TRIED PROZaC __FOR SCOTTIE CRAMP?? or a similar disorder??
Deborah
19 Aug 08 at 12:25 am
got our border collie mix from humane society as a puppy - he is now 4 and has some agression towards other dogs and sometimes people - he goes crazy when there is a thunderstorm -running back and forth in the house barking for as long as the storm lasts - nothing has worked to calm him - he also has mild separation anxiety - our vet prescribed 40 mg prozac he weighs 38 lb) after 17 days on prozac the agression got better, but he seemed lethargic and then developed diahrea- i wasn’t sure if it was caused byt he prozac and our vet didblood work but couldn’t say for sure if it was the prozac or not - our vet had us take him off the prozac for a week then said to try again but only giving 10 mg - i am going to start this weekend but wondered if anyone had this experience and thought it would help to use the smaller dosage if it was what caused the diahrea -
deb
22 Aug 08 at 2:37 am
I am just getting ready to put my 100lb+ Pitt on to Prozac and I am very reluctant. The Dr. has subscribed 80mg. Sid can get overly aggresive with other dogs and on occasion has attacked our female but the biggest problem is his fear of thunder. Where we live thumber rumbles through the air sometimes for hours at a time, he sits and trembles and pants like crazy and nothing we have done seems to help. We have tried Benedryl and that hasn’t helped at all. He’s about 7 years old and I fear he is going to have a heart attack. I am so afraid of loosing him that I am going to try the Prozac. Does anyone have any better ideas.
Pat
30 Aug 08 at 3:13 pm
We are the 4th family for our Teddy Roosevelt Terrier — we adopted her in October of last year with severe anxiety. She shakes constantly, urinates and defecates when we leave the apartment, and this summer began hyperventilating to the point of cardiac arrest. We tried crating, a citronella collar for her incessant barking when we leave her (our neighbors have been saints), as well as strict discipline but all to no avail. She began the medication 6 weeks ago and has been a complete doll every since — we now say ’she’s like a dog again’.
For those who criticize this treatment, I can only say that you must not have been in the situation to know or need: consider yourself fortunate. This dog was passed around partially ‘because’ of her anxiety, an action in and of itself that merely exasperates it, and she had become a harm to herself and nuisance to others. Not medicating when it is the last suitable option out of principle could possibly end a dog’s life (as my wife and I witnessed, which got us to the point of the prescription).
Greg
7 Sep 08 at 11:52 pm
To Greg….Did you start him on Prozac and what is the weight of your terrier (Teddy Roosevelt) and how many mg. are you giving him? My Mattie is 42 lbs and she takes 10mg. I haven’t seen much change in her. She’s been on it for 5 weeks. I’m thinking I need to up her dosage.
Peggy
15 Sep 08 at 1:55 am
in response to dog sitter.net you cannot make blanket statements like that. are you related to tom cruise? we rescued a dog with severe separation anxiety. he chewed the steel around the door pawed at it till his pads were shredded when we would leave him. he went thru avery closet in the kitchen and knocked out the dishes and everything inside. we spent THOUSANDS of dollars on behaviorist after behaviorist we walked him til he could not get up so he would be exhausted two hour walks. three hour walks. we did training and ins and outs for day after day week after week. we tried crating he broke the crates and his teeth. (loves the crate when we are home has no problem being in it at all.until we leave) we went to the University of Penn they said it was the worst case of separation anxiety they ever seen. every one says put him down he is not wrth working two jobs for. so Dogsitter.net what would you do. I would give the prozac and I am. I will update as we go along
andrew
15 Sep 08 at 8:58 pm
Wow. Unbelievable! How can someone post on here how horrible it is to give your dog prozac or other anti anxiety drugs?!!! Have any of you that have posted this ever had a dog that lunges at people and other animals when you’re out walking….or has bit 3 people, sending one of them to the hospital for stitiches…and then gone through an animal behaviorist that cost $900 until I had to stop?! AND this is with daily work! Steps forward and steps back…the steps back are tooo scary to keep doing! Oh, and I”m talking about a 16 month old Great Dane! He is NOT a small dog!!!! Do I want to put him to sleep…NO NEVER. but he can’t have another “accident”..or that’s what will happen. Luckily the people he bit were friends of friends so I wasn’t forced to put him to sleep or sued. and luckily he did not kill them or rip their arm off, but it required two stitches! So, you know what? Until you are faced with the agonizing decision of the possibility of your dog biting someone again and worse next time and having to put him to sleep, keep your judgments to yourself, because you have no idea what this is like especially when you’ve tried every option…..and spent tons of money. Hence, the reason why we try to find the $4 prescriptions! Karma comes around and I hope you NEVER have to make a decision like this…..
Lisa W.
19 Sep 08 at 6:14 pm