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)
Mo Costandi 
…” 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.
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!
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.
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.
Our 35lb dog just got prescribed 20mg of Prozac per day. Does that seem high?
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?
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.
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.
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.
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 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.
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 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!
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!
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.
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!
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!
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?
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.
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?
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’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.
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.
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
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
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.
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?
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.
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.
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.
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
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!
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?
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?
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.
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!
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.
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.
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.
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
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 …
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…
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!!
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.
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.
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.
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??
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 –
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.
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).
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.
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
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…..
Has anyone who has put a dog on Prozac tried Elavil also? I have aa 8yo dog aggressive terrier (m/n) on it and he is getting worse instead of better. Now he is becoming people aggressive. I am wondering if he is having a bad reaction to the Elavil and considering asking for a change to Prozac. He is also hypothyroid which isn’t helping the situation.
What great posts! I relate to so many of them, could have wrote a couple of them.
I have 5 dogs, one a GSD who’s main focus in life if to kill off the other four dogs, the dogs next door, dogs three blocks away and whatever else that gets her attention – snakes, squirrels, etc, but not people agressive..yet. Maybe never, but I don’t trust her. Plus she is a quick, silent and frenzied attacker, doesn’t growl or react, just attacks.
She can’t spend the rest of her life muzzled or in a cage and I can’t sacrifice the other four for her. I have spent lots of $$ on her, had a professional in-home trainer and walked us both to the point of exaustion, she seemed better but would continue to attack unprovoked. This is my last hope. We started her dosage tonight. I’ll check back and post as time goes by.
I have the most amazing chow/retreiver rescue who has had a horrible past. He has severe separation anxiety so I have started him on Prozac. Its been 3 weeks and I have yet to see any difference. Could someone please tell me how long it took for it to take effect?
My lab/pit mix has been on Prozac for almost 3 months. I started out with 10mg (she weighs approx. 42 lbs.) and she has been on 20mg for a month. She is not better. I’m thinking about taking her off the Prozac and trying a mild tranquilizer.
I am glad I found this site, as it is helpful tosee what problems other folks have with their dogs. I am a little upset at the number of people negatively criticising drug use for anxiety, agression or OCD> Our AUssie was a rescue & had been badly physically abused. We got her thru our Vet. We knew her breeder and they are extremely reputable with good temperment and dispostion a major consideration for them. Our dog early on showed signs of aggression (the breeder was very concerned about the agression) along with the expected high energy & competetive behaviors of a herding breed along with a good dose of smarts. SHe also is an alpha dog. She has some emotional “baggage” from her abusive start. Her separation anxiety had gradually gotten worst until she would not tolerate her crate when she knew we were leaving. She has multiple allergies and so chews & licks but seems to be OCD in type. She has fireworks/thunder phobia and to clicking noises. Overtime it becoma necessary for my sister to take her to work with her where SIenna is quiet in her crate and can be verbally controlled on the chewing. She had a severe reaction to Rimadyl causing severe anxiety and a fugue like state. SHe was so bad in the car & at other times we thought that we’d have to put her down. Totally bonkers. After stopping RImadyl she gradually improvd to her usual happy self. She is now 12 1/2 and starting to have changes–pacing, increased barking, new phobic behavior when the parrot sneezes, following me and staring at us at times she usually was napping. SHe gets a worried anxious look. We have dealt with her “issues” rather successfully through out the years but it is now time to go to the Vet for a discussion about meds. to lessen this anxiety & OCD behavior. SHe may bein the early stages of CCD, so we want to slow any progression in that way as much as we can and make her as comfortable and happy as we can. SHe has been a very good dog despite all her issues & she deserves the best we can do for her–and if that means medication that is what we’ll do. In view of her reaction to the Rimadyl, this is a big desciion to make. If medication does not help, so be it. But I hope it will–a light doese of something mild might be all it takes at this point.
Ann
My husband found your website and having read all of your posts, I think I’m quite happy that he DID find it. I have 4 rescues, ages 4, 4, 5 and 12. 2males 2 females. I know that at least 3 of them have separation anxiety, 2 are puppy mill rescues. At least one of them was severely abused in the mill and although we’ve had her for over a year now, she’s still pretty scared of us and will only come to us to take her 2 favorite treats. She fear-bit both my husband and I when we first got her (4yr old female bichon frise), but has never bitten anyone since. She’s been to our regular vet, a holistic vet and worked with 2 behaviorists for about 9 months. She’s made some good progress but still pees in the house, especially if she’s out of sight of us and/or the other dogs. The other female, a 12 yr old Jack Russell/Queensland Heeler mix has separation anxiety and howls and barks also will now urinate in the house when we’re not there (she didn’t used to do this). She did always urinate when excited or
scared. The 3rd is a 4yr old male Westie, puppy mill dog who’s been in 3 different homes already, I’ve had him nearly a year– will nip anyone he thinks he can bully, especially children, does bully my female bichon, is possessive of food and toys and the 4th is my 5yr old bichon, whom I got when he was 2. He was never housebroken, spent most of his time in a crate and he has severe separation anxiety. He pees in the house every chance he get regardless of ongoing training efforts with him.
My husband is a retired canine-police officer and we’ve always had dogs. We never had any problems with previous dogs but these are stressing our marriage quite seriously. My husband has been a saint in trying to help these dogs as well as working trying to get them help, training, etc… I never wanted to try the Prozac even though he has brought it up a number of times. I think however, that after reading the many posts listed here, maybe it’s time I try it for them. These dogs are all very loving to us and they get along with each other fairly well. Even the Westie has improved a good deal.
The urinating in the house is especially driving us insane. We always clean up their mess, we have no carpet in the house and we use only small rugs that we can wash. We’ve tried every type of pet odor remover out there, we’ve used vinegar solutions, black lights to find stains, leashed them to us so we can keep on top of their activities, take them out for bathroom breaks every few hours, walk them, play with them, reward good behaviors, etc…. they have a doggie door and all use it. They all defecate outdoors always. They also urinate outdoors and will go outside on their own for both of these. But if we leave the room for just a minute or two, or leave and go somewhere, one or all of them will urinate all over, or in the room in which they are located, even if the doggie door is right there for them to use. We sometimes crate them when we leave the house and they all hate it and bark, howl,
etc…incessantly. Yet, they’re crated at night with no problem and they’ll freely go lie down in their crates during the day if we’re there. We’ve even done the doggie diaper thing, and it greatly helps with the messes, but has it’s physical toll on the dogs
via hot spots, urinary tract infection, not to mention making their fur yellow even though they get cleaned very often and they smell of urine.
I’m open to other ideas still, but I think it’s time to talk to the vet about Prozac. I’m thankful to know about the $4.00 prescriptions at Walmart since I think all 4 dogs probably will need it. If it can help save these dogs from further anxiety, from possibly having to be given up again for adoption, I think Prozac is most definitely worth a try. If anyone can think of something else I could try, I’d be glad to hear it, but in the meantime, I think Prozac is worth a shot. Thanks much, Mary
4 months ago i adopted a dachshund in need of a home after his owner died. i was raised w/ dachshunds & i have 2 in my home. i am also a veterinary technician & very aware of dachshund behavior. i am also knowledgable of reconcile & have several patients that are on it. all this being said, when my new dog who is 99% of the time the sweetest boy started randomly attacking my husband & myself-viciously not just a little nip, & chasing his tail/attacking his rear legs i felt my heart sink. i know all the options, i talk to people daily about behavior & i can’t fix this. reconcile is my last hope & i am finally ready to start him on it. it’s different when it’s your pet who you love. i hate the idea of him having to take a drug. but i really hate the idea of my pet living in an anxiety ridden head & having to be euthanized because he is dangerous.
I am not even going to comment to the people who have judged some of us who are going through a really hard time with their dogs. It makes me so mad! I invite all of you naysayers to come to my house and walk in. I will not pay for your dr’s bills if my dog bites you. A year ago yesterday our beloved Port. Water dog puppy died while being nuetered. It broke my then 7 year olds heart. 2 weeks later our breeder contacted us because someone was returning their 4 month old PWD b/c they couldn’t hadle him anymore. Whatever happened in that house has scarred him. We love him dearly, he is the perfect pet with us but he is EXTREMELY fearful of people. He has bitten someone who had come into my house unexpectedly. We have had a trainer come in, worked in outdoor training woth other people, bring him to busy parks and click and treat when strangers walk by. His fear is escalating. He now is afraid of trucks, cars, anyone who walks in front of the house. My son cannot have friends over, I can’t have anyone over who he doesn’t know already and life for us is miserable.
We just took him to a special vet (an hour away) that specializes in problem behavior. Now, if this isn’t a caring, non-lazy, dog owner I don’t know what is. We have spent thousands of dollars on trying to train him. I showed her video of how he reacts to the maillady and to our neighbors. He showed aggression to a male technician that came into the room who stared at him (another trigger)). I now have to cover all my windows so he can’t see out and have to employ all my friends and neighbors to help train him by having them walk in front of my house 10 times every day while I say “friend”. The Vet also put him on prozac. I pray this works…it’s only been 3 days so far. It is my last hope because if we have to get rid of him or god forbid put him down for biting someone it will just kill my son. This is my last hope. Ohhh and if I do have to get rid of him, will one of you naysayers adopt him from me? It will help me to know that he will be well taken care of. We do love him very much.
My 3 year old male Boston Terrier is fearful of people he does not know.
With adults its manageable bc all he does is shy away when someone comes up to him and makes a big fuss.
With kids, is where its a problem.
He will bark, jump up and nip at them, randomly.
Sometimes he is fine, but sometimes he does this.
He just is scared of kids.
We have tried for 2 years different kinds of training, 3 different behaviorists etc…
I am NOT a lazy dog owner, who is looking for the Magic Pill.
I would have much preferred to work hard and have one of these training techniques work for my Boston’s fear of children.
(we do not have kids in the house).
However, what 2 years of training left me with a very well trained, obedient dog who is still scared of kids.
Its not getting better.
My vet at first recommended the training etc… when I discussed the issue with him 2 years ago.
He knows I tried and tried.
At this point, now its time to go to the next step and begin the medication.
As with people, there are just certain chemical imbalances in a dog’s brain sometimes that all the training in the world cannot help.
My vet said he does not just prescrible Prozac for someone who comes to him and says they have an anxiety or behavioral issue.
He said he screens people out and makes sure they need it for the right reasons and not bc they are looking for the easy way out.
The fact that people found this website and are taking the time to write in and share stories, kind of implies that these people are not the lazy ones looking for the easy way out, quick fix pill.
Nobody WANTS to put their dog on Prozac.
Its a conclusion you come to in your journey to make your dog’s life better.
If your dog suffers from anxiety in his head, how happy can he be?
If there were a drug to help that (which there is) and you didnt provide it, then you really are not doing what best for your dog.
I started a 16 mg dose (my dog weighs 18 lbs) 3 days ago.
My vet said thats a medium dosage for a dog that weight.
At this point, my dog’s problem is not life threatening or dangerous, but I want to get rid of it before it possible becomes that.
I notice he is tired. I hear that goes away in about 1-2 weeks.
The first night I gave it to him, he threw up, so my vet said to cut the pills in half and give him half in the am, and half in the pm.
That seems to be working, as he has not thrown up since.
He is still his active little self, which makes me very happy.
Last night we had a party at our home with alot of people, and he did pretty good. Normally he would have been anxious bc everyone wants a piece of him, and he was a little, but alot better.
Hopefully this works!
BTW, also continuing my Click Training along with this to get him over fear of kids but too early to tell after only 3 days of the meds.
I am so happy to find this website! I too have a rescue dog and have had her since she was about a year old. I have put a lot into her training and she has several performance dog titles in obedience and agility. She is very loved…my once in a lifetime dog. She has always had a reactive streak and has from time to time attacked my two older dogs without provacation. Lots of noise and fur flying but in the past little damage. And she would go months without attacking, peacefully coexisting with the others. However, she is 7 years old now and she is becoming much more aggressive to the other two and frequency is increasing. After having read these above reports I do believe Prozac may help her…she is a good dog everywhere else! She is an awesome dog-loves her family and is an incredible dog sports dog. So thanks for all your posts! I will report back in a month or two if I see results in hopes of helping other people!
Concerning cost: the ‘big box’ stores (Walmart, Kmart, Sams, Costco, Target) are almost invariably less expensive for all medications…for humans as well as for pets…than chain pharmacies or independent drugstores.
These stories are so heartbreaking. My heart goes out to these owners and their pets! My problem will seem trivial in comparison, but I am wondering if anyone has had any success with anxiety-modification with a TEMPORARY course of anti-depressants? Our dog has a spectrum of anxiety behaviors (shaking with new situations, anorexia which has caused vomiting and esophagitis, and escalating fear aggression behaviors – I worry with kids and dogs, especially; she couldn’t “hurt” a big dog (she is small), but she could GET hurt with that type of provocative behavior). My vet said a two or three month course of prozac might help her “re-wire” a bit. Any experience with this out there? (Background: Bodhi is not a rescue, but I suspect she was separated from her litter too soon, and transitioned badly to her new home.)
We just took our German wirehair off Reconcile after two months of therapy and continued training. When he went off of it, the same old separation anxiety began again, big time. Today we are starting him on Prozac, at a little smaller dose to see if it works(it’s much cheaper than Reconcile). If we want to have a life and not be a prisoner to a dog, this is the only way to do it, without putting him to sleep, which would kill us. Dogs, just like people, also have chemical imbalances.
UPDATE from my posting December 14th.
So, my Boston has been on Prozac/Reconcile for about 1 1/2 mos now.
The changes are subtle but they are there. In a good way.
He still has his little personality; playful, funny, loving, all that good stuff.
He has definitly made some progress as far as his fear reactions towards children go.
I have been walking him around places where there are alot of kids running around or whizzing by him and he (for the most part) seems unphazed, whereas before he used to get nervous.
I am also using a click training method so that when he sees a kid and I see his body language start to show fear, I click, and he looks at me and I give him a treat and he forgets all about his fear.
Yesterday I tried to click/treat him less and just see what happens when he has kids walking by him in a normal situation and he seemed to be relaxed and normal, just like he is when an adult walks by him.
He was on a leash, but still I can see his body tense up when he feels fear, and I wasn’t seeing that yesterday, even though I was clicking/treating him less.
Don’t get me wrong. I still dont trust him 100% around kids and know that he can get still get scared.
But the incidents like that are becoming less and the more relaxed incidents are becoming now more.
I am going to continue with the Training until he has been on Reconcile for 6 mos. Then my vet says we will try weaning him off and see if he is still ok with kids. If not, I guess he will go back on it.
Its definitely a process, but I am seeing improvement so I am hopeful.
And even better is that his personality has not changed at all, which I am so happy about. At first he was tired but that wore off and now he is back to normal. He does lead a pretty active physical life, and the meds have not seemed to really effect that too much.
Hi this is for Lisa W, we’ve got a very similar situation on our hands, could you please email me
at my gmail address upgrdyrgrymttr; I’d like to talk to you about your progress with your big boy (ours is pushing 160).
Cheers,
Alex
Hi, this is a message for Lisa, with the Great Dane. We have a similar set of problems with our dog, who we rescued about seven months ago. I’d be interested to hear if you have had luck with the Prozac. Our options are becoming limited and it’s breaking our hearts. Thanks for your time.
Wow – what a relief to find you all. I just took my dog in for Prozac. Last resort. He is a rescue we took in 4 years ago. I can’t tell you the amount of money, time and energy in trying to train him and manage his fear dominant behaviour. He developed separation anxiety last year – which has been the most difficult to manage because I am downstairs with clients when he freaks out.
we have tried professional training, Reiki, homeopathy, phermones, tons of exercise, home a LOT, he is our love. These have all helped everything but the separation anxiety. Even still, he is a lot of work.
Anyway, the separation anxiety has become intolerable. I finally said we either give him away or put him on drugs.
I’ll keep the list posted, but being a therapist myself, and after reading that his symptoms are commonly treated with Prozac, I have high hopes.
It is just very sad it took me four years to get to this place – as with humans, God put us here to enjoy our lives, and it is sad when we have to suffer so.
Poor Bodhi that he can’t even take a walk without freaking out over any dog that is nearby. That every sound feels like a huge monster is coming to get him, that he has to attack his sister when he gets excited, and now that he can’t be alone.
He simply cannot manage and pace his emotions. For humans is is called emotional disregulation. Under these circumstances people and apparently animals cannot regulate nor control their emotions. Period.
I look forward to having Bodhi be able to relax and enjoy life, and wished I’d of done this 4 years ago!!!
I had a horrible reaction to prozac,psychlogicaly and physicaly,withen weeks of beginning ‘treatment’ using this drug.I felt extremely anxious and scared.These reactions are not uncommon and are not listed as uncommon on the side affects.I think the idea of putting an animal,that may not be able to communicate its feelings,on this drug,is horrible.An animal does not have the free will to stop treatment if it has horrible feelings or thoughts,and will not have the rationale to understand the source of the feelings or modify its behaviour.Google ‘bad reactions to prozac’there very common.Your dog messing up the house when your not there is not a good enough reason to give it a mind altering drug,which has certainly been known to cause suffering in at least some people.The manufacturers of this drug,Eli Lilly,have seen an oportunity to make more money,and are marketing this drug at a new audience,your dog/cat/hamster/any animal with an owner willing to hand over cash and make the shareholders of this company richer than they already are.Im not saying catogorically that this drug will not help any dog,or that it has not ever helped any person or animal,I just mean be very careful.Also think of the terrible withdrawel symptoms that can be caused by this drug,with some people finding it impossible to stop taking.Bad reactions can also occur randomly after taking the drug for a long time and having no adverse reactions.Maybe just buy your dog more toys and take it for more walks?The doses do sound very high to me as well,I had horrible,horrible reactions after 10 days on 20mg,what would that do to a dog?Agressive thoughts/behaviors have been reported as a reaction to this drug,what if your dog becomes agressive/manic,will this lead to more dogs being put to sleep?Vets,like doctors,are having this drug,and its dubious uses,marketed at them by Eli Lilly,and are given very biased information on the drugs effectiveness and safety as it makes so much money.In drug trials St Johns Wort was proven to be as effective for mild and moderate depression.If my cat starts behaving in a terrible way,or becomes depressed,as someone who has went through a horrible time with prozac I would definitely get her alternative veterinary care and avoid the risk of side affects.Im just giving my honest opinion.If you do decide to give your animal anti-depressants look out for seritonin syndrome,massive dilated pupils are one side affect,doctors can give anti-hestamines to help control the reaction,but it can be fatal.Look up the ‘prozac survivors group’on the internet,to hear the storys of some patients who can articulate their feeling and reactions,people!Again,Im not saying these drugs have helped no one,but with some people,like myself,responding with great distress,try every other possible alternative,and proceed with CAUTION!I wish I had have.
As an owner of a rescued dog, that was beaten on a regular basis and a husband of a certified pet trainer I couldn’t be more thankful for prozac for our dog. He was not only causing damage to our house but also hurting himself. On multiple occassions we would return home and there would be blood in multiple places from him trying to chew threw wood and blinds. Like most of the GOOD pet owners on this page that have tried EVERYTHING, because my wife is a pet trainer we have a well trained dog with SEVERE seperation anxiety. He was on Clomocalm for 3 months before seeing a behavorist who immediately suggested prozac and we are thankful. He is such a great dog and I hated seeing him hurt himself. Thankfully that has ended. So take heart anyone that reads this thread and thinks all of us who must do this are horrible pet parents because we aren’t and as a matter a fact in most cases it is either Prozac or getting rid of the dog. For everyone that judges us, I hope for your sake that you never have to deal with a dog with all the problems that some of us to, but if you do and you end up in our situation I hope no one judges you as harshly as you have judged us. Thank you
HOORAY! Glad that I’m not the only one out here struggling with the med vs. put-to-sleep issue.
My sweetest of sweets doggie, Jake, has become “not so sweet”. He is a rescue plott hound/boxer mix (to the best of our knowledge). I got him at 7mos and knew that he had a history of some sort of neurological issues and he was abused. When I got him, I was sure I could “love him out of his issues”. His “issues” at the time were fear and shaking and retreating… he’s almost 2 now and in the last few months the fear has reared its ugly head as horrible aggression (along with the shaking and retreating actions). He has bitten 3 people maliciously now (all men) in the last month or two… but not to the point of bruising or blood… just a taste. He never liked men, but he always loved other dogs. Recently he started randomly attacking dogs at the dog park (I can’t go back anymore…it’s too scary)! He also has growled at me a couple times… I’m losing my “pack leader” status… I suppose it is because he can sense my weakness.
Note: I also put them both through a good deal of training (including “feisty fido” classes), and behaviorist sessions, and tried the dog whispering techniques, and the behavior/obedience mix techniques. For some reason, when there is a “threat” all the knowledge and everything goes OUT the window… any respect for me- out the window!
Anyway, both he and my other rescue (beagle/whippet mix) lost SO much weight and I couldn’t put it back on no matter what I did. Their nervous energy fed each other and made everything worse. I am in the middle of a divorce, so that could have worsened the natural anxiety too… I’m sure it did. So much change. SOOOOO, my sister, a vet, suggested I put him on anxiety meds. I don’t think it’s prozac… I suppose it COULD BE a generic of prozac…it’s Clomipramine.
Here’s the deal. Both dogs have gained all their weight back. Rue (the beagle mix) is doing great… lots of energy. Jake is healthy looking but it seems like he’s even MORE aggressive. My question is: could this medicine cause MORE aggression?
I wanted to take him off it, but my sister said “absolutely not”! So I secretly have cut his dose in half (75 mg once a day instead of twice). He does seem a little better (though it has only been a week). I want to be a responsible parent, and know that psych meds can really screw [a person] up. So I wondered if anyone here has experience taking their dogs OFF anxiety meds and the best way to ween them…?
Thank you thank you thank you!!
Wow – now we have to worry about mentally unhinged dogs carrying weapons to school. Don’t they need opoosable thumbs to do any damage?
I’m all for alternative medicine in the proper circumstances but if I have a severe illness that can
be easily cured with something made by a pharmaceutical
company, I’ll happily take it. My husband is currently being treated for a staph infection. I don’t think I’d want him messing with ny “modalities.”
Hi! I have just had to put my 6 year old Husky mix on Prozac. He has developed this incontrollable anxiety problem in the last 3 weeks. Nothing has changed in our house. I just hate to know that he is stressing or panicing over a situation that just isn’t there. If anyone out there has put there dog on these meds – how long did it take to work fully?
My 2.5 year old German Shep. has had dog aggression issue since a puppy. She started training classes at 14 weeks old. We have been trying different trainers (4 so far), classes and spent hundreds of dollars to help her. She is no better than she was as a puppy. I can’t take her for walks unless the weather is bad or it’s night time, that way no one else will be out. The trainers say she is insecure and afraid of other dogs. I am going to try Prozac per my Vet’s suggestion. I beleive if your dog needs medication to help their anxiety then you should do it. I do beleive it should be coupled with proper trianing while on the meds. It shouldn’t be a quick fix, but knowing how hard I have tried to train her I don’t feel bad about puting her on Prozac. I will continue training while on Prozac and hopefully the medicine will help her feel more comfortable so training will be more successful. Eventually I hope she will see she doesn’t need to fear these other dogs.
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Hi!
I’m hoping someone out there can offer me some sound advice for my adorable 3 1/2 yr. old Wheaten Terrier.
Over the past 8-9 months, he has developed some severe fears, phobias, anxieties – whatever you may want to call it! He was always a wee bit skittish, but after a move to “the city”, it’s gotten increasingly worse. It has now gone beyond the usual thunderstorms and sudden loud noises. He now is afraid of everything – going outside in the yard, walking in the park, other rooms in the house, reflections in the windows – you name it, it scares him and reduces him to a cowering mass of shivering nervousness. It got so bad that I decided, along with my Vet, to put him on Prozac. Hated the idea of resorting to drugs, but felt he was so miserable I had to try it. That lasted under 2 weeks. He was getting worse, not better – not eating, slept all the time, looked loopy, constant tremors and shaking – and the fearfulness is worse than before … so, I just weaned him off.
Unfortunately, I still have an extremely anxious and fearful dog and am at a loss as to what to do! There doesn’t seem to be much information about type of problem.
I just want my little guy to be the happy dog he was!
Thanks.
Obviously people who criticize others who are interested in Prozac for dogs have never had a dog with separation anxiety. We spend at east 2 hours a day at a park with our dog Winston. There we swim in the river with him and throw the Frisbee. He gets along great with dogs and cats, in fact he sleeps with and is protective of my cat, Marie. Whenever we go on errands he comes with us because his anxiety is so bad. When we plan our school schedules, we try to carpool to where he can stay in the car with one of us while the other is in class. However, he still suffers from the anxiety. We have successfully trained him- he sits, shakes with his left or right paw(whichever you call), lays down, is potty trained, and doesn’t chew on anything on his toys when we are around. He sleeps in our bed with us every night. Does it sound like we are incompetent owners who haven’t trained our dog correctly? I don’t think so. However he has costs us thousands of dollars of damage, whether it was tearing up our carpet, our windows, our bathroom. We have put him in empty rooms thinking what could he destroy only to come to holes in the wall. Have I mentioned the longest we have ever left him alone was 30 minutes because we know how bad he is. So if you think all you need to cure separation anxiety is some tlc then you are sadly mistaken. As I am writing this Winston is sleeping at my feet with Marie curled up beside him, but if I left this very second he would bark, chew and dig. I can’t even leave to get the mail without hearing him bark and seeing him start to dig. In fact he is starting to freak out because his father left, even though I am still here. I can’t even begin to explain how much reading criticisms about owners who want Prozac for their dogs has infuriated me. We have done everything we can to be with him and help but everyday we spend at least 5 hours accommodating his needs which can’t last forever. I am ecstatic that this is now an option and am taking him straight to the vet and hoping that this will help.
I can relate to most of the posts on this web site – since i have gone through the same for my border collie mix, 4 yrs old. we got her when she was 4 months old, so not much of a bad history, and loved her very much. last one year she has become aggressive to people and dogs. this march she bit one of the trainers and was reported to the State. and the trainer suggested i put her to sleep – i cried my heart out, picked up the phone and called several resources, finally took her to U or Penn. They suggested putting her on prozac, I resisted and tried a herbal supplement called Denosyl (Sam-e for dogs) but that didnt seem to help much. Finally I just started her on a low dose of prozac – 10 mg per day for the 1st week, twice for the next week and 30 mg thereafter. The vets at U Penn are extremely supportive, are available round the clock, and work with you very well. I am very pleased to find such a great scientific support network. I will update when i start seeing some changes in my baby (she is on it only for 4 days now) – for all the criticisms out there – when it is not your problem, it is very easy to condemn or to give unsolicited advice. hold your tongue, because you never know……..
I found this site in doing a google search for doggy prozac. Last night I came home from work to find that my shih tzu had chewed through a wooden sliding door in my dining room, with blood and teeth marks remaining on the door. He had also literally jumped onto my bathroom counter, knocked everything over into the sink and onto the floor, and then took everything out of my makeup bag and knocked that over the floor too. There were bloody claw scratches all over the ceramic flooring and walls, and all over the bathroom counter. His face was all wet and crazed. I just looked at him, watched him roll over on his side and rubbed his belly. All I could do was cry for him. I live in South Florida where the weather is terrible during this time of the year and clearly there was an awful thunderstorm yesterday. I’ve put him on clomicalm before, and if there is a storm I give him .50mg of xanazx, prescribed by the vet. It doesn’t work anymore unless he gets it before the storm is approaching. What do I do when I am not home and a thunderstorm occurs? My dog is the sweetest little rescue shih tzu and people cannot believe their eyes at these photos. I am calling the vet today. He said prozac was the last resort. After reading some of the posts about thunderstorm phobia, specifically the ones where the girl said her dog has dug through ceramic tile, drywall, etc, I realize I am not alone and the heartbreak is killing me. I would greatly appreciate if anyone who has a dog that suffers from thunderstorm phobia can email me and give me your thoughts on how prozac has helped your pooch. My email is lovebugwen@aol.com. Thanks 🙂
I have a Belgian Malinois rescued dog with extreme thunder phobia. The phobia came from living on the streets of Houston Tx where it thunders almost every day. My dog will tear it’s way out of any plastic type crate;usually by grabbing the metal door with her teeth. On one type crate that looked super secure she got one pin out of the door and got stuck halfway out and couldn’t back into the crate or get out forward. She was stuck and it could have caused damage because it was cutting off her circulation. I now use a crate that she can easily open without hurting herself.When I got her she had a missing canine which we believe she got by trying to escape a crate or fence. She doesn’t like to go for walks outside because of her fears. I have started her on Prozac generic which I get from Walmart for $4.00 for thirty pills. If this can calm her and help give her a better quality of life then it will be a good thing. I too don’t understand the judgmental attitude of some poster here on this site. My dog panics and is likely to hurt herself when she gets triggered. She could break loose and run out into traffic or injure herself trying to escape a crate. It is too soon to tell because I just started the treatment but I am hoping that this will help her.