Article on medicating your pets due to separation anxiety

aschmoll

This is kind of a long article, but interesting, from the NY Times.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/07/13/magazine/13pets-t.html?pagewanted=1&ei=5087&em&en=615aa61e33d50d3f&ex=1216180800

Duchess is on Reconcile, and has been for almost a month. I will give some feedback in a few more weeks. So far, I think it has helped, along with the behavior modification training, but not eliminated her SA.

PamK · Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 5:30 pm Post subject:

Good luck, I hope they work.

It was a long article and some people are just absurd. Lipo for dogs??

ogerpus · Puppy Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 25

My dog, Bailey, has been on Fluoxetine (generic Prozac) now for over a year to treat her separation anxiety. The drug has been a life saver. Without the drug she had to be crated any time we left the house, and she would shred anything near her crate - not to mention she would bark incessantly. On the drug, she has not been in her crate, has not shredded anything and doesn't go crazy when I leave the house. She is still as energetic and happy as possible, but does not display the anxiousness and pacing that used to make her miserable.

She was a rescue dog, who was probably surrendered due to her anxiety. For fifteen dollars a month, the prescription provides me with the happiest and best dog I have ever had!

afromaiko · Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:04 pm Post subject:

I'd read it if I could concentrate, Mika has been outside howling and barking for the last hour trying to get inside. I've had to take the day off work because she's been going mental lately and we're worried she'll hurt herself. She already chewed through wires yesterday.. Jeez, now she's throwing herself against the windows again!!!!

simis · Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 7:20 pm Post subject:

I saw the first edition of that in the nytimes and thought it was a very good article. Great parallel in it about why animals are not like TIVO - you can't put them away when you don't want them but take them out when it's convenient for you....and for some dogs this anti-anxiety medications seems to be the answer that works well for them and their owners.

Does anyone know if pharmaceutically, these drugs are different from their human pill counterparts? As I was leaving the vets office last time a pharma rep was in there trying to get information to the vets and I almost thought about asking him!

ogerpus · Puppy Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 25

Bailey started on Reconcile, and the vet switched her to Fluoxetince (generic Prozac for humans). He said it is the same thing and it is much cheaper. A Prozac puppy is a good puppy!

AmazingGrayce · Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2008 8:56 pm Post subject:

ooo thanks for this! i need to read it..Grace actually starts on the Fluoxetine tomorrow! ITs nice to hear you have had good results with it.

bluecosmo · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 3:42 pm Post subject:

My dog Blue Moon is on clomipramine for separation anxiety. Anyone else ever use this? I noticed someone said their prescription is $15 a month. Mine is $44. Does anyone know the difference between the two medicines (prozac and clomipramine?

mooks7014 · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:44 pm Post subject:

What dosage do you find works well of the prozac? Shelby was on Clomicalm which did nothing at all

AmazingGrayce · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 4:46 pm Post subject:

Howard · Posted: Wed Jul 16, 2008 5:52 pm Post subject:

Strangely enough, I had already heard this theory — from a pharmaceutical company executive who, for obvious business reasons, didn’t want to be named. “All of the behavioral issues that we have created in ourselves, we are now creating in our pets because they live in the same unhealthy environments that we do,” he said. “That’s why there is a market for these drugs.”

I think this quote sums it up the best. We have spent 2 years now modifying our diets and routines to live more holistically. As a result there have been very positive changes both physically and mentally. It is similar with animals. We feed only organic, non filler foods and treats that are of similar quality. Our newest addition, Tucker, has some separation issues. But he has moved 4 times now in his 8 months of life. Duh, we would all have issues after that. In his 2 weeks with us with a new diet and positive reinforcement he has already showed great progress. Ignore the bad and reward the good.
Just today we discovered he can open doors inside our house. He opened the laundry room door after we left and was free to roam the house. We found an old slipper destroyed but that was it. I attribute this more to being a puppy than anything wrong with him. He opened our bedroom door and snoozed on the bed. Even now as I type this he is on the other side of the house on the couch(he is a weim after all:) chewing on a rawhide. At first when we brought him home he had to be right next to us at all times. Behavior mod is slow and progressive. But so is life. We just figure good things take time and effort. And of course lots of love Very Happy

ogerpus · Puppy Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 25

Bailey takes two 10mg fluoxetine tablets every morning. Works like a charm! I have run out in the past, and after a few days she is absolutely nuts! Best fifteen bucks I ever spent = best dog I ever had.

aschmoll · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 9:20 am Post subject:

Both clomipramine and fluoxetine are anti-depressants, but I think they work differently. I am not a pharmacist or a vet, so I would rather not give advice about which is better from a health standpoint. You can look them up on Wikpedia for some more info.

However, fluoxetine aka Reconcile aka prozac is available as a generic, so it may be cheaper as a long term solution. Our vet gave us the Reconcile starter kit, which has a DVD on behavior modification, and said she would prescribe the generic if the first month went well. I don't know if clomipramine is available as a generic. If it is, I would certainly ask your vet to prescribe that instead of Clomicalm.

If you look at the Reconcile study, after one month, 75% of the dogs were "better" on Reconcile plus behavior modification, versus 50% on placebo plus behavior modification. So I think behavior modification alone does work and would work for a majority of dogs over the long term (the study did not go into long term results). We chose to use Reconcile instead of just behavior modification due to the fact that Duchess was injuring herself in her crate because she was trying to escape. I am hoping that over time, we will not need medication.

2kids2weims · Posted: Thu Jul 17, 2008 5:32 pm Post subject: