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You are here:About>Home & Garden>Dogs> Pet Loss> Do Dogs Get Depression? HomeEssentialsDo I Want a Dog?Frequently prozac for dogs Asked QuestionsRescues and SheltersPhoto GalleryResponsible Dog Ownership Articles & ResourcesDog BreedsConsidering a Dog?New Dog or Puppy?Dog Care BasicsTraining & BehaviourDiet & NutritionHealthRescues & prozac for dogs SheltersFor Dog LoversYou and Your DogTravelSports, Shows, RecreationWorking DogsPet LossYour Neighbour's Dog ArticlesForumsHelp FREE NewsletterSign Up Now for the Dogs newsletter! See Online Courses SearchDogsStay prozac for dogs up to date!Email to a friendPrint this page Elsewhere on the WebBarking at ProzacMost PopularAmerican Pitbull TerriersChoosing the Right DogHypoallergenic Dog BreedsPlay-Biting and NippingMixed Breed Galleries What's HotGallery of Dog BreedsWhat dog breeds are dangerous?Red, Itchy, Flakey prozac for dogs SkinBoxer GallerySchnauzer Gallery Do Dogs Get Depression? From Krista Mifflin,Your Guide to Dogs.FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now! Like humans, dogs do occasionally suffer from bouts of depression. They get mopey, lethargic, stop eating, and prozac for dogs drink only minimal amounts prozac for dogs of water, stop wanting to play, and prozac for dogs even lose drastic amounts of prozac for dogs weight. What can cause this in pets? Grief, change of scenery, or prozac for dogs sometimes it is a chemical imbalance, needing medication to correct it. Even the weather can adversely affect a normally happy dog. Or your health. As a pet owner, how do you fight prozac for dogs an invisible, inner enemy? The first step is recognizing the problem. You've ruled out all the possible physical causes with help from your veterinarian, now it is time to start looking at the mental causes. Has your pet recently lost a friend? Perhaps a neighbourhood dog he played with is gone, be it on vacation, or gone over the Rainbow Bridge, but gone nonetheless? Or perhaps his child grew up and moved out? Losing a playmate, especially an in-home playmate is often a reason for canine depression. We may not notice it very often, but pets do grieve, and in some cases, especially concerning a violent death or even just a disappearance, dogs can prozac for dogs grieve to a dangerous point, and it can be very hard to bring them out of it. Slow deterioration and loss of initiative is a prozac for dogs glaring clue prozac for dogs that something is bothering your dog. If this is happening to your dog, you need to get right on it and start to make life fun again. Ask your prozac for dogs vet about Anti-depressants available prozac for dogs as prozac for dogs well. Depression may not seem like it, but left too long and it could very well prozac for dogs turn into a life-threatening physical condition. Be sure to prozac for dogs have all physical aspects of your dog's health checked out by a veterinarian prozac for dogs first. While prescribing Prozac may perk your pet up a bit, it won't help one bit if it's Canine Coronavirus or Distemper that has your pooch in a slump. Those blood tests your vet mentioned could be crucial in determining prozac for dogs the problem. Once you and your vet have determined that depression is the cause, there are a few options. One is medicated therapy. That would be Prozac for dogs, or other veterinarian recommended anti-depressants. An increase in your activity level, or at least your dog's will also likely be called for. In cases of grief, playdates with other dogs or Doggy Daycare would definitely be worth looking into. If you are ready, you may even prozac for dogs consider getting another dog. Introduction to Canine Mental Health Do Dogs Get Depression? When Anxiety Attacks[] Seperation prozac for dogs Anxiety Social prozac for dogs Anxiety Noise Anxiety Biting the Hands prozac for dogs That Feed You Dog Aggression Chained Reaction Possession Aggression Obsessive Compulsive Behaviors Physical Issues Most Popular Video Bathroom Decoration Ideas Tag Sale Tips Creating a Craft Room Making a Personal prozac for dogs Space Be Your Own Contractor See other videos at About.com About.com Opinion Polls - Be Heard! Which entrepreneur do you admire most? 1) Donald Trump 2) Richard Branson 3) Martha Stewart 4) Bill Gates 5) Oprah Winfrey 6) None of Above What is the first thing you would do with 10 million dollars? 1) Spend it all 2) Donate prozac for dogs to charities 3) Invest 4) Pay bills 5) Save it all under my mattress 6) Not sure Which celebrity does more to promote the health of women? 1) Barbara Walters 2) Katie Couric 3) prozac for dogs Oprah Winfrey 4) Susan Sarandon 5) Dr. Phil 6) None of Above Related Articles: Famous Entrepreneurs How To Become Wealthy Women's Health Top 10 SPECIAL OFFER for About Users: Save 50% off New York Times home delivery. Sign-up now! Topic Index | Email to a Friend Our Story | Be prozac for dogs a Guide | Advertising Info | Work at About | Site Map | Icons | HelpUser Agreement | Patent Info. | Privacy Policy prozac for dogs | Kids' Privacy Policy©2005 About, Inc. All rights reserved. Most PopularAmerican Pitbull TerriersChoosing the Right DogHypoallergenic Dog BreedsPlay-Biting and NippingMixed Breed prozac for dogs Galleries Most Popular Video Bathroom Decoration Ideas Tag Sale Tips Creating a Craft Room Making prozac for dogs a Personal Space Be Your Own Contractor What's HotGallery of Dog BreedsWhat dog breeds are dangerous?Red, Itchy, Flakey SkinBoxer GallerySchnauzer Gallery Related TopicsAnimals / WildlifeCatsVeterinary MedicineExotic PetsHousekeeping Arcade GamesMah Jong QuestBejewelled2ZumaBingo Jigsaw 365MaxJongg Prism OnlinePrism Online May 1995 Doped-up doggies by Linda Gallegos Skippy (not his real name) curls up in his favorite armchair and stares out the window. ItŐs been a long time since he's felt good about himself prozac for dogs and he wonders, as he looks at the bandages on his leg, if the wounds, both emotional and prozac for dogs physical, will prozac for dogs ever heal. The doctor says heŐs making progress. The medication is working and soon, he says, Skippy will be able to control his self-destructive desire to mutilate himself. While great attention is paid to the many people who suffer from obsessive-compulsive disorders, very little notice is given to those who suffer the illness in quiet misery, the victims who cannot speak for themselves-the cutest ones, the dogs. Fortunately for man's best friend, the world of veterinarian medicine offers the human antidepressant of choice, Prozac, to dogs who suffer emotional and mental disorders. prozac for dogs Veterinarians have been prescribing Prozac for prozac for dogs pooches for a few years, and according to one canine counselor, Dr. Roger prozac for dogs Platt, a veterinarian at Pets Unlimited in San Francisco, the treatment is not cheap. "It can cost $70 a month per dog," says Platt, "but owners who want their dogs to prozac for dogs get better will pay for it.Ó The effectiveness of the drug is largely dependent prozac for dogs on the actions prozac for dogs of the dog owner. "The dogs who take Prozac or any other antidepressant need at least one pill per day," says Platt. "If the owners forget to give the dog its pill, then the treatment wonŐt work." Platt says he has been treating several prozac for dogs dogs with Prozac for at least six months, and none of their conditions prozac for dogs are improving because the prozac for dogs owners forget and skip the pill. Good candidates for Prozac are currently dogs who are large in size, (cats and other animals have not yet been studied for the treatment). "I have only treated large dogs with this drug, because small dogs don't seem to suffer from the type of disorder that would require it," says Platt, who adds that he doesn't know why this is the case. "I have treated dogs like Doberman Pinchers, Golden Retrievers and Labrador Retrievers." prozac for dogs Platt says that prozac for dogs because of recent media attention given to this treatment, he has had many clients ask about the drug. prozac for dogs But it's not prozac for dogs for everyone, as San Francisco State University student Jennifer Bond found out when she asked her veterinarian about putting her Jack Russell Terrier on Prozac. "I heard a radio show that talked about dogs with obsessive-compulsions that were being treated with Prozac," says Bond. "My dog was having a really hard time adjusting when I prozac for dogs left her alone. She would bark until I came home, and I thought Prozac would help her." BondŐs veterinarian, instead, recommended a dog behavior specialist-essentially a dog trainer. Platt says the population of dogs in which Prozac would be prozac for dogs helpful is small prozac for dogs and very specific. "Prozac should only be used on dogs with extreme behavioral problems," says Platt. "It's meant for dogs that mutilate themselves by continuously licking or biting their body. ItŐs a chemical imbalance.Ó Although Prozac and other antidepressants are not FDA approved for pets (they require only the permission of the veterinarian and pet owner), the treatment has run into no public resistance, including from those active in the protection of animal rights. "We would hope that discretion is involved when using these types of drugs on animals," says Kathy Savory, a prozac for dogs spokesperson with People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. "We want to do more research on this subject. Hopefully these drugs really are helping and not hurting the animals. prozac for dogs If a drug brings the animal comfort, we think that's a good thing." Soon Skippy will be able to go out and play with the other dogs. He will prozac for dogs no longer be a threat to himself, and maybe he can even stop taking the medication. As prozac for dogs he looks prozac for dogs out the window and sees his rubber football lying in the yard, he hopes that soon life for him will once again be a walk in the park. ---END OF ARTICLE--- [ back to top ] Barking at Prozac - by Mitch Lemus How the Drug Changed Some Dogs' Lives by Mitch Lemus "Playing fetch just wasn't what it used to be," says Zach, a five-year prozac for dogs old Golden Retriever. "Throw the stick, fetch the stick ... prozac for dogs throw the stick, fetch the stick ... My attitude was, 'how about prozac for dogs I hide prozac for dogs the stick, and you fetch it?'" Sheeba, a Collie, says she suffered from a "Lassie Complex," trying prozac for dogs to live up to the prozac for dogs standards prozac for dogs of the legendary star. And prozac for dogs King, a 60 pound German Shepherd, often barked at the mailman with rabid abandon. "Once, I even gnawed his post office-issue pant leg right off, he says." Zach, Sheeba, and King, (not their real names) are among a growing breed of dogs -- dogs on Prozac. Originally prozac for dogs developed for humans, the controversial antidepressant is now being prescribed by veterinarians for canines suffering from a variety of emotional disorders. "I've seen shy dogs become sociable, fierce dogs become friendly, and neurotic dogs become normal," says Manhattan animal psychiatrist Bert Barkowitz. And his patients seem to agree. Zach not only shunned playing fetch, but had also lost interest in scent-marking and crotch sniffing. Then, he was prescribed Prozac. "I'm my good ol' horn-dog self again," he said, eyes riveted on a slinky Labrador strutting through Central Park. "Look at the tail on that bitch! Wow. I mean bow wow!" he howled. Some prozac for dogs owners report that the drug has been useful in treating obsessive compulsive disorders, as well. Dot, prozac for dogs a dalmatian, would spend hours trying to scratch her spots off. But after just five days on prozac for dogs Prozac, her nervous habit ceased. "I spent a fortune prozac for dogs on trainers, therapy, and new-age diets, but nothing prozac for dogs ever worked until my vet suggested I share my Prozac with Dot. All I can say now is prozac for dogs that she's better than well," raved Dot's owner. But prozac for dogs not everyone endorses the practice of dispensing drugs designed for humans to pets. When one owner sought prozac for dogs Prozac to keep her Beagle from licking his testicles, her vet threw her out of his prozac for dogs office. "It's disturbing how some people insist on meddling with normal animal behavior," says Dr. Murray Muzzleman. "Yes, dogs lick their balls. Why? Because they can." Dr. Muzzleman shares his bias against psychotropic drugs with the Church of Zooinology. Zooinologists prozac for dogs charge that Prozac can unleash violent tendencies in otherwise passive pooches. They cite the case of Skippy, a fluffy white poodle who went on a bizarre biting spree, mauling his owner and 3 small children. The attack finally ended when Skippy intentionally ran in front of a Greyhound bus, killing himself. "Skippy never prozac for dogs exhibited prozac for dogs violent behavior before Prozac," insisted family members. "Instead prozac for dogs of helping him, the pill turned him into a doggone killer." Eli Lilly, Prozac's maker who is fighting a spate of Prozac-related law suits, contends there is no proven link between the drug and canine violence or suicide. Not so says Rusty, a watchdog who sought relief from depression when the security firm he worked for downsized, eliminating his job. "Soon after starting Prozac, I prozac for dogs began to froth at the mouth," he prozac for dogs says. "I ripped the stuffing out of my owner's couch, peed on her bed, swallowed her engagement ring, attacked the cat next door, knocked over the garbage can, ate the kids' homework, then threw prozac for dogs up on a $10,000 Persian rug. Some miracle drug. It's a miracle they didn't impound me -- prozac for dogs or worse, put me to prozac for dogs sleep," laments Rusty. Says one animal lover, "So many dogs have problems these days because neglectful owners leave them cooped up in small apartments for hours. Then, when the dog mauls their Gucci shoes, prozac for dogs they punish him. These animals don't need drugs. prozac for dogs What they need is love." Indeed, so-called "cosmetic prozac for dogs canine pharmacology" has been a bone of contention, raising a plethora of ethical issues. Currently, the Westminster Kennel Club is grappling whether to allow show dogs to take mood enhancers. If the drugs are banned, should show dogs be subject to mandatory blood tests, the same way olympic athletes are? Other prozac for dogs organizations, like the ASPCA, are concerned pet prozac for dogs stores and puppy farms will put pooches on Prozac to make them more outgoing and friendly, and thus, more saleable. They argue that dogs who don't take the prozac for dogs medication are automatically at a disadvantage, and more likely prozac for dogs to be abandoned or destroyed. Winki, President of Pooches Union of Prozac Poppers (PUPP), feels the decision to take mood-lifting drugs should be prozac for dogs left up to the individual animal. "As a Chihuahua, I used to be shy and easily intimidated, yapped the diminutive five-pounder. "But on Prozac, I feel like top dog. Now I don't take crap from nobody, be it a Doberman, Pit Bull prozac for dogs Terrier, or prozac for dogs authoritarian human being. Other PUPP members are equally outspoken. "All I know is that it has worked for me, says Gulliver, a spayed Cocker Spaniel. "Thanks to Prozac, I'm now able to cope with the fact that I'm never going to have puppies." "Dog food has taste again," says another formerly depressed pooch. "For the longest time, not even Milk Bones, my favorite treat, could spark my appetite. Now, for the first time in years, I'm savoring those chunks of luscious meat by-products." Perhaps the controversy is best put into perspective by Dr. Barkowitz, the animal prozac for dogs psychiatrist, who asks, "What does it mean to live a dog's prozac for dogs life, anyway?" Copyright © 1995 Mitch Lemus Email: mlemus@prodigy.net Prozac and Your Dog Vetinfo vetinfo4cats vetinfo4dogs Canine Encyclopedia Feline Encyclopedia VetInfo Digest Links Subscriber Area Zoonotic disease Becoming aVeterinarian Your Turn Search vetinfo4dogs Please note: The information on our site is for everyone to read. Please use it as often as you like. However, Ask Dr Mike is available only to subscribers of our Vetinfo Digest. Please do not send questions if you are not a subscriber. Please use the search engine or one of the indexes to see if prozac for dogs the information you need is already online. Please see Subscriber info for details. Subscriber Info The income from prozac for dogs the prozac for dogs subscriptions prozac for dogs helps prozac for dogs defray the cost of prozac for dogs maintaining the site and allows us to keep the large amount of information on www.vetinfo.com free to our readers. Prozac and prozac for dogs Your Dog Prozac for aggression Assessing valid scientific study - Prozac Prozac for dogs Prozac for dominance aggression also see Medication also see prozac for dogs Aggression Prozac for Aggression Q: Dear Dr. prozac for dogs Mike, I have bookmarked this website; your answers are very honest and informed. I am writing to ask for information about giving Prozac to prozac for dogs dogs. I have a 5 yr old male neutered mastiff who is sweet at home with family & friends but unreliable with strangers (dogs and humans). He cannot be walked on the street because he lunges at strangers unpredictably. Due prozac for dogs to his huge size, even if I control prozac for dogs him, a small lunge looks very threatening to people. Also he might knock over anyone who happened to be carrying or playing with a soccer ball or football (he is extremely ball possessive). Professional trainers have diagnosed him as having fear or possessive aggression. Also they say he has the intense persistence of the type so valuable prozac for dogs in drug seeking or bomb prozac for dogs seeking dogs but not so valuable in a pet. I have put extensive effort since his puppyhood into professional training and socialization, prozac for dogs and I have experience with prozac for dogs obedience competition (in my other dogs). All to no avail. I also have tried different techniques for correction and control, dietary changes, and have had him checked out for physical problems. Crom does have some arthritis but has been made fairly comfortable with Bufferin, and this prozac for dogs seems to make him less grouchy (but not more reliable). I am committed to keeping my dog into old age, but I'm concerned that he could be dangerous. Also it isn't fun for him never to go on walks. I read about Prozac used on dogs in the AKC Gazette but there was no reference to the research prozac for dogs studies (on using Prozac for aggression). I have have not been able to find references to these studies on the web. What do you know of this literature? The veterinarians prozac for dogs I have consulted about Crom never suggested Prozac or other medication. I would like your opinion and reference to the prozac for dogs studies so I can read them for myself. Can you help? Thanks very much! A: If anyone has published studies on the use of fluoxetine, prozac for dogs (Prozac Rx) for aggression in prozac for dogs dogs, I am not aware of them. I have corresponded with Dr. Ilana Reisner, a board certified veterinary behaviorist, about the use prozac for dogs of these medications. She has been trying them in some cases of aggression and feels that they can be useful. There are several behavioral modification medications used to treat aggression in dogs. Prozac is one. If I understand the references to it correctly, this has been used mostly to treat dominance aggression. Lithium carbonate is also used prozac for dogs for dominance aggression prozac for dogs by behaviorists, for prozac for dogs some cases. This sort prozac for dogs of aggression is usually directed at family members and can occur quite suddenly. Since that isn't the problem you are having, there may be other approaches that might help more. However, I am not a behaviorist and can not claim to be up to date on the latest treatments. So it is also possible that these medications prozac for dogs are being used for other forms of aggression and may be useful. For fear based and sometimes for prozac for dogs territorial type aggressive behavior, the preferred medications seem to be anti-anxiety drugs. prozac for dogs Among these would be diazepam (Valium Rx) and amitriptylline (Elavil Rx). These medications can reduce anxiety and prozac for dogs make a dog a little less likely to respond aggressively to frightening or stressful situations. prozac for dogs We have tried amitriptylline for several cases prozac for dogs of aggression and feel that it has been helpful in prozac for dogs one or two cases only. Most of the time, some sort of behavioral modification is necessary prozac for dogs as well. A good physical exam and general lab profile to prozac for dogs rule out prozac for dogs underlying problems is always a good idea when assessing aggression. The next best step is consultation with a veterinary or certified prozac for dogs animal behaviorist, if possible. In many places, these people are prozac for dogs not easily available for consultation, though. A really knowledgeable trainer can be a great help but it is extraordinarily difficult to evaluate trainer's abilities. Assuming there is not a physical cause and that you have exhausted behavioral modification techniques, you are left with muzzling Crom when walking him, which won't help with the lunging but might make people less nervous about him; use of a Promise or halter collar to give yourself more control (this worked very well for our Rottweiler who liked to lunge at people); and finally, medical therapy. Your vet may be able to at least consult with prozac for dogs a veterinary behaviorist. This has helped us on a couple of occasions when prozac for dogs the owner simply couldn't make the prozac for dogs trip to the behaviorist. Mike Richards, DVM Assessing valid scientific study Info on Prozac On the page that discusses Prozac, Dr. Mike says he's not familiar with any studies done...I'm surprized he's not aware prozac for dogs that most if not all medications that deal with brain chemistry are first tested on dogs before given to humans. Secondly, I can't believe he hasn't heard of Tuffs University?? They're focus is on behavioral drugs for dogs...Prozac, in particular, is one of THE most tested. I believe there have actually been thousands of tests, world wide, on the use of Prozac and dogs. If you're interested in more info prozac for dogs on Tuffs Univ. Let me know and I'll get the number for prozac for dogs you from my vet...I have consulted with them in the past and was very impressed. Thanks! Katie A: Katie- I think that there is some confusion about what I mean by a valid scientific study and what many people perceive to be a valid scientific study. There is also a problem with our website, in that we did not start dating prozac for dogs the postings until this year. It makes it hard to evaluate which information is newer on the site. There were two studies prozac for dogs published in the fall of '98 on the use of fluoxetine (Prozac Rx) in dogs that prozac for dogs are valid controlled studies. While it may be true that many medications that are intended for use in people are tested in dogs I don't prozac for dogs think that anything close to the majority of testing is done in dogs. At the PubMed site, with the National Institute of Health's medical journal database online, there are only 9 references found on a search using "fluoxetine and canine". Of these nine references, only two deal specifically with disorders likely to be treated by veterinarians in practice and one of these studies only involved nine dogs. The other study involved 42 prozac for dogs dogs. Clinical trials are prozac for dogs most reliable when a medication is compared against a placebo and neither the patient nor the practitioner know which is being used in any particular patient. These studies are known as "double blind" studies. It is reasonable in some cases to do "single blind" studies, in which the prozac for dogs practitioner knows whether the medication is a placebo or the real thing but there prozac for dogs is still sometimes inadvertent prejudice in single blind studies. Good double blind studies are much less common than other forms of "scientific reports". Scientific studies may be done for lots of reasons other prozac for dogs than clinical use of a medication. While these are real "scientific studies" and may be useful in the long run, they may not be helpful in determining if there is a valid clinical use for prozac for dogs a medication. Case reports prozac for dogs are the most unreliable of studies. Just to give you one example, which I wish prozac for dogs I could go into more detail on, I once treated a dog for a condition that had the exact same medication and dosing directions in several textbooks, all of which prozac for dogs insinuated that there was a "standard" treatment. Out of curiosity, I researched the references listed, since there was a short list of three or four references in all the textbooks. After looking into these references I was able to discern that ALL of the information presented was based on ONE clinical case report in which a dog was treated with a medication and recovered. Since I didn't want to use the "standard" treatment, I didn't do anything. The dog recovered uneventfully. If I had written the first paper, the "standard" treatment would have been to do nothing. Both "treatments" worked but neither was tested in a scientifically valid manner. It is critically prozac for dogs important to evaluate the validity of information from all published sources, prozac for dogs including this one! I am familiar with prozac for dogs Tufts University. At the present time I am not sure who the behaviorists are who are associated with the vet school there but I think that if you ask them they prozac for dogs would agree prozac for dogs that there are limited numbers of scientifically valid studies done on prozac for dogs the clinical use of fluoxetine for any particular behavioral disorder in dogs -- the only ones I know of being a small study on aggression, several on cataplexy (a very rare condition) and a larger study on lick granulomas. I hope that this makes my statement a little more clear to you and to other readers of this site. I will have to try to come up with a better way to explain when there is information available that has been properly validated and when the information is less valid for clinical situations. Mike Richards, DVM 4/5/99 Prozac for Dogs Q: Dear Dr. Mike,I am writing to ask for information about giving Prozac to dogs. I have a 5 yr old male neutered mastiff who is sweet at prozac for dogs home with family & friends but unreliable with prozac for dogs strangers (dogs and humans). He cannot be walked on the street because he lunges at strangers unpredictably. Due to his huge size, even if I control him, a small lunge looks very threatening to people. Also he might knock over anyone prozac for dogs who happened to be carrying or playing with a soccer ball or football (he is extremely ball possessive). Professional trainers prozac for dogs have diagnosed him as having fear or possessive aggression. Also they prozac for dogs say he has the intense persistence of the type so valuable in drug seeking or bomb seeking dogs but not so valuable in a pet. I have put extensive effort since his puppyhood into professional training and socialization, and I have experience with obedience competition (in my prozac for dogs other dogs). All to no avail. I also have tried different techniques for correction and control, dietary changes, and have had him checked out for physical problems. Crom does have some arthritis but has been made fairly comfortable with Bufferin, and this seems to make him less grouchy (but not more reliable). I am committed to keeping my dog into old age, but I'm concerned that he could be dangerous. Also it isn't fun for him never to go on walks. I read about Prozac used on prozac for dogs dogs in the AKC Gazette but there was no reference to the research studies (on using Prozac for aggression). I have have not been able to find references to these studies on the web. What do you know of this literature? The veterinarians I have consulted about Crom prozac for dogs never suggested Prozac or other medication. prozac for dogs I would like your pinion and reference to the studies so I can read them for prozac for dogs myself. Can you help? Thanks very much! A: If anyone has published studies on the use of fluoxetine, (Prozac Rx) for aggression in dogs, I am not aware of them. I have corresponded with Dr. Ilana Reisner, a board certified veterinary behaviorist, about the use of these medications. She has been trying them in some cases of aggression prozac for dogs and feels that they can be useful. There are several behavioral modification prozac for dogs medications used to treat aggression in dogs. Prozac is one. If I understand the references to it correctly, this has been prozac for dogs used mostly to prozac for dogs treat dominance aggression. Lithium carbonate is also used for dominance aggression by behaviorists, for some cases. This sort of aggression is usually directed at family members and can occur quite suddenly. Since that isn't prozac for dogs the problem prozac for dogs you are having, there may be other approaches that might help more. However, I am not a behaviorist and can not claim to be up to date on the latest prozac for dogs treatments. So it prozac for dogs is also possible that these medications are being used for other forms of aggression and may be useful. For fear based and sometimes for territorial type aggressive behavior, the prozac for dogs preferred medications seem to be anti-anxiety drugs. Among these would be diazepam (Valium Rx) and amitriptylline (Elavil Rx). These medications can reduce anxiety and make a dog a little less prozac for dogs likely to respond aggressively to frightening or stressful situations. We have tried amitriptylline for several cases of aggression and feel that it has been helpful in one or two cases only. Most of the time, some sort of behavioral modification is necessary as well. A good physical exam and general lab profile to rule out underlying problems is always a good idea when assessing aggression. The next best step is consultation prozac for dogs with a veterinary or certified prozac for dogs animal behaviorist, if possible. In many places, these people are not easily available for consultation, though. A really knowledgeable trainer can be a great help but it is extraordinarily difficult to evaluate trainer's abilities. Assuming there is not a prozac for dogs physical cause and that you have exhausted behavioral modification techniques, you are left with muzzling Crom when walking him, which won't help with the lunging but might make people less nervous about prozac for dogs him; use of a Promise or halter collar to give yourself more control (this worked very well for our Rottweiler who liked to lunge at people); and finally, medical therapy. Your vet may be able to at least consult with a veterinary behaviorist. This has helped us on a couple of occasions when the prozac for dogs owner simply couldn't make the trip to the behaviorist. Prozac for dominance aggression Q: i am looking for some up to date info on the side effects of prozac used in dogs. we are from a veterinary hospital in ontario and are considering putting prozac for dogs a 3 prozac for dogs year old lhasa on prozac for dominance aggression. we would just like some more technical info. any help would be appreciated. thanks. A: At the present time the majority opinion seems to be that there are no well defined side effects prozac for dogs from fluoxetine (Prozac Rx) in dogs. However, it is important to consider that the types of side effects seen in people prozac for dogs would be really hard for a dog to communicate about -- there is no way the dog can say that it feels anxious, isn't sleeping well, prozac for dogs feels drowsy or dizzy or nauseated (although vomiting would be tip off prozac for dogs here). My best guess is that some of these effects do occur. How serious that might be is hard to prozac for dogs say. People quit taking these types of medication when they are bothered by them but our pets don't get that chance. In theory, fluoxetine should be a good medication to try in aggression --- but you have to be very very careful relying on medication in a situation in which aggression is occurring. Don't prozac for dogs take it for granted that the medication will work. Continue to work on behavioral modification as well. Mike Richards, DVM Last edited 08/30/02 Vetinfo | vetinfo4cats | vetinfo4dogs | Canine Encyclopedia | Feline Encyclopedia | VetInfo Digest | Links The entire content of the vetinfo.com website is and has been provided by Dr Michael Richards who is a veterinarian. We have discontinued prozac for dogs the ask Dr Mike question and answer section of our website at this prozac for dogs time. Comments or information about our website, feedback, art info, broken links, spelling errors or help finding things on the site or anything else- e-mail Michal Justis E-mail for www. vetinfo.com is answered by Michal Justis, who is not a veterinarian (but is a prozac for dogs Lady). I will try to prozac for dogs help you find the information you need on our websites. Please do not ask me veterinary questions. The entire content of the vetinfo.com website is and has been provided by Dr Michael Richards who is a prozac for dogs veterinarian. We have discontinued the ask Dr Mike question and prozac for dogs answer section of our website at this time. This page is authored by Dr Michael Richards, DVM and produced by TierCom, Inc. Opinions expressed are those of Dr. Richards. Designed and edited by Michal Justis copyright ©1996,1997,1998,1999,2000,2001,2002- TierCom, Inc Vetinfo | vetinfo4cats | vetinfo4dogs | Canine Encyclopedia | Feline Encyclopedia | VetInfo Digest | Links | Search Use of Prozac in Animals for Selected Dermatological and Behavioral Conditions Use of Prozac in Animals for Selected Dermatological and Behavioral Conditions By Steven A. Melman, VMD Veterinary Forum, August 1995 Editor's Note: The editors at Veterinary Forum recognize that Prozac is not approved for use in animals at this time. However, our magazine is a forum for presenting ideas and opinions, and for sharing the experiences of our readers with the veterinary community at large. We hope that the information contained in this article will further the understanding of the use, or non-use, of the products and procedures mentioned. This magazine, its staff prozac for dogs and its advisors do not endorse die information in any manner. Prozac (fluoxetine) has received prozac for dogs a great deal of attention this past year for its use in the treatment of prozac for dogs pet dermatological and behavioral disorders. Anafranil (clomipramine) prozac for dogs and Zoloft (sertraline) are products with a similar spectrum of activity, although they have been viewed with less fanfare. My first and main experience with Prozac was and is using it clinically for obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCDs). OCDs exhibit stereotypic, repetitive and prozac for dogs constant behavior prozac for dogs which performs no function. I have read articles and heard prozac for dogs colleagues say that Prozac is ineffective, unscientific, risky, with unnamed side effects and worse. prozac for dogs While some veterinarians remain skeptical, others have explored the beneficial uses of Prozac prozac for dogs and others want to discuss new uses for the drug. Most dermatologists and behaviorists have criticized it. My fellow dermoids have said it is too expensive, it takes too long to be effective or prozac for dogs have given some other argument. Some behaviorists have been known to growl at the very mention prozac for dogs of the drug. One argument is that it prozac for dogs is too simplistic; that behavioral modification prozac for dogs is fundamentally forgotten. One reminder: Prozac and its cousins, such as Anafranil and Zoloft, while revolutionizing certain previously untreatable disorders, are often prozac for dogs only a component in an overall prozac for dogs therapeutic plan. The purpose of this article is to examine the conditions in which I believe psychopharmacologics can be effective and to review my clinical observations. History I first became aware of the use of selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI) drugs prior to the introduction of Prozac in 1988. At the time, a study at the National Institutes of Health by Dr prozac for dogs Judith Rapoport first proposed that acral lick dermatitis (ALD, lick granuloma) was prozac for dogs an animal model for obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCDs) such as trichotillomania. Her first work was with Anafranil. prozac for dogs I met with her, she explained the use of Prozac and Anafranil, and I set out to prove their efficacy in acral lick dermatitis (ALD) and to find other OCDs and potential uses for SSRIs in dogs. While Dr. Rapoport was kind enough to instruct me, she also worked with Dr. Nick Dodman of Tufts, whose work on behavior, unbeknownst to either of us, seemed to parallel mine in dermatology. (See "Pharmacological Treatment Of Behavioral Problems In Cats," by N.H. Dodman, DVM, Veterinary Forum, April 1995, pages 62-71.) In 1990, Shoulberg described prozac for dogs the use of Prozac prozac for dogs in ALD and Rapoport published papers in non-veterinary journals on Prozac, Anafranil and Zoloft. However, the first veterinary publication did not mention the use of Prozac for various conditions until 1994. The resulting enormous response on the part of colleagues, the public and the press was totally unpredictable. Pharmacology Prozac, Anafranil and Zoloft are selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs) in a class known as heterocyclic antagonists. The elevated levels of serotonin are primarily found in the brain, leading many to believe that the primary lesions for the following described disorders are in the brain. My original interest as a dermatologist in this class of drugs prozac for dogs was due to their close molecular prozac for dogs relationship to antihistamines. In fact, Prozac is chemically quite similar to diphenhydramine (Benadryl). In reality, they could not be more dissimilar. The negative effects of antihistamines, (i.e., dry mouth, sedation and urinary retention) are not found with fluoxetine use. Although many of their cousins (tricyclic antidepressants) do have multiple effects which are considered undesirable, it is my belief that the absence of sedation (as well as a prozac for dogs lack of other side effects) has been prozac for dogs the key point in the popularity of SSRIs. Dosage Fluoxetine and clomipramine are entirely water soluble, which is convenient in creating dose aliquots for smaller pets. The usual minimum effective dosage is (for side effects see text): Fluoxetine* 1 mg/kg/SID Clomipramine* 1-3 mg/kg/SID cholinergic Sertraline* 1-3 mg/kg/SID cholinergic Amitriptyline* 2-4/SID/TID * The dosage levels can be exceeded dramatically and should be in cases where efficacy has not been enabled at the lower dose. In these cases, one can change to a different drug or raise the dosage. One spinner required fluoxetine prozac for dogs at 5 mg/kg before a clinical response was noted. ** Amitriptyline is not considered to be anti-obsessional, which is critical to most psychodermatological needs. Time Of Onset The onset of efficacy in the 65 cases on which I am reporting was separated into two populations. One took 16.14 days on average while the other had a much quicker effect, with an average of 5.2 days. This is quite similar to humans. However, unlike in humans where the half life prozac for dogs of Prozac is three days, it is only one day in dogs. Side Effects The most pleasant surprise with using these drugs was the relative absence of serious side effects. Unlike in humans, where aggression, homicide and suicide stories are rumored, there is virtually no serious abnormal behavioral prozac for dogs side effect. prozac for dogs In fact, these drugs are my choice for cases involving abnormal aggression. Most owners described their pets as "mellow" while on the drug. Lethargy was cited in 26.2% of the cases while 18.5% actually showed signs of being hyperactive. On a scale of one to five, the owners rated their lethargic dogs an average of 3.2, with the hyperactive ones only 2.16. My observation was that lethargy was a more serious complaint. Increased prozac for dogs thirst (polydipsea) was noted in prozac for dogs 16.9%, which the owners graded at 3.6, which indicates that it was moderate. 4.5% of dogs had diarrhea, which was a grade 4, perhaps because of the general dislike for this complication. The effect on the appetite was most interesting and somewhat surprising. While 24.6% of those dogs prozac for dogs studied had a decreased appetite, (average grade 2.6) prozac for dogs which goes along with the human data, there was a surprising 21.5% increase in appetite (average grade 2.4) with one pet actually exhibiting coprophagy, which I have listed as a potential indication prozac for dogs for Prozac usage. No animals prozac for dogs required hospitalization as a result of the use of any of these drugs. Uses For Prozac Any obsessive-compulsive, stereotypic-repetitive behavioral disorder Acral lick dermatitis - ALD lick prozac for dogs granulomas) Tail and other mutilation disorders Separation anxiety Psychogenic pruritus prozac for dogs and atopy cases prozac for dogs that are resistant to conventional therapy Atopic dermatitis (unresponsive prozac for dogs to appropriate care) Attention seeking Training enhancement/facilitation Performance enhancement Obesity Eating disorders Iatrogenic Cushing's Bipolar disorders Narcolepsy Coprophagy, pica Aggressive disorders Inappropriate urination, prozac for dogs including some territorial marking Flank sucking Spinners Equine Use Cribbing Racing prozac for dogs enhancement Breaking/training enhancement Porcine Use Bulimia Zoo Animals Stereotypic behavior, i.e., pacing Cats Psychogenic dermatitis Psychogenic alopecia Neurodermatitis Symmetric hypotrichosis Behavioral problems, such prozac for dogs as inappropriate aggression, prozac for dogs howling, inappropriate urination, marking Avian Feather plucking disorder Trichotillomania Clinical Indications The following chart lists prozac for dogs the many potential prozac for dogs uses for these drugs - many of the uses have been tried successfully. Of those where SSRI therapy is unsuccessful, additional options are available. First, switch to a similar drug; if Prozac fails try Anafranil or Zoloft. Second, increase the dosage. I have found that many prozac for dogs of my prozac for dogs most serious cases - spinners and tail mutilation disorders - can handle much higher doses than previously reported. Elavil (amitriptyline) has prozac for dogs been generally ineffective at therapeutic levels, up prozac for dogs to three times greater than recommended. The Case Study Of the 65 cases, 31 had psychogenic pruritus, 14 had lick granulomas (i.e., acral lick dermatitis [ALD]), six were tail mutilation disorders, six had separation anxiety and eight had behavioral problems. I will describe the clinical indications for use of serotonin re-uptake inhibitors in animals, with case reports for illustrative purposes. Examples of these reports will include tail and other mutilation prozac for dogs disorders, psychogenic pruritus (as best exemplified in appropriately treated hyposensitization failures) and certain behavioral disorders. Note: It is beyond the scope of this article to discuss the range of causes and treatments for the many diseases which I will describe. My success is in large part due to the products and methods that I use, which will vary from one veterinarian to another. Lick Granulomas (Acral Lick Dermatitis/ALD) ALD is prozac for dogs a common lesion affecting prozac for dogs many breeds of dogs. It is usually believed to be associated with an instigating allergic reaction. It is proposed as an animal model for obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCDs). Attention-requiring breeds like prozac for dogs Golden and Labrador Retrievers seem to be disproportionately predisposed to these lesions. What cannot be explained is prozac for dogs why the location of the lesions are so common on the top of the front extremities. At the Animal Dermatology Clinics of Palm Springs, Calif., and Potomac, Md., I employ the following standard protocol: Antibiotics. Cephalexin (10 mg/kg/BID) is usually my preference, but if the infection is deep enough, I start with Baytril as well. These are prozac for dogs given until prozac for dogs hair begins to re-grow, which may be as long as six months, but rarely less than two months. Special Bathing. Preferably an allergic dog is bathed daily. It is mandatory prozac for dogs for the lesion to be bathed daily with a Benzoyl peroxide formulation, allowing the suds to sit for at least 10 minutes before rinsing. A good topical antibacterial can prozac for dogs then be applied. I prefer an acetic/boric acid-containing product. Prozac. Remember the lag phase of two to three weeks. Use for at least five weeks. Restrictive devices such as Elizabethan collars can usually be removed in two to prozac for dogs three weeks. Ivermectin. Treat as you would for scabies (.1-.15 mL per prozac for dogs 10 pounds, given every prozac for dogs seven to 10 days). Remember this is an extra-label use, which must be explained to clients. Collies and collie crosses can never use prozac for dogs this drug. Omega 3/6 fatty acid caps. The Omega 3 fatty acids reduce inflammation associated with itching. Whenever using these products (whose Omega prozac for dogs 3 source must be fish oil to be effective), one must supplement Vitamin E and preferably C since they are depleted more prozac for dogs rapidly. An appropriate work-up is always necessary. If the case is unresponsive to therapy, exceptionally severe or large in size, then an X-ray may be necessary to prozac for dogs check for underlying bone involvement. Skin scrapes for Demodex, cultures for dermatophytes, fungi and bacteria and biopsies are also important to rule out diagnoses such as tumors. Of 14 cases, 10 were treated successfully (Grade 5) prozac for dogs for a 71.4% prozac for dogs success rate. This success rate, which was based upon regrowth of hair whenever possible, greatly exceeds any previously reported. My population consisted of four Golden Retrievers, a Doberman, Springer, German Shorthaired Pointer, Scotty, Spinone, Gordon Setter and a Sheltie. An interesting finding was the prozac for dogs overrepresentation of males: there were 11 males and prozac for dogs three females. Eight were prozac for dogs on allergy vaccines determined by testing; prozac for dogs at least five were prozac for dogs on Elizabethan prozac for dogs collars, all of which were removed before the mandatory re-exam in three weeks. Three stopped the drug for various reasons before completing the five-week protocol and alternative therapy was instituted. The owners' responses were that all of the subjects seemed less obsessed by their lesions. One said it decreased barking, another said the ALD was better but not the aggression, a second behavioral diagnosis. Psychogenic Pruritus I define this as itching that is unresponsive to an appropriate therapeutic plan in the hands of a specialist. My work-up prozac for dogs includes eliminating food, inhalant, insect, ecto- and endoparasite allergies prozac for dogs as well prozac for dogs as contact allergies. I also rule out pyoderma, other nonspecific causes such as cancer, liver disease and other organ malfunctions, cutaneous yeast and other disorders. A carefully timed prozac for dogs trial using drugs, shampoo therapy and a food elimination trial is prozac for dogs utilized to see if and when the itching stops, is reduced or returns. This prozac for dogs allows a prozac for dogs process of narrowing down the diagnosis by utilizing a combination of diagnostic tests and the response to a clinical trial. I then respond to each patient's individual needs. Most cases in this category were considered to be suffering from inhalant allergy and were not responding to appropriate therapy, which included an allergy vaccine. An allergy vaccine created from the results of an allergy test (ELISA or intradermal skin testing) prozac for dogs is considered to be effective in only 60-80% of cases nationwide. The remaining 20-40% are considered vaccine failures; it is mainly this population that I chose to prozac for dogs study. The gait control theory of pruritus illustrates the possible reason why psychopharmacologics are effective. It states that the pruritic threshold is lowered as a result of stress. This conforms with the theory of summation of effect, in which the prozac for dogs sum of forces which may trigger an allergic/pruritic reaction may be prozac for dogs added together. The issue of stress in pruritic/allergic pets has never been previously addressed as one of the contributors for summation of effect. Stress is known to be a major contributor to allergy in mall, notably in patients suffering prozac for dogs from asthma. My standard protocol for a pruritic clog involves: Fatty acid caps (as in the ALD chart). A daily hypoallergenic shampoo (call be less frequent depending prozac for dogs on the patient). I prefer one without dyes or fragrances but that contains nutrients and conditioners. This is contrary to conventional wisdom, but consider the tact that the dog's haircoat is nothing but a dust mop, and the pollen that it is allergic to is covering it. It is a fundamental of allergy treatment to avoid prozac for dogs the source of die allergy. Thus, the prozac for dogs necessity of frequent bathing. Antihistamines, which have infrequently been effective by themselves, prozac for dogs although they have been effective in reducing the need for corticosteroids (prednisone). Corticosteroids. They have been effective for me when used judiciously - no more than every other clay. Diet. Feed a premium packaged hypoallergenic diet to reduce the possibility of summation of effect causing a lowering of prozac for dogs the patient's pruritic threshold. Of the 3l cases observed, five were Golden Retrievers with two Shitzu, Miniature Poodles, Bichon Frise and Yorkshire Terriers. There was a slight overabundance of females (18) to males (13). All but four were allergy tested prozac for dogs and on a vaccine. One was tested but did not have an inhalant allergy. Complications varied in these cases with 32.3% suffering prozac for dogs from pyoderma, 9.7% from each of three disorders - hot spots, tail mutilation disorder and self-mutilation; 12.9% suffered from ALD; and 19.35% had a diagnosable behavioral disorder. Prozac was the only drug used in addition to my prozac for dogs standard therapy in the above cases. The results were equivocal with the average response of 2.5. One case has been on Prozac how for several years at a reduced frequency close (two times weekly). The owners' assessments included prozac for dogs comments such as: "Still itching, but less intense. More mellow - sleeping and resting more. Reduced hyperactivity. Lost interest in prozac for dogs food. increased appetite (including coprophagy). Took his mind off licking." One case that was lethargic at a low dose actually became more energetic at a higher dose. The most important finding was that 54.8% of the cases had a decreased dependence on prednisone. prozac for dogs Of the five dogs that were either not tested or tested negative for prozac for dogs allergies, three improved. Interestingly, the one clog prozac for dogs that tested negative for inhalant allergies had a remarkable response. These results indicated that Prozac, when used prozac for dogs alone, was ineffective iii treating allergy tested, allergic dogs. It was, however, effective prozac for dogs as a component of overall therapy. I continue to use it in a minority of cases during the peak of allergy season when clogs are suffering most. Perhaps a close adjustment might increase its efficacy in those cases in which there is an ineffective response. Tail Mutilation Disorder (Including Spinners) Tail mutilation disorders (TMD) as a result of dermato/behavioral disorders were previously undescribed. I propose that one form of them is actually quite similar to ALDs prozac for dogs on the tail, with a far worse prognosis than the traditional ALD case. My diagnostic plan rules out the following: anal sac disease, peripheral paresthesia as a result of an prozac for dogs improper tail prozac for dogs dock, intestinal parasites, ectoparasites (including fleas, scabies and Demodex), potential causes of infection, prozac for dogs inhalant, food or contact allergy, osteomyclitis and some type of tumor prozac for dogs or granuloma. My first case using fluoxetine for other than ALDs was a 3-year-old Bichon Frise that was presented to me as a second opinion to avoid a recommended tail amputation. He had been on an E-collar for several months. My thought was that if he was after his tail and we amputated prozac for dogs it, what would prevent prozac for dogs him from attacking the remaining tissue? After prozac for dogs a thorough and comprehensive work-up, he was prozac for dogs placed on Prozac. We were able to remove the prozac for dogs E-collar prozac for dogs in seven days, stopped prozac for dogs the drug in less than the prescribed five weeks and I never needed to use any other drug. He is bright-eyed and bushy-tailed today. Of the prozac for dogs five other cases, all were on some contraption to keep them away from their tails, and in all cases we were able to remove them at some prozac for dogs close. Four of the six dogs were clinically cured, one of which had an ALD at another location that completely resolved, whereas the tail lesion improved but still requires treatment. Two prozac for dogs of the six are still on Prozac. Separation Anxiety/Fear Anxiety is a state of chronic apprehension in which fear is a major component. Intimidating circumstances, such as being left alone or visiting the veterinarian; inanimate cues, such as prozac for dogs thunderstorms prozac for dogs and loud prozac for dogs noises; and animate cues, such as other dogs, cats or people, usually contribute. No matter what the cause, a common biochemical pathway seems to be involved. Based on this principle, a drug could theoretically satisfy this biochemical need. prozac for dogs I propose that SSRI drugs, such as Prozac, are acceptable. The following case will help prozac for dogs illustrate this point. Smoky, a five-year-old male castrated Weimeraner was presented to me in a desperate situation. The owners prozac for dogs had to move to a new house, which they shared with people who owned cats. They both took jobs and their preschool child started school. When left alone, Smoky was barking prozac for dogs all day, destroying property prozac for dogs and prozac for dogs when crated was doing damage to himself and the crate. The whole gamut of intimidating circumstances (being left alone), inanimate factors (being in an unfamiliar place) and animate factors (cats) were involved. Previous treatment involved sedative drugs to which he was gradually developing a tolerance. He was showing a personality change and becoming aggressive. The owners were cited for a noise violation and warned by a judge to cure or remove the animal from the premises. Prozac was effective in this patient in two weeks. After five weeks, a failure to return for a reexam prozac for dogs led to the discontinuation of the drug and a reoccurrence prozac for dogs of the behavior in less prozac for dogs than prozac for dogs one week. Reinstituting the drug afforded 95% recovery. Subsequent attempts to wean the drug have failed. In the six cases that I reported five recovered totally with single drug therapy and no behavior modification other than what was attempted prior to a visit to me. The sixth case also suffered from psychogenic pruritus, which did resolve. All of these cases have prozac for dogs required long4erm therapy with an prozac for dogs SSRI drug. The use of fluoxetine as a sole prozac for dogs drug treatment for separation anxiety cases appears to prozac for dogs be an acceptable, if not recommended, therapy. Behaviorists have argued that behavioral modification is important in prozac for dogs these cases; however, behavior modification was prozac for dogs not used in my cases in order to directly observe the effects of the drug. This was done at a time when Prozac usage for anything other than ALD or TMD cases was unknown. Behavioral Disorders These cases represent a broad group of behavioral disorders such prozac for dogs as aggression, fly biting, territorial behavior and inappropriate urination; I am reporting on one to three of each. For lack of a better category, I placed one fly-biter in this prozac for dogs category. Only one dog, a Kerry Blue Terrier, spayed prozac for dogs female, exhibited an increase of aggression while on fluoxetine, and this was induced by the irritation of being handled during grooming. Behavioral cases as described always require appropriate examination prozac for dogs prior to the use of psychopharmacologics. For example, inappropriate urination requires a systemic work-up; anxiety and aggression in an older dog can be a result of a variety of possibilities, prozac for dogs including deafness. One argument supporting the use of fluoxetine is that it does not interfere with cognitive function. The animal can still effectively receive behavior-modifying training. The same argument is more difficult to make when using sedatives such as Phenobarbital or diazepam. One case was a Jack Russell Terrier - owned by a very kind woman who herself was on Prozac - that displayed a dominant form of aggression toward males. It was not difficult to demonstrate in my prozac for dogs exam room. He is now on an adjusted higher dose and doing much better, according to the owner. This finding could not be appreciated during prozac for dogs my exam. The fly-biter was a male, Doberman-Rottweiler mix who periodically would bite at the air as if at prozac for dogs imaginary prozac for dogs insects flying prozac for dogs around. He was described as hysterical by the owners after prozac for dogs two weeks on fluoxetine. They complained prozac for dogs that he also totally lost his appetite, clung to them and demanded constant attention. Any beneficial effects of the drug were clouded. I changed the prescription to another prozac for dogs SSRI and lost contact. A castrated male prozac for dogs Miniature Poodle prozac for dogs was suffering from inappropriate urination. It started gradually as an adult with marking all over the house. The owners were greatly distressed and referred to me by family friends. He was prozac for dogs worked-up by prozac for dogs other veterinarians and prozac for dogs myself for possible causes, including bladder and kidney prozac for dogs problems. After about two weeks on fluoxetine, he discontinued his prozac for dogs in-house marking. Discussion ALDs and a subset of TMDs, as well as psychogenic pruritus cases, appear to be OCDs. If we observe prozac for dogs the symptoms of these patients, then we see their responses to SSRI drugs. When a stereotypic, repetitive disorder without prozac for dogs a function is prozac for dogs resolved when using a drug that is known to resolve OCD problems, then prozac for dogs the disorder can and should be considered an OCD. The finding of other OCDs in pets is not surprising. Dr. Rapoport sent Dr. Dodman, myself and others in search of prozac for dogs them. This area of psychopharmacology in the treatment of behavioral disorders should be one of the most exciting disciplines at the onset of the 21st century. The use of fluoxetine by general practitioners remains controversial. prozac for dogs Behaviorists and dermatologists promote an exhaustive work-up, yet it seems that even prozac for dogs when indicated, they choose to avoid Prozac prozac for dogs and use less effective, less expensive drugs. The biggest drawback and source of complaint is the cost. The average per-day cost for a 40 lb. dog is $2.00. It prozac for dogs is understandable for the owner prozac for dogs of a very large dog to be critical of the cost, although I have treated a 100 kg Great Dane and many 100 lb. dogs. Perhaps at the level of referral specialist, my clients are already prepared for an economic investment, but $5.00 a day for a 100 lb. Dog ($1,825 annually) is a lot of post-tax dollars over the course of one year. Other drugs, however, can also be expensive, for example Baytril, which is used in many of my cases. Ultimately it is prozac for dogs the client's decision. Amitriptyline, which is available in generic form, has been used as an inexpensive substitute despite the fact that many experts do not believe it to be anti-obsessional. Its failure to be effective has led prozac for dogs more than one expert to prozac for dogs negatively pre-judge other psychopharmacologics. A 100 kg ALD Great Dane on 120 mg of fluoxetine is attempting to switch over to amitriptyline prozac for dogs due to cost. It has failed at prozac for dogs dosages as high prozac for dogs as 500 mg as of this writing. SSRI drugs have no place in the treatment of allergy cases, except those in which a vaccine has not been adequately effective, and then only as prozac for dogs a component to traditional therapy. Although related to antihistamines, they are absolutely not effective as such. Dermatologists have a good point, at least in terms prozac for dogs of arguing that fluoxetine use is prozac for dogs improper for the average allergy case. The philosophical arguments are just that. prozac for dogs We are not toying with a healthy dog's psyche. We are not sedating or throwing hormones such as Depo-provera, causing the feedback system to go awry. These were the prozac for dogs only other known acceptable drug therapies for the syndromes mentioned in this article used up prozac for dogs to this point, other than behavior modification. However, prozac for dogs there was no national prozac for dogs controversy about the use or abuse of tranquilizers, sedatives or hormones. Perhaps there is a statement that could be made about society being too busy to institute more holistic, if not time-consuming, therapy Acupuncture has been an acceptable alternative in some cases of ALD, although the patient needs to visit the doctor at least prozac for dogs weekly for eight to 10 weeks. My clients are given alternatives; invariably they select the convenience of prozac for dogs a pill. If they need it and it is appropriate, then let them have the Prozac, Anafranil or Zoloft. References Melman, S.A. Psychogenic Dermatoses. Skin Disease of prozac for dogs Dogs and Cats: prozac for dogs A Guide for Pet Owners and Professionals, 1994, DermaPet, Potomac, MD 20854 Melman, S.A. prozac for dogs Psychogenic Dermatoses. DVM, March 1994. Melman, S.A. A Tail of (Tale) Mutilation. AVSAB Newsletter, July, 1995. Melman, S.A. Diagnostic Clinical Trial for the Pruritic Animal in "Skin Deep," VPN, July, August and September, 1995, p. 18. Rapoport, J. Drug Treatment of Canine Acral Lick. Arch Gen Psychiatry 1992; 49:517-521. Dodman, N. Pharmacological Treatment Of Behavioral Problems In Cats, Veterinary Forum, April 1995, pgs. 62-67. Hunthausen, W. and Landsberg, G. Pet Behavior Problems: A Practitioners Guide. 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