Anyone tried Prozac on their dog?
My rescue dog has major separation anxiety. I have had her for a month now, and EVERY day I have come home to a diarrhea and pee mess in her crate that she has laid in or smeared around her crate. The crate is big enough that she has room to go potty on one side and lay on the other if she really had to go, but she has no qualms about laying in it or digging at it.. so I don’t think a smaller crate would be of any help. When I step outside, she tears down curtains, tries to go through screen windows, jumps at doors, and screams bloody murder.. I have tried the behavior modification things to make my departure less stressful and less obvious to her, but it doesn’t seem to help. The vet suggested fluoxetine to see if that helps with the anxiety, because her bowls just can’t take much more.. and neither can I! Even on boiled chicken and rice, and deworming medication, she has not improved. I am sure it is the anxiety that causes her to soil her crate.
I just want to know if anyone else has tried prozac for their dog, what their circumstances were, and if it helped. And of course, if there were any side effects.
Thanks!
She is a pit mix, and I am sure she has separation anxiety. She climbed a 6 foot fence at the rescue to get somewhere she wouldn’t be alone. She whines and cries when I leave or when other people leave, and runs around the house looking for them. I do not want to start her on anything raw until her gut has healed and has the proper flora to be able to deal with the bacterial load of raw meat.
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I do rescue work and have had one dog through the years that had to be put on medication. There was no other way.
After he was on it for about 6 months I tried to slowly take him off but he reverted back to the same problems.
Some times brain chemistry is mixed up in the genes so it is necessary.
Only a good vet that is trained in this problem will be of help.
Peace
First problem - the crate is too big for your dog. There shouldn’t be that much room for it. There should only be enough room for the dog to stand up and turnaround comfortably - when the crate is too big, the dog will eliminate in it.
Prozac is not going to help separation anxiety, and I’m not entirely sure that’s even what’s wrong with your dog. What kind of dog is it? Maybe you’re not giving it enough execise and it’s bored.
And if you’re going to feed her chicken, don’t feed her boiled chicken, feed her raw.
Summary of Adverse Reaction Reports for Prozac (Fluoxetine)
Note - these are not all adverse reactions - only those most serious.
1998 cases
Depression Suicidal/Suicidal Ideations: 113
Attempted Suicides (not completed): 65
Completed Suicides: 187
Deaths (not from Suicide): 34
Homicidal Ideations: 12
Homicides/Murders: 17
Hypomania/Mania: 31
From: http://www.cchrint.org/psychdrugdangers/
————————————————————-
I would recommend you to watch following DVD that is available online if you have fast internet. It’s told by psychiatrists, psychologists and people who worked for pharmaceutical companies. It informs you - beside other things - about side effects that are not often being told by psychiatrists. It also suggests an alternative in the end. When you then make a decision to take antidepressants, you may be better prepared, educated and understand what’s going on when you encounter some bad side effects. I would say that these information are actually vital.
The link sounds a little scary - that’s because many antidepressants have suicidal thoughts and impulses as side effects which you can also read inside the pack of some antidepressants.
Watch trailer 1:55 min (DVD free to watch on-line)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UV0J5EsYKuw
The whole DVD
http://www.cchr.org/#/videos/making-a-killing-introduction
Fox News about pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly (Prozac, Zyprexa and others)
3:36 min
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_iXApBeT5s&feature=channel_page
Generally the choice drug to aid in seperation anxiety is Clomicalm. I’ve heard good results coming from use of this drug along with a behavior modification program.
Clomicalm and Prozac can have some of the same side effects, although they do seem higher in Clomicalm patients. Clomicalm is also said to have a side effect of sedation. Other side effects include intestinal upset and seizures. Also when starting on this type of drug the problem can actuall become worse for a couple weeks. You have to remember that you are altering brain chemistry and that can cause some strange behavior.
Once on the medication you can’t just stop abrubtly, the dog must weaned off the medication. Also remember that you need to use it in conjuction with behavior mod. neither are a magic pill and the best results will be achieved when used in conjuction with a behavior problem.