Prozac for Puppies?

Good luck, the offense of bouquet is a bit much.

 

My Panda initially sounds the alarm if ANYTHING is not exactly where it should be...that can be something as simple as a pan left in the dish drainer that I usually dry and put away immediately. But if I pick him up, let him sniff the offending object and tell him it is OK that does the trick. A new bouquet of flowers would get the alarm too. Sometimes it takes us a few minutes to figure out exactly what is causing all the distress but once we give whatever it is the "sniff and OK" routine peace returns.
Trini

 

That’s wonderful! Having snow is a normal event for us but I know how happy it makes my boys. Here’s hoping it stays for a bit so are my can enjoy it!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY handsome Remy!

 

Well, perhaps it is semantics, but I would argue in many cases drugs like fluoxetine and CBD actually DO help with the "real issue".
(ALERT- Dr. Mac lecture alert.You have been warned.)

Realize what these medications do. When one nerve fires off another at a synapse there is a delay time before it can fire the same synapse again. (The neurotransmitter chemicals need to be cleaned up.) These medications slow the "cleanup" and delay the next discharge. So, for example, you are driving down the highway and some clown cuts you off at 85 mph and gives you the finger. And you start getting upset with "Oh, you know what I'm going to do when I catch up with him- that blanket blank blank, oh I am SO going to do this and that and yell this and that...." Essentially there is an electrical cascade in your brain that is excessive. That same sort of thing happens when a dog has, say, severe separation anxiety. He hears the car door open and starts to whine, then as the engine starts he starts to jump at the door and as the car drives away he starts tearing at the walls. If that electrical cascade could be dampened to a more reasonable response he would be better off.

So essentially all I'm saying is that anxiety is merely an over reaction to a non- threat caused by stress and adrenaline. So, while trying behavioral modification to find the cause of the anxiety and try to lessen it is fine, dampening the chemical overreaction to a more normal response actually IS an attempt to correct the problem rather than merely mask the symptom.

We always say that for any behavioral problem there are two methods of treatment- behavioral modification (which generally means employing a trainer), and pharmacological. Very often the only way to get a good result is to combine both in a synergistic fashion.

 

Interesting, and to some degree yes on semantics. I meant if you can lower the over all panic maybe you can train out some of them where they no longer cause panic. With a chance of reducing or eliminating the need for medications while keeping his happiness.

Give Remy a hug from us.

 

Super explanation, Dr. Mac, thanks for the input. Really makes sense.