One day, while picking up Lucy from daycare, the owner stepped over to talk to me. “She was really nervous today, kind of a wreck,” he said. “I think she’d really benefit from Prozac.”
I was floored. Lucy has always been more of an anxious type, but I didn’t think it was anything beyond the norm. And while I had faintly heard of “doggie Prozac,” I didn’t personally know of anyone who had their dog on the medication. (Sure, I myself take Prozac to manage depression and anxiety — but I never in a million years thought my dog would have to do the same.)
Prozac for dogs, better known as Fluoxetene, is more commonly used than you might think. According to the American Pet Products Association, nearly three millions dogs in the U.S. are on some kind of anti-anxiety medication.
Here’s our experience with Lucy and Fluoxetene:
Lucy’s Early Signs
I first noticed Lucy’s anxiety at the obedience classes we took her to just weeks after adoption. While other puppies tumbled and roughhoused with each other, Lucy was shy and nervous. Even when paired with the most docile puppy in the class in a one-on-one setting, Lucy was fearful, hiding behind my legs and trying to climb in my arms.
Her nervousness didn’t improve as she got older. At the dog park, she turned stiff as a board when other dogs sniffed her and quickly issued corrections. At home, she developed a pattern when we left the house of anxious barking and pacing that sometimes didn’t subside for hours.
The last straw came a couple months after our daycare provider, Tim, first suggested Lucy go on Prozac. We were out of town for a few days, and on the day we were set to fly back, we got an urgent email from Tim. “Lucy woke up in the middle of the night and peed all over the bed. Please come get her ASAP.”
Several hours later, after a stressful flight and drive back home, we arrived at Tim’s. “She trembled so much during her stay that my employees called me and asked if something was wrong with her,” he said. “I don’t think she should come back. She’s so stressed out and clearly unhappy.”
Down a daycare/boarding provider and worried about Lucy, we decided to discuss Fluoxetene during our next vet visit.
Symptoms
Before we go any further, lets talk about how dogs express anxiety. A few symptoms appear above, but there’s a wide range of ways dogs can show stress. Here are just a few:
- Physical symptoms, like excessive trembling, pacing, panting, etc. Consider the context for the behavior: Panting after a walk outside is normal, but if your dog pants a lot while you’re getting ready to leave the house, that could be anxiety.
- Excessive licking: Research has found that licking increases endorphins in a dog’s brain, which helps calm them down. But a lot of licking/grooming can be indicative of anxiety/obsessive behavior — they’re desperately trying to calm themselves down.
- Aggression
- Destructive behavior: There’s dogs who chew on a shoe or two when they’re puppies, but dogs with anxiety sometimes cope by chewing on door frames, window sills, doors, etc., sometimes injuring themselves in the process.
- Excessive barking
- Urination/defecation in the house
Assessment and Trial Run
We outlined Lucy’s behavior to our vet — pacing, stress around other dogs, separation anxiety. “We’re concerned about her quality of life,” we said. “She seems excessively stressed, and we just want her to live a happy, fulfilled life.”
Our vet agreed. We started off with a trial run of a little more than a month to give the medication time to take effect (and give us a chance to observe any changes).
During the first two weeks, Lucy was drowsier than usual and touchy with food. (We were warned about this, though, so we weren’t worried.)
By the third week, Lucy was largely back to her normal self, with some exceptions. When we took her to the dog park, for example, she was more interested in greeting the other dogs and letting them greet her. She even played a little!
It was working! We were thrilled.
Today
Lucy has now been on Fluoxetine for about three months. We upped her dose a bit after the trial run, from 20mg to 30 mg, to see if it would offer additional improvement — and we believe it has.
Just the other day, I took Lucy on a hike with a friend and her pup.
“She seems a lot calmer and happier,” my friend said.
Things are looking up for us and Lucy, but to be clear, it takes more than medication to properly battle canine anxiety. To see long-lasting effects, it’s best to use Fluoxetine in tandem with training that can help your dog — and you! — learn new ways to interact for a more harmonious home.
The Final Word: Do’s and Don’ts
If you’re thinking about talking to your veterinarian about Fluoxetine, take these points into consideration:
- DON’T try it if you’re looking for an overnight solution. Fluoxetine’s job is to even out a chemical imbalance in the brain. That takes time!
- DON’T try it if you’re trying to get a high-energy dog to simmer down. As our vet told us, there’s a lot of people out there who want to put their dog on Fluoxetine because their dog is “hyper.” Do not, let me repeat, DO NOT drug your dog because their personality/energy level is too high for you. Consider other ways to get them what they need, including dog walkers and toys that provide mental stimulation.
- DO try it if you just want your dog to live a better life. Because that’s what we all want, right?