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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Original poster

Anti anxiety medication

25 replies

Soubriquet · 08/05/2018 12:30

Has anyone got any experiences? If so what does your dog take?

I'm going to get madam into the vet to see if they will give her some as over the last couple of months, her anxiety has sky rocketed. To the point where today for the first time ever, she actually went for another dog. No damage was done but she has never done that before. She had even said hello to the dog 20 mins earlier with no problem so she really snapped.

The adaptil isn't working so obviously now, medication is worth a try

OP posts:
MrsJayy · 08/05/2018 12:35

We gave our dog calmex it works a bit but not that well but better than adaptill iyswim hehad a total meltdown yesterday wehave the vet on friday to discuss it I hope somebody has some advice for you it is totally exhausting trying to manage a stressed dog.

Original poster
Soubriquet · 08/05/2018 12:38

It really is

It's taking the joy out of owning her. She's chewing everything. Nothing can be left on the floor without her getting it.

She shreds any paper she can get her teeth into.

She's constantly jumping up and scratching/nipping you. Worse with the kids as she will actually knock the 3 year old over. He has scratches on his shoulder where she jumped at him. She has nipped my face and my 5 year olds face too. Not nastily but it still hurt.

She's constantly barking at anything that goes by the window or the fence outside. I'm surprised I've not have any noise complaints. No matter what I do, I can't get her to shut up

OP posts:
MrsJayy · 08/05/2018 12:43

Och that sounds hard how long have you had her?

MrsJayy · 08/05/2018 12:44

And what age is she

Original poster
Soubriquet · 08/05/2018 12:44

A year now. We got her at 12 weeks and she's 14 months

OP posts:
Whatdoiladymcbeth · 08/05/2018 12:46

How did all this start?

What’s her routine like?

What’s your lifestyle?

Maybe we can help if we have a few more details.

LaGattaNera · 08/05/2018 12:46

www.dorwest.com/category/shop-by-condition/anxiety-behaviour/

my neighbour used these herbal remedies with great success

Original poster
Soubriquet · 08/05/2018 12:51

I'm not sure when it all started tbh.
it's gradually built up until it's become overly obvious

I'm a sahm and she rarely gets let alone.

I have two children (3 and 5) and she's usually really good with them and I am pretty strict when it comes to then with the dog. They are allowed to stroke her if she wants it, but no chasing around the room trying to get her iyswim.

She goes for an hours walk every day off lead, and usually happy to run about, maybe say hello to a couple of dogs but most just enjoying her walk.

OP posts:
MrsJayy · 08/05/2018 12:55

Is she speyed a dog we had before this nutter had a few phantom pregnancies before she got speyed her behaviour was erratic and unpredictable.

Original poster
Soubriquet · 08/05/2018 12:56

No she isn't yet. I was waiting for her to get to 18 months old for full maturity. She has had two phantom pregnancies with the two seasons she has already had.
Maybe that's a big factor

OP posts:
Dottierichardson · 08/05/2018 18:00

We have also used the Dorwest Scullcap and Valerian, they were recommended by our vet. They seem to work well, and are especially useful around stressful events like Guy Fawkes's night.

AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 08/05/2018 18:12

Anti anxiety meds seem to be a much bigger thing in the US than they are here - you see it particularly on reactive dog forums. I don't feel I know enough to have formed a particular opinion on them.

However, what training have you put in place? The chewing / jumping up / barking etc did make me wonder. If she has substantial issues with other dogs then training classes might not work for her, but one to one training sessions would be a good alternative. Look for a trainer accredited by one of the positive reinforcement dog training organisations like APDT or IMDT, and run a mile from anyone who advocates outdated pack leadership theories or punishment based methods like shock collars.

If you have done a lot of training, and are continuing with it anyway through the tricky teenage months, and you are really looking at the meds route because you've been down another pathway, then look for a vet behaviourist. It's basically a vet who specialises in behaviour (unlike your regular vet who is more of a GP than a consultant) and who would be best placed to prescribe anti anxiety meds if that's what is right for your dog.

toboldlygo · 08/05/2018 18:20

What breed is she? To be honest what you've described sounds less like anxiety and more like a bored adolescent dog acting out. Apart from her walk, what does she do or is expected to do during the day?

Original poster
Soubriquet · 08/05/2018 18:22

She's a chihuahua and she gets lots of play at home too. We are constantly throwing balls and raggies for her to fetch and chew.

She's never had a problem with other dogs before which is why it surprised me so much

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BiteyShark · 08/05/2018 21:50

We are constantly throwing balls and raggies for her to fetch and chew.

Could she be getting too much exercise? I find that if mine has been on the go all day his behaviour is definitely worse. The calmer we are the calmer he is so it's a balancing act between exercising him versus over stimulating him.

As for the barking if I left him in the front room he would bark at everything that went past. The only way to stop him is to remove him briefly to another room to break his concentration.

No idea about medication but hopefully your vet will help.

tabulahrasa · 09/05/2018 09:47

What training have you tried with her?

Anti-anxiety medication would usually be a last resort after training and behavioural modification have failed...

Original poster
Soubriquet · 09/05/2018 11:13

She responds very well to clicker training and she loves her treats.

But when she's barking at the window frantically nothing deters her.

I can physically lift her out of the window and she will still race up and down the room in a frenzy barking

OP posts:
BiteyShark · 09/05/2018 11:25

Have you tried physically moving her for a few minutes to a boring room each time she doesn't stop barking?

Original poster
Soubriquet · 09/05/2018 11:38

Yep. She still doesn't stop. I have to shut her out of the room at times when she starts going silly around the kids and she ends up whinging and scrabbling at the gate. Occasionally she calms down but most of the time she just gets worse.

OP posts:
tabulahrasa · 09/05/2018 11:59

So no particular training plan? No behaviour modification? No behaviourist?...

bluetongue · 09/05/2018 12:03

My whippet takes Prozac for separation anxiety. This is something I agreed to only after getting advice from a behaviourist that saw him at home and a specialist vet. I’m in Australia and we seem to be more pro medication than the UK. It hasn’t been a complete cure but it was bacically the difference between me being able to keep him rather than return him to the breeder.

Along with the medication there has also been loads of training.

My advice is get the best people you can to advise you and keep an open mind. There will always be those who judge you for going down the medication route but I truly believe my dog is happier for taking it. He has loads of character and zest for life, nothing dull or ‘drugged’ about him.

Original poster
Soubriquet · 09/05/2018 14:41

Yes I wouldn't wouldn't be considering it if I didn't think it would help her. She's incredibly high strung

OP posts:
tabulahrasa · 09/05/2018 15:17

“I’m in Australia and we seem to be more pro medication than the UK”

I have no clue about Australia tbh... medication is definitely used in the UK, in conjunction with training and with specialist advice, which is sounds like you have, so I’m not so sure it’s different.

Soubriquet, I’m asking about training and behaviourists because it’s seems like you’re jumping the gun a bit - you have a young dog, of a breed prone to all the behaviours you’re mentioning, so I’m not sure why you’re thinking medication before it sounds like you’ve done anything significant to address the behaviours?

I might be wrong and you’ve been recommended them by a specialist, but that doesn’t seem to be what you’re saying.

Squirrel26 · 09/05/2018 20:55

I gave mine Zylkene for a bit (on the advice of trainer/behaviourist) when I first had him. He was an ex-Street dog, very very anxious, very highly strung. He'd pace around, didn't want me out of his sight but also couldn't settle with me, mouthed all the time but was clearly doing it for comfort, obsessively chased birds (but it was like he felt compelled to do it, he wasn't enjoying it) and was generally way too over-threshold to even start doing any training - he wouldn't make eye contact with me, ran around endlessly in circles, wouldn't take treats. At the time we were doing 3 training classes a week, I think. It was bloody exhausting.

I think I gave him Zylkene for a couple of months, plus an adaptil collar and plug in, & I've since used it short term if something stressful is going on. I couldn't tell you if the drugs or the adaptil or placebo effect or the training or just time helped, but something did just take the edge of it and make him easier to live with. (Honestly, he still does all of those behaviours, but he does them with less intensity and less often.)

AvocadosBeforeMortgages · 09/05/2018 21:52

I, too, think you're jumping the gun a bit. Anti anxiety meds aren't a quick fix or an alternative to putting the work into training, they're a last resort for dogs that can't cope without them.

Get thee to a good quality training class (as above), reinforce what you learn throughout the week and assess progress in 6-12 weeks

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