lacey Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Hello Does anyone use medication in treating separation anxiety? I have a dog I got from a shelter a few months ago that gets anxious and barks when I go out. The people at the shelter didn't seem to have any solutions. I have tried the DAP spray, tranquil paste, anxiety wrap etc but nothing lessens the anxiety. I am starting to wonder if he would be happier in a home with another dog? I have read about the de-sensitization methods and have tried some of this but I have health issues and can't sustain hours of going in and out of the house which is what seems to be recommended. Is it time to consider medication? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chezy Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I use homeopet anxiety drops, have foun d it works quite well , got it from vet , alt I am sure the vet has a stronger med that would work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Hi. It is certainly time to enlist the help of a professional - who can accurately assess the problem with you, and provide help! Folks on here speak highly of THIS PERSON maybe give them a call, and see if they think they can be of use to you? It is preferable to have someone work with you at home to sort out problems like this ..I hope that you can have a happier and more settled dog soon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Get a vet behaviourist to assess the situation. There is a strong argument for early intervention with drugs to help a dog over anxiety issues. The VB will be able to help you decide if medication is a good plan for you and what medications to use. Don't ask your regular vet! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lacey Posted October 4, 2011 Author Share Posted October 4, 2011 Thank you. I have not heard of vet behaviourists - is this a speciality? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
corvus Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Yes, vet behaviourists have specialised in animal behaviour medicine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poodlefan Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Yes, vet behaviourists have specialised in animal behaviour medicine. Vet behaviourists are like animal psychiatrists. They have behavioural qualifications AND they can prescribe drugs to dogs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christina Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 If you are considering medication like Prozac, anti depressants I suggest you try it on yourself first I had one & the effect was absolutely drastic. Up to the individual, many swear by it but I would never. Maybe a low dose of sedative may be kinder & less intrusive chemically if you are going to use drugs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 If you are considering medication like Prozac, anti depressants I suggest you try it on yourself first I had one & the effect was absolutely drastic. These drugs would no doubt be processed somewhat differently in a canine body . and someone just 'trying one' to see what happens is probably not wise . Which is why a professional should be consulted- to prescribe the correct training and/or medication. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lacey Posted October 4, 2011 Author Share Posted October 4, 2011 Yes thank you all. Medication is of course the last resort but I feel that I have given other options a fair go with no effect. I have held off consulting behaviourists thus far because of the expense and the advice I received from the shelter "behaviour team" was nothing I had not read about on the net - such as kongs etc which he does not like. My first concern is his welfare and wonder if he would be happier in a busier household with older kids and other dogs to keep him company. I don't know what medication is available for this condition but would question the vet very carefully about anything prescribed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ruthless Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Hello Does anyone use medication in treating separation anxiety? I have a dog I got from a shelter a few months ago that gets anxious and barks when I go out. The people at the shelter didn't seem to have any solutions. I have tried the DAP spray, tranquil paste, anxiety wrap etc but nothing lessens the anxiety. I am starting to wonder if he would be happier in a home with another dog? I have read about the de-sensitization methods and have tried some of this but I have health issues and can't sustain hours of going in and out of the house which is what seems to be recommended. Is it time to consider medication? Chopper used to be like this. I conquered the problem by doing this: Obedience classes once a week A walk and a run every morning before work [a total of 60mins exercise] No attention before leaving and after returning home for at least ten mins. Longer if he's still over-excited. A Dogtra anti barking collar [worked on the lowest setting on day one of use, but he continued to wear it for another year just to make sure the nuisance barking was gone completely] Left with a stuffed Kong or a big meaty bone Gave Rescue Remedy and/or Nervatona before going out Although I have multiple dogs I separate when out so having company didn't make a difference to him. It's not fun and can be very stressful, but most of all try to stay calm and don't pity him or spoil him. Hope that helps. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lacey Posted October 4, 2011 Author Share Posted October 4, 2011 Hi. It is certainly time to enlist the help of a professional - who can accurately assess the problem with you, and provide help! Folks on here speak highly of THIS PERSON maybe give them a call, and see if they think they can be of use to you? It is preferable to have someone work with you at home to sort out problems like this ..I hope that you can have a happier and more settled dog soon Thank you - I hope so too! I will contact the person you have recommended and have a chat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lacey Posted October 4, 2011 Author Share Posted October 4, 2011 Hello Does anyone use medication in treating separation anxiety? I have a dog I got from a shelter a few months ago that gets anxious and barks when I go out. The people at the shelter didn't seem to have any solutions. I have tried the DAP spray, tranquil paste, anxiety wrap etc but nothing lessens the anxiety. I am starting to wonder if he would be happier in a home with another dog? I have read about the de-sensitization methods and have tried some of this but I have health issues and can't sustain hours of going in and out of the house which is what seems to be recommended. Is it time to consider medication? Chopper used to be like this. I conquered the problem by doing this: Obedience classes once a week A walk and a run every morning before work [a total of 60mins exercise] No attention before leaving and after returning home for at least ten mins. Longer if he's still over-excited. A Dogtra anti barking collar [worked on the lowest setting on day one of use, but he continued to wear it for another year just to make sure the nuisance barking was gone completely] Left with a stuffed Kong or a big meaty bone Gave Rescue Remedy and/or Nervatona before going out Although I have multiple dogs I separate when out so having company didn't make a difference to him. It's not fun and can be very stressful, but most of all try to stay calm and don't pity him or spoil him. Hope that helps. Thank you. I had not considered using an anti-bark collar as I would prefer to get his anxiety under control if I can. Maybe it would be something to consider in the future if all else fails Barking is not the only problem you see. He seems to get in a panic when I prepare to go out - even though I have "mixed the signals" as suggested. I have tried your other suggestions as well. I can't manage more than a 20 minute walk each day unfortunately. Oh well I will just battle on and try and find a solution . I would really like to hear of others experiences in using medication to help treat this problem. I really think that when he is that state of anxiety that he is unable to respond to any training. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rappie Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 I really think that when he is that state of anxiety that he is unable to respond to any training. He isn't really in a state to respond. Medications are not a quick fix, they're not going to solve your problems instantly. They reduce the general levels of anxiety and make the dogs more receptive to behavioural modification for their particular problem. Medications shouldn't be used alone, they won't achieve the specific results we want without teaching dogs what we DO want them to do. So - all the changes and routines you are already doing will still need to be done. If there is a lesser (or no) component of generalised anxiety and it is really only separation anxiety, then sometimes intermittent medication with a benzodiazepine (valium or xanax) can be used but these have no effect on the long term situation. They just reduce stress in the short term after dosing - which in some cases is very beneficial like dogs with a storm phobia, they can then be used whenever we predict there will be a storm. They do however interfere with learning and memory so using them along for a long term solution is not as effective as a daily medication. The traditional schedule of graduated departure for separation anxiety can be tedious, and some behaviourists that I've spoken to don't use it. They work on teaching a 'calm' cue, making your departure a fun time (having a game, then going to a mat with a treat) and then leaving - using this routine when you know you're only going to be a short time and are definitely coming back soon. Other times (if you don't know when you will return), just leave quietly after going through the stages of 'calm'. Difficult to explain properly in a few sentences. I wouldn't' discount medication as an option, it needn't have a stigma of failure associated with it. If you're considering it as an option, find a veterinary behaviourist and speak to them about it. It may not be what you decide to go ahead with but it will be a good place to get information from. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lacey Posted October 4, 2011 Author Share Posted October 4, 2011 I really think that when he is that state of anxiety that he is unable to respond to any training. He isn't really in a state to respond. Medications are not a quick fix, they're not going to solve your problems instantly. They reduce the general levels of anxiety and make the dogs more receptive to behavioural modification for their particular problem. Medications shouldn't be used alone, they won't achieve the specific results we want without teaching dogs what we DO want them to do. So - all the changes and routines you are already doing will still need to be done. If there is a lesser (or no) component of generalised anxiety and it is really only separation anxiety, then sometimes intermittent medication with a benzodiazepine (valium or xanax) can be used but these have no effect on the long term situation. They just reduce stress in the short term after dosing - which in some cases is very beneficial like dogs with a storm phobia, they can then be used whenever we predict there will be a storm. They do however interfere with learning and memory so using them along for a long term solution is not as effective as a daily medication. The traditional schedule of graduated departure for separation anxiety can be tedious, and some behaviourists that I've spoken to don't use it. They work on teaching a 'calm' cue, making your departure a fun time (having a game, then going to a mat with a treat) and then leaving - using this routine when you know you're only going to be a short time and are definitely coming back soon. Other times (if you don't know when you will return), just leave quietly after going through the stages of 'calm'. Difficult to explain properly in a few sentences. I wouldn't' discount medication as an option, it needn't have a stigma of failure associated with it. If you're considering it as an option, find a veterinary behaviourist and speak to them about it. It may not be what you decide to go ahead with but it will be a good place to get information from. Thank you - very interesting information. It seems only related to separation. There is no issue with noises or storms that I have noticed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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