Prozac for our Zoe

[Sari Brafman]

Hi All-

I posted a while back about an issue we were having with our 4 year old female Goldendoodle, Zoe....

She had been obsessively licking an area on her back leg ONLY when she was left alone for the past year. She has spent about a year in a cone whenever we are not home to prevent her from getting to her leg. We had her allergy tested to see if that could have been what was causing the licking, and she came back negative to everything. Our Vet diagnosed her with OCD/separation anxiety and put her on Xanax, which did not work. We ordered a Hock Sock from a website to cover the area of her leg and that only worked for about a week. She figured out how to undo the velcro and licked/chewed her leg until it was raw.  

Our vet called in a prescription of Prozac and Zoe is set to take the first dose tomorrow. Has anyone else given their dog Prozac, and if so, did it work for you?

I've done a bit of research and it seems that this is our last option...

[Deborah Brown]

Wayne has been on Prozac for years now.  It has been a lifesaver for us and allows him to live the life of a normal dog.  Prozac doesn't work over night.  You need some time to get Zoe adjusted to it and then you may need to adjust the dosage to fit her.  She may need a fairly high amount in the beginning but once stabilized, she can cut back.

I worry from time to time about Wayne being on it long term and we tried to wean him off it unsuccessfully earlier this year.  I guess he is a lifer.  His blood work is good and he is a happy dog so I am grateful that this is an option for him.

[Sari Brafman]

Deborah-

Thank you so much for writing me back. I am so glad to hear that it worked for your dog so well. I just picked up the prescription and I am going to give Zoe her first dose tomorrow. I'm hoping this works, because we've run out of all other options!

What dose is your dog on? Zoe will be on 30mg. Did you see any side effects when Wayne first started it?

[F, Calla & Luca]

I have recommended Prozac here on DK although my dogs don't need it. It has been very successful.

[Stella]

It has been discussed quite a bit in the Health and Medical Issues group, there are a few members of that group using Prozac. You could also check into the Anxiety group, although I found I got more response in the Health and Medical group when I had questions. I started my Chase on Prozac last November, he was almost five years old and was anxious about pretty much everything in life. He was in such a high state of arousal all the time, which led to serious fights between him and my other dog. It was a very difficult decision for me to make, I felt I had failed him. But, I had tried pretty much everything else out there in the way of behaviour modification training, natural remedies, thundershirts etc etc. All I can say now is that I wish I had done it sooner. He isn't cured, he is still anxious, but it has taken the edge off, making his anxiety more manageable and the behaviour modification training more successful. People who haven't seen him for a while have commented on the difference.

It takes time for the drug to get into his system and for you to see a difference, and you may have to play around with the dose. Actually, for the first few weeks, Chase was worse - apparently it can give you the jitters initially, and I definitely saw that with him. Amongst other things as time has passed, his separation anxiety has improved and he no longer begins freaking out 10-15 mins before I leave for work. Now, he gives one bark as I close the front door and that is it.

I hope that it works for your girl, keep us updated.

[Emily, Bentley, & Maserati]

Our dogs have not needed to take it but our friends Border Collie has been on Prozac for many years. It has made a huge difference in her quality of life. 

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

Good luck and I hope it helps Zoe.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

Yes I have and my only regret was not getting it sooner.  Like Stella mentioned, it is not a cure all and should be used with behavior modification, but you can feel the relief emulating from your poor, anxiety- ridden dog.

Good for you for giving this a try. Make sure you give it everyday and give it a month for full effects. I swear though, in just 4 days, we began to notice a great difference.

Dogs should not have to live with so much grief.  Thank you for helping your dog 

[Sari Brafman]

Thank you so much for all of your responses. I am hopeful that it will help Zoe in the same way that it has helped your dogs! Did you notice any side effects when first starting the medication? Zoe got her first dose this morning and I have been keeping a close eye on her. I am a teacher and I go back to work next week, which I am hoping will not throw her off too much.

[Joanne ~ Spud*]

We noticed none although some say they may be a bit more thirsty, some are more energetic ( I found this a good thing), while others may be more tired.  That is the reason you really need to give the medication a full month.

Your vet may have mentioned what he/she experiences with other dogs and what to look out for.   For most dogs, it is minimal, if anything.  The changes are subtle. This is not a tranquilizer so expect nothing drastic. You probably wont notice a thing.  

Just one day you will look back and think, " Geesh, how did all these good changes work for the best. When did this happen?  "

Note here, there were a few members who had to tweak this and other medications finding just the right dose or even change to another medication, but the majority of us here did say it worked and worked well with no great personality changes.  

My dog perked up.  She came out of hiding and was able to enjoy her yard, some play time, and hanging around the house, while loud noises and men still bothered her, we worked with a trainer to overcome each issue with some better results.  

I am sure you leave the TV on or a fan on when you leave for separation anxiety.  Right?   Use all your other tricks to help along with the medication. 

Good luck. 

[Sari Brafman]

Tomorrow is our 6 week mark of Zoe being on Prozac. Our vet said to wait the full 6 weeks before taking the cone off (she only wears it when we are not home). We are going to try to leave her without her cone on this weekend for small increments of time to see how she does before I leave her with no cone for an entire work day. We are hoping the medication is working and she will not bother with licking her leg. We have seen that she is much calmer since being on the medication! Fingers crossed that it works! I can't wait to not have to put the cone on her when I leave the house--it breaks my heart every time!

[Deborah Brown]

I hope this is working for you.  Good luck with the experiment this weekend.  It definitely makes sense to try it for short periods.

[Robin and Libby Louise]

So glad it seems to be working - I know it goes against the grain for many to medicate their pets in this way, but I know how much it helped me personally when I needed it!  So why do less for our babies?  :)