Anxiety Medications - Any Experiences or Advice? Update 3

[Stella]

My younger LD, Chase, will be five this weekend, we have had him since he was nine weeks old. He has always been a highly strung, anxious dog with reactivity issues around dogs he doesn't know. He also starts fights with my other LD, Hartley. Hartley has good bite inhibition and always comes off worst in a fight. We had a couple of years where things were pretty good between them, and I also have done a lot of training and behaviour modification work with Chase which has improved his behaviour in public. We had even been able to go to some agility trials with him. My husband (who Chase was very attached to) and I separated earlier this year, which has changed the family dynamics a bit - it is just me and the dogs now. Chases anxiety is definitely worse, and he and Hartley got into a fight two weeks ago which led to a $780 vet bill for Hartley. We are also going to be moving house soon, which I fear might make things even worse.

I feel that we have come to the end of non-medicinal options. I don't want him to continue to live in a state of anxiety and fear, and I don't want the dogs to keep fighting. I have made an appointment to talk to the vet about starting him on some kind of anti-anxiety medication. I am hoping that if he is less hyper, less ADHD like, less stressed, then he will be easier to get along with and, hopefully, happier.

I would appreciate any experiences you guys have had with these types of medications, and comments as to whether you found them effective or not?

Update: After three weeks on 10mg Fluoxetine/day, there have been no changes in Chases behaviour and sadly since moving house his separation anxiety is worse - he has begun chewing my furniture, which he has never done before. I called the vet and she suggested we increase his dose to 15mg/day, but when I got to the pharmacy they only have capsules in 10mg increments, so we are going up to 20mg/day. If this doesn't work, the vet wants to switch him to Amitryptaline (no idea how to spell it!), which I don't want because of its sedative effects. I don't want to sedate him, I want to help him be less anxious.

Update 2: It is almost the end of February and I wanted to let you guys know how Chase is doing. The Fluoxetine appears to be helping. I took the dogs for a walk in town a couple of weeks ago, which would usually have Chase completely hyper, whining, spinning, pulling etc. But he just tucked in right next to me and walked along. I began taking him to obedience classes (more for socialization than obedience - he knows that stuff already, but refreshers are always good!) and before the medication he couldn't settle on his mat, spun and pulled on the leash, panted, drooled, and had sweaty paws. Now, there is a noticeable difference, he relaxes on his mat, heels beautifully, holds an out of sight stay, and even took a nap during class last week! We still have a long way to go, but I am hopeful that the medication will continue to help and that this will help our training to be more effective.

Update 3: It is ten months since Chase started taking Fluoxetine. I am so glad that I made the decision to start him on it, it has definitely helped him. He is still a silly, goofy dog and he still struggles to focus at times, but he is so much better. When I leave for work now, he just barks once when I close the door. Before, he would start getting anxious and wound up 10 - 15 minutes before I left. He has come with me and Hartley to a whole season of agility trials and so many people commented on how much better he is doing. He is now happy in the agility ring, and even got two qualifying scores (he is still easily distracted!). He loves his agility lessons, and has gained so much confidence. I can now walk him in town and around at agility trials without worrying he is going to explode. He does still react to dogs when I walk down our road, but I think this is more terratorial. I am always on my guard when we are around other dogs, but he is so much less worried than he used to be. He is much less worried about everything in life than he used to be! He will always be a 'work in progress', but I am so proud of how far he has come.

[AndySharon BoomerShaynaMariner]

The "Mental Health" Group may be a better place to post this discussion.

http://www.doodlekisses.com/group/mentalhealth

[Stella]

Oh, I didn't know there was a mental health group - thanks!

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I don't have experience with these types of meds, but I do know others here have had success with them.

I'm sorry you are going through this, and hope that things improve for all of you. :) 

[Stella]

Thanks Karen. It is breaking my heart to be doing this. In some ways it makes me feel I am failing him, but I know that we can no longer continue the way we are.

[F, Calla & Luca]

This is really not true. You will be helping him and in no way failing him.

[Stella]

Thanks F. I am hoping that we can make him a happier boy that can live his life without being on edge all the time.

[F, Calla & Luca]

I am sorry to hear all these problems. My doodles have never been on these medications but I have used them for people for years. I have recommended them to people on DK and I think the dogs have all benefitted. I would certainly recommend that you check it out.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I am so sorry Chase has such problems.  I think you are right in that all the changes are causing his increased anxiety and behavior problems.  I hope the vet can help you and that meds help a lot!

[Kyoko]

My Charlie ( Almost 5 ) is the same way. She is very obedient, has done Rally and has titles, Agility trials, etc... years of obedience classes..... But she continued to be fearful of anything and anyone she does not know, like new trash can and a plastic Santa!! She has been on medication now for about 3 months. She is doing much better and situations are not as scary as they used to be for her. I too, was very worry and scared about putting her on medication, but I am happy that I did. She appears to be much relaxed.....

[Stella]

Thanks for your input. Charlie sounds very similar to Chase, he spooks at anything new on our walks and doesn't handle change very well. I am hoping that we can find something that will help him without making him appear 'drugged'.

[Kyoko]

She is not drugged at all!! She is on fluoxetine, which is a main ingredient of Prozac. And it is a stimulant and not sedatives.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Not really a stimulant but a non sedating antidepressant for the most part. And th antidepressants are the drugs of choice for anxiety too.