Prozac for your Dogs and Why?

Hey guys, this is Nikki the lead Vet tech with Posh Dog Knee Braces. Today let’s talk about Prozac, and why we are seeing a rise in dog’s that need this.  Well, first off, dogs can and do get anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorders, and sadly depression just like humans.  Now you might say it is the owner’s fault, they need to just be there for the dog more, do training, etc.  That is not necessarily true.  More and more we are finding that some of these disorders in dogs, and humans, are genetically passed on.

You hear about rescue dogs, sadly we call them “covid dogs” because so many rescues were adopted during covid.  2020-2021 was a huge year for adoptions, which is great!  The downside, when everyone went back to work, these poor adopted shelter dogs, who have probably got some back story baggage, are now alone again and feeling abandoned.  Fast forward to 2022 and on, and we have some serious separation anxiety going on with our fur babies.  They don’t understand that there was a pandemic that happened and you need to work.  They have major abandonment issues, lack of training, and now are acting out.

This was a common occurrence, and still is, with some rescues and even purebred dogs.  We don’t always know a dog’s story, how they were desensitized as a puppy or lack of.  Sometimes without proper training and medication, these dogs are just simply miserable.  They can act out, destroy things, urinate or poop inside, hide, lick everything, stop eating, restless, and develop compulsive behaviors.  So many of these pups were sadly put down due to behaviors, biting family members, or destroying things. 

This is where we need to intervene with something like Prozac.

Prozac is relatively safe to give long term, but the downfall is that it can take several weeks for you to see any difference.  Don’t give up on your dog if they are showing signs of anxiety, even if it is hard.  Prozac is one of the cheapest prescriptions, and can come in pill, capsule, or powder.  You may even be able to get it compounded specifically for your dog, in a yummy flavor.  My own dog is on Prozac, and it is less than $10/month to treat her.

In my experience, Prozac has really helped with some of the anxiety symptoms.  Our dog has a genetic OCD and anxiety disorder, that kept her in fear of everything all day.  She would put herself in a corner and stare at the wall for hours before Prozac.  I am home with her all day, she sleeps with my children, is loved and given all the attention, on a great diet, exercised daily, has a dog best friend, but sometimes that is not enough.  We tried supplements, plug ins, and even training therapies, but nothing worked.  Until we started Prozac.  It’s ok to help our fur babies when they need it!

Again please let me know if you have any questions! You can contact us via our contact form or visit our Facebook page for more information.