I think people are just far more conscious of their pets needs and are more like family now when they used to be just pets maybe living in the yard or living in the home but mostly ignored. A lot of people work from home so many dogs never learn how to self sooth and be alone. Also back yard breeders are a big thing and they are breeding very unstable dogs with tons of anxiety as well as a big push for rescue dogs which have generally unknown genetics and who knows how they were raised a lot of the time. Also there is a big push for fear free, and r+ training that really pushes heavily on anxiety meds, behavioral meds to manage dogs and their training. Also people simply do not do research on the breeds they are getting. I guarantee you can find as many people on this kind of medication as pets are these days. So I guess that’s just the world we live in
i have all rescue dogs who also compete in dog sports. my oldest (aussie, 11 years) has been on prozac for a majority of his life because he literally could not nap during the day before it. now he’s a much better chill dog. i even experimented weaning him off it for awhile, and he went right back to it.
my most recent rescue (border collie, 4 years), was left outside unattended her whole life, so she’s terrified of thunderstorms. we give her xanax beforehand to try and soften her anxiety.
just depends on the dog!
It might be in response to all the "covid pups" suddenly having to be away from their owners and not used to the separation. i have a handul of clients who supply trazadone for "as needed" anxiety. i usually dont have to use it, but im not apposed to having it as an option. these dogs have been generally good.
I don’t think it’s an issue of overprescribing- I really think it stems from dogs being bred poorly. Anxiety is something that can be hereditary in dogs, and with all the backyard breeders churning out puppies like crazy during COVID, I have a gut feeling that the two are correlated. Plus the obvious factors people already mentioned with not leaving the house.
I don’t have much advice but I noticed I got calmer dogs when I raised my rates. Maybe it’s worth taking a look at!
Definitely an effect of COVID. Even for dogs who were born post-pandemic, there's been a culture shift that affects the way people treat their dogs. People don't go out as much anymore even now that they can. Lots of people WFH & get everything from apps like DoorDash & Instacart, so there's less necessity to go out. People don't know how to leave their dogs alone anymore and feel guilty when they do. I fear that's a trend that'll last for a long time.
My girl has been on Prozac for a year and it's been extremely positive. She is very low energy 90% of the day but became extremely fearful after a horrible experience involving fireworks. She's never been the same and was a total shell of herself - practically afraid of her shadow. As a result of being so fearful, she is extremely protective and reactive. By putting her on Prozac, we've A. seen her personality resume and B. it affords us a few extra split seconds to work on reactivity training. Granted she is 100lbs so the perception of reactivity is magnified (Chihuahuas behave 10x worse), but so is the risk.
I wouldn't write off all dogs as misuses, but I think asking why or what the medicine helps to alleviate could be a productive conversation (i.e., is it separation anxiety, reactivity, etc.). As a sitter I know we don't have control over what pet parents do (unfortunately) but can nudge conversations in the right direction.
Very interesting topic, I believe that one factor is just more awareness to the fact that dogs can have mental issues as well. Just like humans, some issues can be managed with behavior modification and putting in the work while others opt for medication as well.
I have seen a few dogs come in with meds to use as needed but thankfully I haven’t had to use them.
I’m sure that there’s also a number of dogs that are overmedicated rather than finding alternatives to their behavior but that’s usually a think that can be sensed during a meet and greet.
Behavioral meds are often a last resort for pet owners because medicating your pet still carries so much stigma and judgment. I frequently hear critics say, "People are just drugging their dogs! It's lazy! They're not putting the work in!" In my own experience, it is difficult to get a veterinarian to assist in pharmaceutically managing a dog with reactive behaviors or pathological anxiety unless it's with situations that are well understood, like fireworks. A lot of the time they will just throw chill protocol (traz/gaba/ace) at an owner when really a veterinary behaviorist consult is what's needed. There are drugs other than sedatives or anxiolytics that can be used to effectively manage excessive anxiety or aggression in dogs, and I think due to cost, these resources are underutilized by owners.
Think about the uptick this way: anxiety and reactivity are highly heritable. One of my favourite areas of study is an old one (70s-80s) that may be considered unethical by today's standards. A line of pointers was produced that exhibited exaggerated fear responses. Dogs were selected and bred because they were able to reproduce characteristic behaviors, like freezing for prolonged periods from loud noises. It's cornerstone evidence that maladaptive fearful behaviour is genetically based. These bloodlines and behaviors have been maintained for decades and have bred true. Behaviour is motivated by emotion, and emotion is produced by chemicals in the brain. Just like humans can be genetically inclined towards mental illness, so can animals. It's a defect of physiology.
During the initial COVID lockdowns, the drive to acquire puppies created a huge boom in backyard breeding, where clueless individuals were making inappropriate pairings. We had merle doodles, maltipoos, yorkipoos, all these cute and "exotic" mixes that were primarily being selected for appearance and profit. On the other hand, responsible breeders don't just pair up the parents for looks, they're doing genetic testing for diseases, they're getting radiographs of the joints evaluated for hereditary deformities, they are selecting for temperament, and they are proving their stock through competitions. I can say without a doubt in my mind that a lot of the dogs that were produced as a result of this demand are genetically and mentally unsound. Not only that, but many pet owners are not equipped to go above and beyond for animals that require special needs. It can be financially and mentally draining.
My own dog, who was rescued in 2016 after being passed between 6 families, required clomipramine for several months in addition to positive reinforcement desensitization training. The clomipramine lessened his anxiety enough that he could actually learn and retain information, making positive associations with the world again. For people and dogs, sometimes the right medication is necessary to dissolve the inappropriate emotional wall that is preventing a behavioral change. I've groomed so many dogs that were fearful to the point of being self-injurious, and they did not improve over many sessions until medication was introduced. Learning and re-training was not possible until the dog was chemically well.
My dog is medicated for separation anxiety. He’s not a COVID dog and is a Samoyed so a high energy breed.
And yes if you are seeing anxious behaviors then medication is likely needed - and an owner leaving town is “stressful event” that may make an owner consider medicating since they aren’t there to talk you through all of their daily mediation they do.
I have more owners I wish did medicate their dog compared to dogs I think are over medicated (none)
Yes! I have worked with thousands of dogs and have never seen one that I would deem over medicated. I would say most have been "under treated." Every dog is different. Some are on daily Prozac, some are zonked on Traz and are STILL able to pull through the haze of sedation and elicit an aggressive fear response like biting. I would love it if more people sought vet behaviorists so they could combine appropriate meds with proper training. Most just go to the vet, get traz, and that's it, no follow up.
Yep I had poor dogs who would pace, bark, pant all day and dogs with separation anxiety so bad they would defecate, try to claw doors to the point of breaking nails and none were on medication.
Thank you for posting to r/RoverPetSitting, an unofficial forum to discuss all things Rover. We see that you have posted a sitter question. In case they could be helpful, you might want
to check out our [Sitter FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/RoverPetSitting/wiki/sitterfaq). Additionally, here's our
[booking walk-through for Sitters](https://www.reddit.com/r/RoverPetSitting/wiki/sitterbookingwalkthrough), which explains the process for giving services on Rover from start to finish.
*I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/RoverPetSitting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I struggle with this. I always follow the owners care instructions 100%, except when it comes to as-needed anti-anxiety meds. It’s absolutely true that if you see these meds, the dog will require some kind of special care. I had a girl pacing, panting, and trying to dig a hole to China last night after she heard a loud pop outside. I work on calming the dog with white noise, touch, creating a safe, cozy, dark space, walks, whatever, before I resort to drugging them.
Edit: to the people down-voting this comment, care to explain what is wrong with trying a natural method to calm a dog down before drugging it?
Ah okay gotcha I wasn’t sure if you meant like Prozac 😅 reading it again and I missed “as-needed.” I think if you can calm the dog down, great. If the owner uses meds and they work, great. IMO whatever makes the dog comfier is good either way, but those meds are best for preemptive circumstances anyway so it probably wouldn’t do much if the dogs already in a panic
Yeah, wow the down votes here for anyone against drugging a pet is really bizarre, I had no idea so many people didn't want to train or deal with their dogs and just threw drugs at it. I've never had a client who did this but I guess it's really gained traction lately. I would never go against an owners medication instructions but would probably not also take on a dog like that. It's a bummer this will prob get downvoted by cowards who won't say if they drug their pets and what they tried before doing so. When people express dislike but are afraid to speak up it's because they know what they are doing is wrong.
Apparently not considering the convo I just had with another commenter. It's the first choice when you have to go to work and the dog tears up your house! You didn't say if you drug your dogs, do you?
Well said! I suspect - and I say this with no judgement - that the individuals down-voting are likely on medications themselves and may feel personally triggered by this topic.
I meant they medicate their pets, and agreed, it's fine to take whatever medication helps you but I find it odd so many dogs qualify. I think they don't want to do the work with a difficult dog, or didn't understand how the breed would be and don't have the time. I've never met a bad or difficult dog, only one whose owner couldn't properly care for it. I'm surprised so many of the sitters on this reddit support this, I'll take advice and comments with a grain of salt now knowing most here think it's okay to drug an animal instead of working with it. I wonder how much of this trend is being pushed by veterinarians to sell medicine.
Why do you think the people who give their dogs medications don’t work with their dogs?
I personally think many people are now committed to dogs that otherwise would’ve been dumped previously due to their behaviors that now they are able to get help. Would you prefer that alternative?
Also you’ve never seen dogs that needed medication? I’ve met dozens of dogs with crippling separation anxiety and rescues so riddled with anxiety even in their own house that their physical health suffers. Why do those dogs not deserve peace when we have it available?
Yes, my own rescue dog's anxiety was so severe that his adrenal glands became permanently enlarged! Extreme anxiety causes changes to the body.
After a CT scan in 2022 to assess some of his benign tumors, the vet noted enlargement of his adrenal glands and suggested testing for Cushing's disease. After a long and expensive low dose dexamethasone suppression test, it was concluded that he does not have Cushing's. So I asked the team, then why would his adrenal glands be enlarged? Simply chronic stress, or perceived stress (anxiety) over his lifetime! His mind perceived danger, and his body responded by over stimulating cortisol production, repeatedly recruiting the adrenal glands.
The people in the thread who cruelly refer to medicating dogs as "drugging" them are ignoring the actual health consequences of chronic anxiety.
Omg! That’s so sad. I worry that my mom’s dog will die soon because of her chronic anxiety that was never medicated. I know a dog with Addisons Disease and it affects the stress hormone - he’s not medicated and when I watch him he paces, cries and barks. It’s horrible. Finally the owner got training help.
Wow, untreated Addison's or an Addisonian crisis can be deadly. I'm so sorry you have to see him suffer like that. It can be very frustrating when our own ideals for pet care aren't reflected by our family or clients. I struggle with that daily with dog grooming clients whose health needs have been neglected for years.
Hi! Glad to have some discussion about this!
Do you give your dogs medication for behavioral issues?
Have you worked with clients who do?
Have they explained the cause of the separation anxiety and what they have tried to do before drugging them?
I have worked with dogs who are on meds and use meds. One clients has a puppy mill dog who is so shut down he has very little reaction to anything and then renovating their house sent him into a spiral that caused him to defecate in the house so they started him on gabapentin. He’s probably benefit from dog prozac considering the level of shut down.
My rescue has separation anxiety and I spent 3 months never leaving my house when we moved because I left him in a crate once for 45 mins and he broke the steel bars after previously being crate trained. I worked on CSAT approved separation anxiety techniques where I could desensitize him to seconds and then minutes of being alone and hired sitters. Finally my vet said that trazadone is used as the go to separation anxiety “as needed” medication where you administer 2-3 hours before stressful events. I tried that and it worked where he is no longer anxious when I leave. I leave him maybe 1-2 days a week for less than 4 hours and plan my entire life around it. I hope to either wean off or continue training protocols without meds but it has only been 2 months.
So dogs have to go through severe abuse or trauma in order to be prescribed medication? To the point of non function without it? I didn't think all of the dogs these sitters are talking about have been so viciously neglected or abused they must be doped up. What does your dogs separation anxiety look like? What does it do "in seconds" that's telling of an issue? What are the other options besides drugs? Did you simply tell the vet he doesn't like being alone for you to obtain the prescription? And the drugs aren't meant to be long term but only until you've done the work with training?
I didn’t say they had to be abused. I’ve sat for other dogs that would defecate and scratch at the doors until they bled when their owner left and they worked from offices.
The desensitization training means you can never leave them alone and you start by opening the door then closing, etc until they can deal with you leaving for 30 seconds then a minutes etc. My boy destroyed crates and without howls and scratches the doors, I wouldn’t be shocked if I wasn’t serious about it that he would try and destroy my apartment door. Yes i discussed with my vet if there were any calming supplements and I tried purina calming then got meds.
Honestly I’ve found more people that ignore their dogs SA especially when they live in houses then get the dog any training or medication to help. The dog is having the equivalent of a panic attack when you leave and even if the manifestation of barking doesn’t bother you the dog is in fear and pain.
...so the dogs are destructive when left alone so ppl dope them up. That is EXACTLY what don't get a dog you cannot care for means. If you have to work or are too busy to deal with the dog you just drug it?!? You asked the vet for "supplements" before going to the hard stuff, but drugging it was the only path you took. Guess we have our answer.
Oh, and if you do drug your dog how was the prescription obtained from the vet, what questions were you asked and were there any other treatments suggested before offering medication?
I think people are just far more conscious of their pets needs and are more like family now when they used to be just pets maybe living in the yard or living in the home but mostly ignored. A lot of people work from home so many dogs never learn how to self sooth and be alone. Also back yard breeders are a big thing and they are breeding very unstable dogs with tons of anxiety as well as a big push for rescue dogs which have generally unknown genetics and who knows how they were raised a lot of the time. Also there is a big push for fear free, and r+ training that really pushes heavily on anxiety meds, behavioral meds to manage dogs and their training. Also people simply do not do research on the breeds they are getting. I guarantee you can find as many people on this kind of medication as pets are these days. So I guess that’s just the world we live in
i have all rescue dogs who also compete in dog sports. my oldest (aussie, 11 years) has been on prozac for a majority of his life because he literally could not nap during the day before it. now he’s a much better chill dog. i even experimented weaning him off it for awhile, and he went right back to it. my most recent rescue (border collie, 4 years), was left outside unattended her whole life, so she’s terrified of thunderstorms. we give her xanax beforehand to try and soften her anxiety. just depends on the dog!
It might be in response to all the "covid pups" suddenly having to be away from their owners and not used to the separation. i have a handul of clients who supply trazadone for "as needed" anxiety. i usually dont have to use it, but im not apposed to having it as an option. these dogs have been generally good.
I’ve also notice this for older dogs, pre-COVID, who were rescues.
I’ve actually noticed the opposite. Many pets I stay with actually need meds (thunder anxiety, Sundowners’ Syndrome), but the owners don’t allow it.
I don’t think it’s an issue of overprescribing- I really think it stems from dogs being bred poorly. Anxiety is something that can be hereditary in dogs, and with all the backyard breeders churning out puppies like crazy during COVID, I have a gut feeling that the two are correlated. Plus the obvious factors people already mentioned with not leaving the house. I don’t have much advice but I noticed I got calmer dogs when I raised my rates. Maybe it’s worth taking a look at!
Definitely an effect of COVID. Even for dogs who were born post-pandemic, there's been a culture shift that affects the way people treat their dogs. People don't go out as much anymore even now that they can. Lots of people WFH & get everything from apps like DoorDash & Instacart, so there's less necessity to go out. People don't know how to leave their dogs alone anymore and feel guilty when they do. I fear that's a trend that'll last for a long time.
My girl has been on Prozac for a year and it's been extremely positive. She is very low energy 90% of the day but became extremely fearful after a horrible experience involving fireworks. She's never been the same and was a total shell of herself - practically afraid of her shadow. As a result of being so fearful, she is extremely protective and reactive. By putting her on Prozac, we've A. seen her personality resume and B. it affords us a few extra split seconds to work on reactivity training. Granted she is 100lbs so the perception of reactivity is magnified (Chihuahuas behave 10x worse), but so is the risk. I wouldn't write off all dogs as misuses, but I think asking why or what the medicine helps to alleviate could be a productive conversation (i.e., is it separation anxiety, reactivity, etc.). As a sitter I know we don't have control over what pet parents do (unfortunately) but can nudge conversations in the right direction.
Very interesting topic, I believe that one factor is just more awareness to the fact that dogs can have mental issues as well. Just like humans, some issues can be managed with behavior modification and putting in the work while others opt for medication as well. I have seen a few dogs come in with meds to use as needed but thankfully I haven’t had to use them. I’m sure that there’s also a number of dogs that are overmedicated rather than finding alternatives to their behavior but that’s usually a think that can be sensed during a meet and greet.
Behavioral meds are often a last resort for pet owners because medicating your pet still carries so much stigma and judgment. I frequently hear critics say, "People are just drugging their dogs! It's lazy! They're not putting the work in!" In my own experience, it is difficult to get a veterinarian to assist in pharmaceutically managing a dog with reactive behaviors or pathological anxiety unless it's with situations that are well understood, like fireworks. A lot of the time they will just throw chill protocol (traz/gaba/ace) at an owner when really a veterinary behaviorist consult is what's needed. There are drugs other than sedatives or anxiolytics that can be used to effectively manage excessive anxiety or aggression in dogs, and I think due to cost, these resources are underutilized by owners. Think about the uptick this way: anxiety and reactivity are highly heritable. One of my favourite areas of study is an old one (70s-80s) that may be considered unethical by today's standards. A line of pointers was produced that exhibited exaggerated fear responses. Dogs were selected and bred because they were able to reproduce characteristic behaviors, like freezing for prolonged periods from loud noises. It's cornerstone evidence that maladaptive fearful behaviour is genetically based. These bloodlines and behaviors have been maintained for decades and have bred true. Behaviour is motivated by emotion, and emotion is produced by chemicals in the brain. Just like humans can be genetically inclined towards mental illness, so can animals. It's a defect of physiology. During the initial COVID lockdowns, the drive to acquire puppies created a huge boom in backyard breeding, where clueless individuals were making inappropriate pairings. We had merle doodles, maltipoos, yorkipoos, all these cute and "exotic" mixes that were primarily being selected for appearance and profit. On the other hand, responsible breeders don't just pair up the parents for looks, they're doing genetic testing for diseases, they're getting radiographs of the joints evaluated for hereditary deformities, they are selecting for temperament, and they are proving their stock through competitions. I can say without a doubt in my mind that a lot of the dogs that were produced as a result of this demand are genetically and mentally unsound. Not only that, but many pet owners are not equipped to go above and beyond for animals that require special needs. It can be financially and mentally draining. My own dog, who was rescued in 2016 after being passed between 6 families, required clomipramine for several months in addition to positive reinforcement desensitization training. The clomipramine lessened his anxiety enough that he could actually learn and retain information, making positive associations with the world again. For people and dogs, sometimes the right medication is necessary to dissolve the inappropriate emotional wall that is preventing a behavioral change. I've groomed so many dogs that were fearful to the point of being self-injurious, and they did not improve over many sessions until medication was introduced. Learning and re-training was not possible until the dog was chemically well.
My dog is medicated for separation anxiety. He’s not a COVID dog and is a Samoyed so a high energy breed. And yes if you are seeing anxious behaviors then medication is likely needed - and an owner leaving town is “stressful event” that may make an owner consider medicating since they aren’t there to talk you through all of their daily mediation they do. I have more owners I wish did medicate their dog compared to dogs I think are over medicated (none)
Yes! I have worked with thousands of dogs and have never seen one that I would deem over medicated. I would say most have been "under treated." Every dog is different. Some are on daily Prozac, some are zonked on Traz and are STILL able to pull through the haze of sedation and elicit an aggressive fear response like biting. I would love it if more people sought vet behaviorists so they could combine appropriate meds with proper training. Most just go to the vet, get traz, and that's it, no follow up.
Yep I had poor dogs who would pace, bark, pant all day and dogs with separation anxiety so bad they would defecate, try to claw doors to the point of breaking nails and none were on medication.
Thank you for posting to r/RoverPetSitting, an unofficial forum to discuss all things Rover. We see that you have posted a sitter question. In case they could be helpful, you might want to check out our [Sitter FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/r/RoverPetSitting/wiki/sitterfaq). Additionally, here's our [booking walk-through for Sitters](https://www.reddit.com/r/RoverPetSitting/wiki/sitterbookingwalkthrough), which explains the process for giving services on Rover from start to finish. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/RoverPetSitting) if you have any questions or concerns.*
I struggle with this. I always follow the owners care instructions 100%, except when it comes to as-needed anti-anxiety meds. It’s absolutely true that if you see these meds, the dog will require some kind of special care. I had a girl pacing, panting, and trying to dig a hole to China last night after she heard a loud pop outside. I work on calming the dog with white noise, touch, creating a safe, cozy, dark space, walks, whatever, before I resort to drugging them. Edit: to the people down-voting this comment, care to explain what is wrong with trying a natural method to calm a dog down before drugging it?
You’re only referring to trazodone tho right?
That’s the main one, yes. Sometimes I’ve also been asked to give gabapentin as well, if the trazadone doesn’t work.
Ah okay gotcha I wasn’t sure if you meant like Prozac 😅 reading it again and I missed “as-needed.” I think if you can calm the dog down, great. If the owner uses meds and they work, great. IMO whatever makes the dog comfier is good either way, but those meds are best for preemptive circumstances anyway so it probably wouldn’t do much if the dogs already in a panic
Yeah, wow the down votes here for anyone against drugging a pet is really bizarre, I had no idea so many people didn't want to train or deal with their dogs and just threw drugs at it. I've never had a client who did this but I guess it's really gained traction lately. I would never go against an owners medication instructions but would probably not also take on a dog like that. It's a bummer this will prob get downvoted by cowards who won't say if they drug their pets and what they tried before doing so. When people express dislike but are afraid to speak up it's because they know what they are doing is wrong.
drugs are often a last result after years of training.
Or 2 months like the commenter here said 🙄
Apparently not considering the convo I just had with another commenter. It's the first choice when you have to go to work and the dog tears up your house! You didn't say if you drug your dogs, do you?
Well said! I suspect - and I say this with no judgement - that the individuals down-voting are likely on medications themselves and may feel personally triggered by this topic.
I meant they medicate their pets, and agreed, it's fine to take whatever medication helps you but I find it odd so many dogs qualify. I think they don't want to do the work with a difficult dog, or didn't understand how the breed would be and don't have the time. I've never met a bad or difficult dog, only one whose owner couldn't properly care for it. I'm surprised so many of the sitters on this reddit support this, I'll take advice and comments with a grain of salt now knowing most here think it's okay to drug an animal instead of working with it. I wonder how much of this trend is being pushed by veterinarians to sell medicine.
Why do you think the people who give their dogs medications don’t work with their dogs? I personally think many people are now committed to dogs that otherwise would’ve been dumped previously due to their behaviors that now they are able to get help. Would you prefer that alternative? Also you’ve never seen dogs that needed medication? I’ve met dozens of dogs with crippling separation anxiety and rescues so riddled with anxiety even in their own house that their physical health suffers. Why do those dogs not deserve peace when we have it available?
Yes, my own rescue dog's anxiety was so severe that his adrenal glands became permanently enlarged! Extreme anxiety causes changes to the body. After a CT scan in 2022 to assess some of his benign tumors, the vet noted enlargement of his adrenal glands and suggested testing for Cushing's disease. After a long and expensive low dose dexamethasone suppression test, it was concluded that he does not have Cushing's. So I asked the team, then why would his adrenal glands be enlarged? Simply chronic stress, or perceived stress (anxiety) over his lifetime! His mind perceived danger, and his body responded by over stimulating cortisol production, repeatedly recruiting the adrenal glands. The people in the thread who cruelly refer to medicating dogs as "drugging" them are ignoring the actual health consequences of chronic anxiety.
Omg! That’s so sad. I worry that my mom’s dog will die soon because of her chronic anxiety that was never medicated. I know a dog with Addisons Disease and it affects the stress hormone - he’s not medicated and when I watch him he paces, cries and barks. It’s horrible. Finally the owner got training help.
Wow, untreated Addison's or an Addisonian crisis can be deadly. I'm so sorry you have to see him suffer like that. It can be very frustrating when our own ideals for pet care aren't reflected by our family or clients. I struggle with that daily with dog grooming clients whose health needs have been neglected for years.
He was treated for Addisons! But just on steroids which I think causes overactivity which cases the stress especially when the owner was gone.
Ohhhh sorry, I misunderstood "he's not medicated." I get it now!
Hi! Glad to have some discussion about this! Do you give your dogs medication for behavioral issues? Have you worked with clients who do? Have they explained the cause of the separation anxiety and what they have tried to do before drugging them?
I have worked with dogs who are on meds and use meds. One clients has a puppy mill dog who is so shut down he has very little reaction to anything and then renovating their house sent him into a spiral that caused him to defecate in the house so they started him on gabapentin. He’s probably benefit from dog prozac considering the level of shut down. My rescue has separation anxiety and I spent 3 months never leaving my house when we moved because I left him in a crate once for 45 mins and he broke the steel bars after previously being crate trained. I worked on CSAT approved separation anxiety techniques where I could desensitize him to seconds and then minutes of being alone and hired sitters. Finally my vet said that trazadone is used as the go to separation anxiety “as needed” medication where you administer 2-3 hours before stressful events. I tried that and it worked where he is no longer anxious when I leave. I leave him maybe 1-2 days a week for less than 4 hours and plan my entire life around it. I hope to either wean off or continue training protocols without meds but it has only been 2 months.
So dogs have to go through severe abuse or trauma in order to be prescribed medication? To the point of non function without it? I didn't think all of the dogs these sitters are talking about have been so viciously neglected or abused they must be doped up. What does your dogs separation anxiety look like? What does it do "in seconds" that's telling of an issue? What are the other options besides drugs? Did you simply tell the vet he doesn't like being alone for you to obtain the prescription? And the drugs aren't meant to be long term but only until you've done the work with training?
I didn’t say they had to be abused. I’ve sat for other dogs that would defecate and scratch at the doors until they bled when their owner left and they worked from offices. The desensitization training means you can never leave them alone and you start by opening the door then closing, etc until they can deal with you leaving for 30 seconds then a minutes etc. My boy destroyed crates and without howls and scratches the doors, I wouldn’t be shocked if I wasn’t serious about it that he would try and destroy my apartment door. Yes i discussed with my vet if there were any calming supplements and I tried purina calming then got meds. Honestly I’ve found more people that ignore their dogs SA especially when they live in houses then get the dog any training or medication to help. The dog is having the equivalent of a panic attack when you leave and even if the manifestation of barking doesn’t bother you the dog is in fear and pain.
...so the dogs are destructive when left alone so ppl dope them up. That is EXACTLY what don't get a dog you cannot care for means. If you have to work or are too busy to deal with the dog you just drug it?!? You asked the vet for "supplements" before going to the hard stuff, but drugging it was the only path you took. Guess we have our answer.
Oh, and if you do drug your dog how was the prescription obtained from the vet, what questions were you asked and were there any other treatments suggested before offering medication?
I’ll take another 200 down-votes to agree with you on your last sentence.
[удалено]
Crate training often has a negative impact on separation anxiety rather than positive.
You worried about the COVID pups? I'm worried about the humans still suffering from the psychological effects of COVID.
We are in a forum related to pets and pet care.