Category: Shy Dogs

Woof Wednesday With Dr. Lorie Huston: Behavioral Medications in Dogs

While many veterinarians, behaviorists, and trainers are familiar with using medication to treat behavioral problems in dogs, it is still something that many dog lovers are suspicious about. I have met many people who feel that using behavioral medications on dogs is unwarranted. Some feel that using medications like this is a cop out; that you are merely drugging a dog in order to avoid putting in the training necessary to deal with problem behaviors. Others feel that the veterinary & drug industries are just padding their coffers at the owners and the dogs expense. And as always there is still a stigma, even in humans about using medication for behavior issues.

Our guest this week is Dr. Lorie Huston. Dr. Huston has more than 20 years experience as a veterinarian and is well versed in the field of behavioral medications in dogs. She agreed to address some of the myths and facts surrounding behavioral medications in dogs.

DLD: What are some of the behavioral issues that medications can address?

Dr. Huston: Dogs suffer from separation anxiety, noise phobias (such as fear of thunderstorms or fireworks) and compulsive disorders of many different types. Many dogs with these types of disorders become destructive and can even create health hazards for themselves. Unfortunately, the household destruction that frequently accompanies separation anxiety and other behavioral disorders is one of the most common reasons dogs are surrendered to shelters, abandoned or euthanized outright.

The most commonly used behavioral medications, Reconcile and Clomicalm, are approved (by the FDA) for use in canine separation anxiety. However, in real world practice, they are also used for a variety of other behavioral issues, such as aggression, phobias and compulsive disorders. It is worth noting that while use of these medications to treat separation anxiety, phobias and other compulsive disorders is widely accepted their use in cases of aggression remains more controversial because of the dangers that some of our more aggressive dogs can pose to human safety. While I'm not suggesting that these aggressive dogs be abandoned or "written off", at the same time, threats to human safety are serious matters and must be properly addressed.

DLD: Aren’t these medications just a cop out? A way to say I don’t want to deal with my dog so I will just drug it?

Dr. Huston: No, these medications, if used appropriately, are far from being a "cop out". They are a means of providing relief for your dog's anxieties and making your dog more receptive to learning new life skills to replace the undesirable habits/traits. However, these drugs should never be used as a sole means of dealing with a behavioral problem. This type of usage is inappropriate and certainly could be called a "cop out". They should always be used together with a behavior modification training program designed to teach your dog to behave in an appropriate fashion to challenges in his/her life or environment. These types of behavioral modification programs require a great deal of commitment, time and effort and are definitely not a "cop out".

DLD: Are these medications the same as the ones used in humans, or are the developed specifically for dogs?

Dr. Huston: These medications are the same as those used in people. Reconcile (fluoxetine) is the same as Prozac. Clomicalm (clomipramine) is the same medication as Clopram, Clopress, Anafranil. However, these medications have been packaged in dosage sizes that are easily dosed for canine use. They are also being used in feline behavioral medicine.

Because Reconcile and Clomicalm take time to build up a blood level that is effective in relieving anxiety, other medications may be used as "rescue drugs" in situations requiring rapid anxiolytic (anxiety-reducing) effects. These medications would include drugs such as alprazolam (aka Xanax) and diazepam (aka Valium).

One medication that was commonly used in the past as a sedative but is no longer recommended in situations where anxiolytic effects are required is acepromazine. Acepromazine will sedate a dog nicely but will not calm the dog at the same time and may actually make the dog's condition worse because the dog will still be frightened but unable to react to the frightening stimuli.

DLD: When should an owner consider approaching their veterinarian about behavioral issues?

Dr. Huston: If anxiety or other behavioral disorders are affecting the quality of your dog's life or interfering with the human-animal bond between you and your dog, it is time to talk to your veterinarian about behavior modification and possibly about behavior modification drugs. Behavior modification can be accomplished in the absence of drugs as well. But for some dogs, the drugs will speed the rehabilitation by making the learning process easier for them.

DLD: Are these behavioral issues dealt with simply through medication, or are there other components?

Dr. Huston: Behavior modification training is always an essential part of using these drugs. These behavior modification training techniques take time and effort to teach. If you are unable or unwilling to pursue behavior modification training, behavior modification drugs are not appropriate.

DLD: Will using these medications require more trips to the vets office?

Dr. Huston: Your dog will need to be seen periodically for examinations and possibly even blood testing to make certain the medications are not affecting your dog in an unforeseen or undesirable way. In addition, your veterinarian will probably also need to discuss your training progress and how your dog is doing overall while on these medications. The frequency of visits will vary from one situation to another though. You should consult your veterinarian regarding how often your dog will need to be seen and/or examined

DLD: Once on a dog is on behavioral meds, is he/she on them for life?

Dr. Huston: No, the idea is to teach your dog new behaviors while receiving these medications. Once these behaviors are learned and have successfully replaced the undesirable behaviors on a regular basis, the medications are generally discontinued. It is a good idea when discontinuing medications like Reconcile and Clomicalm to gradually taper the medications rather than stopping them abruptly.

DLD: Do I need to take my dog to a specialist, or is this something all vets are familiar with?

Dr. Huston: Some veterinarians are comfortable dealing with these drugs and others are not and may refer you to a veterinary behavioral specialist. In some cases, your veterinarian may feel comfortable prescribing the medications for you but may ask you to work with a dog trainer who is experienced in behavioral modification techniques simultaneously. In almost all cases, behavioral modification training should be a positive reward-based system free of any confrontational or punitive training methods.

DLD: How can I find out more about these medications and the behavioral issues they are used for?

Dr. Huston: I have written several articles that may be helpful. Fluoxetine for Dogs, Clomipramine in Dogs, Dogs Who are Scared of Thunderstorms, Positive Reinforcement Dog Training, Separation Anxiety and Your Dog, Training Methods for Canine Seperation Anxiety.

In addition, Reconcile's website (http://www.reconcile.com/default.aspx) also has some helpful information relative to the medication itself and their recommended behavior modification training program for separation anxiety. Clomicalm also has a website (http://www.clomicalm.novartis.us/index.htm) that provides information about their product. They have a helpful FAQ's page about separation anxiety.

DLD: Why are using these medications so controversial in dogs?
 
Dr. Huston: I'm not sure about the answer to this question. Perhaps it is related to the stigma that is often (wrongly) associated with the use of these medications in people. Unfortunately, people requiring antidepressants or anxiolytic medications are sometimes incorrectly perceived as being "crazy" or "unstable". Perhaps it is related to the fact that many people do not like the idea of medicating or sedating their dog. Still others may not fully understand how and why these drugs are used in dogs. As stated previously, these medications are not appropriate for all pets. Owners electing to use these medications must also commit to extensive training and behavior modification for their dog. Not all pet owners are equal to these challenges. However, these medications can provide an alternative to surrendering a pet with serious behavioral issues and may, in some cases, prove to be a means of saving that dog's life by giving the dog owner options preferable to surrender or abandonment.

Dr. Lorie Huston is a veterinarian with over 20 years experience and is the author of the popular blog The Pet Health Care Gazette.

We welcome your comments and suggestions on this article. If you have other good resources of information on behavioral medications in dogs, please share them with us here.

Cheers

5 comments - Posted by Kevin Myers at 12:00 AM - Categories: Behavior | Behavioral Medication in Dogs | Health | Shy Dogs | Training | Veterinarian | Woof Wednesday

Woof Wednesday With Debbie Jacobs

When I came up with the idea of doing a Woof Wednesday blog I knew that Debbie Jacobs would be the first person I would ask to be my guest. Debbie was one of the first people that I followed when I first setup my Twitter account and she and I have much in common. We were both unabashed dog lovers and we both have fearful dogs that came to us by way of Hurricane Katrina. I quickly found that Debbie was not just another dog lover with a fearful dog, she was very knowledgeable about them and extremely passionate about helping fearful dogs and their owners. Her website, www.fearfuldogs.com, is a prime resource of information on fearful dogs and her blog fearfuldogs.wordpress.com is one of the most thoughtful blogs I've come across. So keeping our shy and fearful dogs in mind, here are some of the questions I asked Debbie.  

DLD: Behavioral medications for dogs are somewhat a hot button issue right now. At what point should an owners consider putting their fearful dog on medication(s) and is it something that most veterinarians are familiar with?

Debbie: I think that anyone who is dealing with a fearful dog would benefit from researching the uses and benefits of behavioral medications. Meds can help make it easier for anxious dogs to learn new behaviors. So the question I would ask is, when would someone with a fearful dog NOT want to make it easier for their dog to learn new behaviors? Any vet should know about when to prescribe meds, but some may not. Karen Overall DVM has done lots of research into the benefits of medications for helping dogs with behavioral challenges, so folks should check out what she has written. The longer a dog practices being afraid the better he gets at it.

OK that said, there are plenty of dogs out there that are fearful because of inexperience and with the appropriate handling and training can learn to be more confident & resilient without medication. These dogs typically respond quickly to training. Every owner has to become an expert on and advocate for their own dog.

The reluctance that most people have about using meds is that they don't understand how they work and assume that they will be sedating their dogs. While sedation may be a side effect of a medication, it should be short-lived and is NOT the desired effect. Some owners may find that after a few months on a medication they can begin to discontinue its use, others may find that given their dog's level of anxiety that medications may be helpful for the duration of the dog's life. Few of us hesitate to put our dogs on a medication for a physical condition such as low thyroid or diabetes, nor would we deny them the benefits of a pain killer or antibiotic. Behavioral medications can offer real benefits that affect the quality of a dog's life. They are not a cure and owners need to understand how to work with their dogs to help them learn new behaviors and emotional response.

DLD: When considering a trainer to help with a fearful dog, what questions should be asked to find out if the trainer is fearful dog friendly?

Debbie: Ask if they use corrections or punishment to modify a fearful dog's behavior. If so, find someone else. There is a list of trainers on the fearfuldogs.com website.

DLD: Before adopting a fearful dog, what three things should the perspective owner know?

Debbie:

1. The dog may always exhibit some kind of fearful behavior and working with it may become a lifelong project. It's probably going to take longer, require more time, effort and money, than you imagine to help this dog.

2. Fearful dogs can become aggressive dogs if not handled appropriately.

3. If you have no experience in positive dog training or no interest in learning, do not adopt a fearful dog.

DLD: What books and other resources should I know about to help me with my fearful dog?

Debbie:

The Cautious Canine by Patricia McConnell
Help For Your Fearful Dog by Nicole Wilde
Scaredy Dog by Ali Brown
Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt
Don't Shoot The Dog by Karen Pryor
If A Dog's Prayers Were Answered Bones Would Rain From The Sky by Suzanne Clothier

and of course http://www.fearfuldogs.com and http://fearfuldogs.wordpress.com

DLD: While Twitter is a great tool to help spread the message about fearful dogs 140 characters can be a bit limiting. Would you mind expanding a bit on the following tweets…

@fearfuldogs: U cannot 'show' a scared dog something is not dangerous

Neither dogs nor people that are seriously afraid of something care whether or not you say something isn't going to hurt them or show them how benign they may be. Most people who are afraid of snakes or spiders have never had one bite them. Forcing a dog to deal with something scary just gives them more opportunity to repeat feeling afraid of it.

@fearfuldogs: How would u like it if I made u hold a bunch of spiders? What kind of a friend would I b?

In an attempt to show their dogs that something isn't going to hurt them, owners force their dogs to deal with scary things. Not only is this not likely to change how a dog feels about the scary thing, he's  got good reason to worry about what you'll do next time you run into it. This lack of trust in his owner is not beneficial to a fearful dog.

@fearfuldogs: U don't have 2 know what made your dog a fearful dog 2 help her become more comfortable in the world.

People often believe that if they knew why their dog was afraid it would somehow make it easier to 'fix' them. The cause of a dog's fear does not change the process used to help to help them. Background information on a fearful dog is useful because it may help an owner establish realistic expectations for their dog. An adult dog that was never appropriately socialized will likely never become a social butterfly. But knowing 'why' a dog is afraid ultimately doesn't matter.

@fearfuldogs: When interacting w a scared dog just pretend it's a cat. Everyone knows u can't make a cat like u, so don't try.

Dogs that are afraid of people usually want to avoid social interactions with them. But people who like dogs, want to engage with them. We like to look them in their big, usually brown eyes, bend over, kiss them on the head or give them a big squeeze. All this just makes a fearful dog more afraid. If a scared cat hisses at us or scratches us if we get close, we usually get the hint. Not so for our poor dogs. A dog that growls or snaps at us to keep us away is considered a 'bad' dog. When someone gets bitten or scratched by a cat they usually blame themselves, not the cat.

@fearfuldogs: Anything that lowers a dog's anxiety will likely help improve it's behavior

Fearful dogs usually behave inappropriately because they are anxious, afraid or stressed. If a dog sees a person walking toward them and is afraid, the dog will react in one way. If when the person gets close the dog realizes that it's a buddy of his, he's no longer afraid and reacts differently. Stress and anxiety don't help any of us perform at our best. 

For more information about shy and fearful dogs, be sure to visit Debbie's web site at http://www.fearfuldogs.com. We hope you've enjoyed this talk with Debbie Jacobs and invite you back next Wednesday when Leslie Fisher of Look What I Can Do Dog Training will be our guest.

As always your comments and suggestions are welcome and I am sure that Debbie will be following the comments as well.

Cheers

Kevin, Jackie, Gavin, Annie, Tosha

1 comments - Posted by Kevin Myers at 1:30 AM - Categories: Adoption | Advocacy | Behavior | Dogs | Fearful Dogs | Health | Rescue | Shy Dogs | Training