It’s one thing to think that your dog is sad, or upset, maybe even angry and jealous. Yet its another thing to take that pooch to a vet and have them prescribe Prozac-like medications to combat his depression and or hyper behavior.
A recent study shows that many average pet owners, or animal companions as they like to refer to themselves, have seek medical expertise in an effort to obtain treatment for their pets illnesses. In reality, these treatments only serve to assuage the guilt that pet owners feel towards their animals when they are left alone for long periods of time. “Like their children, owners are seeking the easiest way to handle pets who they otherwise love but are unable for whatever reason to control.
‘A report, published in the latest edition of Current Biology, says a substantial proportion of dogs that worry when their owners leave the house are actually despondent in the human sense of the word. The finding flies in the face of common wisdom that dogs generally do not stay sad for long, researchers at the University of Bristol said.’ (CBCNews)
The report shows that as many as five million dogs in the UK, which is half the population of dogs (as of October 2010), are suffering from separations anxiety when their owners leave. In some cases these dogs may develop a jealousy when a new member enters the family, say a new baby. Dogs may show their dissatisfaction by destroying, chewing on items, cords, shoes, furniture and or excreting and urinating on the floor or carpet.
Treatments for dogs include anti-depressant medications such as Prozac, Valium, Fluoxetine hydrochloride which is the active ingredient of Prozac and is also known as Reconcile. Fluoxetine is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and gives great results in clinically depressed dogs. Unlike other anti-depressants, Prozac does not cause extreme sleepiness.
As the New York Times noted: Americans will spend over $50.8 billion on pet products and services this year. It is the fastest growing retail segment in our economy.
‘Surveys by the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association found that 77 percent of dog owners and 52 percent of cat owners gave their animals some sort of medication in 2006, both up at least 25 percentage points from 2004. Sales of drugs for pets recently surpassed those for farm animals. Eli Lilly created its “companion animal” division at the beginning of 2007 and over the next three years hopes to release several other drugs. Pfizer, whose companion animal revenues have grown 57 percent since 2003 to nearly $1 billion, hopes to develop medications for pain, cancer and behavioral issues.’ (DogNatMag)
Read more: http://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/prozac-for-dogs/
About Author: Khamal Murray is a major in Bioethics & Heath Studies at the University of Toronto and a blogger/writer with http://thejuxtapositionape.blog.com and a special contributor with Alternavox Magazine