Antidepressants For Dogs
Where do you stand on the issue of giving antidepressants to dogs? People working in animal welfare in Great Britain have been demanding proper conditions and training instead of giving dogs antidepressants for some time now in this hotly debated topic.
Criticized veterinarians argue that pills are merely a part of the therapy.
Experts in Great Britain have been arguing about use of the drug, Reconcile(TM).
It is intended for dogs and aims to prevent dogs with a nervous disposition causing problems.
However, animal welfarists accuse veterinarians of using Reconcile(TM) to compensate for bad living conditions.
Veterinarians reject the reproaches.
Reconcile(TM) is a chewing tablet and contains the same active substance as Prozac(TM), an antidepressant used by people.
The medicine, which is adapted especially for dogs, for example by supplementing it with beef flavoring, is produced by pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and has been approved by the U.
S.
Food and Drug Administration.
"Animal owners have a duty to care for their charges, pharmaceuticals should not be used to compensate for bad living conditions," criticized representatives of the British Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
In contrast, veterinarians who have specialized in the treatment of behavioral disorders in animals say that the treatment achieves very good results.
It has been used to reduce a fear of separation, destructiveness or howling.
Daniel Mills of the University of Lincoln, Great Britain, said "Animals have been treated successfully with Prozac(TM) and other drugs intended for people for many years now in any case.
Reconcile(TM) has been adapted especially for dogs and is thus safer.
No responsible veterinarian would rely solely on medicines to treat dogs with behavioral problems.
The pills are only one part of a package in which behavioral changes are also required of the dog owner.
" While antidepressants should never, ever be used to keep a dog that is simply not being allowed to be sufficiently active calm, personally I think there is a place for using antidepressants; for example, there are individual dogs and whole breeds that have a nervous disposition and for these, medicines of this nature can be very helpful, for instance during large celebrations when fireworks are being used.
What do you think? Should a veterinarian reach for a bottle of drugs if your dog becomes depressed? Visit our site and leave a comment.
Criticized veterinarians argue that pills are merely a part of the therapy.
Experts in Great Britain have been arguing about use of the drug, Reconcile(TM).
It is intended for dogs and aims to prevent dogs with a nervous disposition causing problems.
However, animal welfarists accuse veterinarians of using Reconcile(TM) to compensate for bad living conditions.
Veterinarians reject the reproaches.
Reconcile(TM) is a chewing tablet and contains the same active substance as Prozac(TM), an antidepressant used by people.
The medicine, which is adapted especially for dogs, for example by supplementing it with beef flavoring, is produced by pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and has been approved by the U.
S.
Food and Drug Administration.
"Animal owners have a duty to care for their charges, pharmaceuticals should not be used to compensate for bad living conditions," criticized representatives of the British Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
In contrast, veterinarians who have specialized in the treatment of behavioral disorders in animals say that the treatment achieves very good results.
It has been used to reduce a fear of separation, destructiveness or howling.
Daniel Mills of the University of Lincoln, Great Britain, said "Animals have been treated successfully with Prozac(TM) and other drugs intended for people for many years now in any case.
Reconcile(TM) has been adapted especially for dogs and is thus safer.
No responsible veterinarian would rely solely on medicines to treat dogs with behavioral problems.
The pills are only one part of a package in which behavioral changes are also required of the dog owner.
" While antidepressants should never, ever be used to keep a dog that is simply not being allowed to be sufficiently active calm, personally I think there is a place for using antidepressants; for example, there are individual dogs and whole breeds that have a nervous disposition and for these, medicines of this nature can be very helpful, for instance during large celebrations when fireworks are being used.
What do you think? Should a veterinarian reach for a bottle of drugs if your dog becomes depressed? Visit our site and leave a comment.
