Anyone Have Any Experience With Amitriptyline?

[RileysLegacy]

Just wondering if anyone has ever had to put their dog on this medication or know someone that has. What was the outcome? Thanks.

[Brooker914]

I had a cat that was on it. He used to poop on the floor, usually when any change occurred in our house. I was told it was somewhat of a"prozac" for kitties. We had great luck with it. What is the reason that your dog needs to be put on it? I think there are very few side effects. Charlie drank more when he was on it, but that was all we noticed.

[Guest LynnM]

It's more often used for cats.... especially for those that don't care for their litterboxes. It's a tricyclic antidepressant and in cats it's got a double-effect- it relieves whatever anxiety might be there, but it also helps them with litter-training. The last "bonus" is that it can be compounded into a medication that can be "smeared" in a cat's ear and applied transdermally, rather than having to pill the little bugger.

 

Amytriptiline isn't routinely used anymore in dogs that I know of, though it is safe. Among the tricyclic antidepressants, the most commonly used in dogs is Clomipramine (Clomicalm). Prozac (fluoxetine), an SSRI, is also used with some regularity.

 

The most important thing to remember when using a behavior modifying drug is that a plan must be in place (with a behaviorist or veterinarian trained in canine behavior) for behavior modification. This is going to be a long road. Meds, as I'm sure has been explained, is not a quick fix.

 

Lynn

Edited May 15, 2007 by LynnM

[RileysLegacy]

Lynn, do you know why it isn't used much anymore? Thanks so much for the info.

[NeylasMom]

Lynn, do you know why it isn't used much anymore? Thanks so much for the info.

 

It's still used although chlomicalm does seem to be the "go-to" SA drug of choice. I had my dog on it for a while for SA and it was the drug a friend used to get her dog over SA. Have you tried searching through this section and the behavioral section? I posted when I considered putting Zuri on it. It has another name too - Elavil I think - so I'd search for both.

 

Zuri was on it for a total of about a month or so. No side effects, may have mellowed him out a tiny bit. It helped with his SA, but not enough. When we reached the max dosage and it still wasn't totally addressing it, we stopped it. If you have more specific questions, that might help us give you the info you're looking for.

 

Jen

[Guest MorganKonaAlex]

Morgan has been on it for over a year. January '06 he was diagnosed with OS and had his leg amputated. Since then, he has

these 'starts' where he jumps up and is startled. We think it's nerve pain from his amputation. But he's always done the same thing

when he farts. We started him on Amytriptiline and it seemed to help. We tried to ween him off once but it didn't go well. It's

so hard to tell since the rate has always been extremely variable. At this point, he's 16 months past OS diagnosis. It's whatever

makes him comfortable.

[Guest LynnM]

It's not used as much because it doesn't have the record in dogs of working as well as Prozac + Behavioral Mod, or as well as Clomicalm + behavior mod. Of couse, there is the possibility of bias in the studies, but given the record of pet owners actually doing the recommended behavior mod (not a whole bunch), I doubt it's too far off. The soft spot here, in all likelihood, isn't the drug, it's the owner and the plan that the vet and/or veterinary behaviorist has set out for the dog.

 

The human factor is the greatest variable when it comes to these drugs and dogs. If the human is willing to do exactly what they're supposed to do, then the chances of the drug working (the behavior modifying into something acceptable) are MUCH greater. Of course, humans are far less predictable than dogs.

 

Lynn

 

 

[Guest greyladydown]

We used to use Clomopramine (Clomicalm) but we've found that Amitriptyline is much more effective and faster acting. I haven't encountered any side effects with either drug so far. Clomicalm can take weeks before the effects are felt, but Amitriptyline only takes a day or two. It's also cheaper. As Lynn said, all anti-anxiety medications must be combined with behavioral therapy.

[RileysLegacy]

My vet and I are talking about putting my Italian greyhound on it. He stresses himself out so much whenever we leave the house that he is making himself sick (explosive diarrhea). Even taking him on a walk around our fairly quiet neighborhood is a nightmare for him. If he sees anyone on the street he will cower and try desperately to get away.

 

We have been trying to slowly socialize him in the 4 months that we've had him but he just gets so freaked that nothing we do can snap him out of it. At home, he is doing wonderfully, but it he is like a different dog as soon as we leave his comfort zone. We don't have a yard so walks are a necessity. We also love taking our dogs with us places, and at this point we have to leave Puzzle at home.

 

My vet has talked to me about some behavior modification techniques I can try with him, so I know this is not a quick fix. We would just try it for a few months to see if there's any improvement.

 

He mentioned Prozac but said something about the dosage that I didn't understand. Something about needing such a small dose that they had to do something to the med to make it? I don't know. Should I ask him about Clomicalm?

 

I am just very hesitant to drug my dog, but at the same time I feel like it's worth a try if it can improve his quality of life. He is the sweetest, best boy and I hate seeing him sick

 

 

We used to use Clomopramine (Clomicalm) but we've found that Amitriptyline is much more effective and faster acting. I haven't encountered any side effects with either drug so far. Clomicalm can take weeks before the effects are felt, but Amitriptyline only takes a day or two. It's also cheaper. As Lynn said, all anti-anxiety medications must be combined with behavioral therapy.

My vet said the Amitriptyline will take a few weeks to work?

[Guest LynnM]

The thing he's talking about with Prozac is that the smallest standard dosage it comes in is 10 mg tablets, and they're not always readily available. 20 mg capsules are the most readily available dosage. 20mg is at least 4X the dosage for a dog the size of an IG. Fluoxetine has a large range of safety for both dogs and humans.

 

So, the drug must be compounded for a 10 pound dog. The alternative is mixing the standard dose thoroughly with something like a tin of Fancy Feast and giving it according to the vet's directions. Your vet is your best resource on this.

 

Lynn

[LuvAPuppy]

Our vet put my Mom's chihuahua on Clomicalm for sort of a generalize anxiety -- she was a mill rescue, never out of a cage, fearful of ALL people, ALL situations. It worked WONDERS! however we had to take her off of it because of her seizures and her thyroid disorder. it's been nearly ten years but it seems that using Clomicalm in a dog with thyroid may cause breakthrough seizures or something like that.

[Guest ZGrrl]

Anti-depressants by definition lower animal and human seizure thresh hold.

[VinnieAndRexsMom]

Yes, for Vinnie as a pain med piggybacked with another, and we also got a little relief from stress.

 

Red came to me on it because he was frearul and stressed in the dark. I continued it with behavior mod and weaned him off.

 

I didn't see any ill effect from either of my boys. It did what it was supposed to do, and I would use it again.

[Houndess]

Just a heads up: my husband is on it b/c he has trouble sleeping (fell off a ladder). Be aware that this medication cannot just be stopped once started (at least that's the way it is with humans). You need to wean yourself off it...

[Guest HersheysMom]

My vet and I are talking about putting my Italian greyhound on it. He stresses himself out so much whenever we leave the house that he is making himself sick (explosive diarrhea). Even taking him on a walk around our fairly quiet neighborhood is a nightmare for him. If he sees anyone on the street he will cower and try desperately to get away.

 

We have been trying to slowly socialize him in the 4 months that we've had him but he just gets so freaked that nothing we do can snap him out of it. At home, he is doing wonderfully, but it he is like a different dog as soon as we leave his comfort zone. We don't have a yard so walks are a necessity. We also love taking our dogs with us places, and at this point we have to leave Puzzle at home.

 

My vet has talked to me about some behavior modification techniques I can try with him, so I know this is not a quick fix. We would just try it for a few months to see if there's any improvement.

 

He mentioned Prozac but said something about the dosage that I didn't understand. Something about needing such a small dose that they had to do something to the med to make it? I don't know. Should I ask him about Clomicalm?

 

I am just very hesitant to drug my dog, but at the same time I feel like it's worth a try if it can improve his quality of life. He is the sweetest, best boy and I hate seeing him sick

 

Reading your post your IG and my Sonie could be twins. It's so good to know I'm not alone! I'm so glad you posted this as I've tried every natural remedy in the book and she is acutally doing worse then ever last few months. I cannot take her for a walk, and at this point she will not even leave the driveway. I have to take Hershey places and simply leave her at home. I am going to discuss meds with my vet, and it is a last resort because I've tried everything else. I feel the same way - I have to try. At this point I feel her health is at stake - she gets no exercise because she will not walk - she's already gained several pounds since this all started. At any rate, good luck with Puzzle whatever you decide, and I will be following this thread closely.

 

ETA: One question I do have is Clomicalm more for separation anxiety than "spooks?" It seems like all of the marketing from the company is directed towards dogs with SA, not inherently shy dogs.

Edited May 16, 2007 by HersheysMom

[Guest bona60]

Amitriptyline is generic for Elavil used in humans as an antidepressant. Prozac, also an antidepressant is different from Elavil also for humans.

[VinnieAndRexsMom]

My vet said the Amitriptyline will take a few weeks to work?

 

Yes. For pain the results are a little faster. For calming purposes, it's about a couple of weeks.

[Guest Tomgreyhound]

My vet and I are talking about putting my Italian greyhound on it. He stresses himself out so much whenever we leave the house that he is making himself sick (explosive diarrhea). Even taking him on a walk around our fairly quiet neighborhood is a nightmare for him. If he sees anyone on the street he will cower and try desperately to get away.

 

We have been trying to slowly socialize him in the 4 months that we've had him but he just gets so freaked that nothing we do can snap him out of it. At home, he is doing wonderfully, but it he is like a different dog as soon as we leave his comfort zone. We don't have a yard so walks are a necessity. We also love taking our dogs with us places, and at this point we have to leave Puzzle at home.

 

My vet has talked to me about some behavior modification techniques I can try with him, so I know this is not a quick fix. We would just try it for a few months to see if there's any improvement.

 

He mentioned Prozac but said something about the dosage that I didn't understand. Something about needing such a small dose that they had to do something to the med to make it? I don't know. Should I ask him about Clomicalm?

 

I am just very hesitant to drug my dog, but at the same time I feel like it's worth a try if it can improve his quality of life. He is the sweetest, best boy and I hate seeing him sick

 

Reading your post your IG and my Sonie could be twins. It's so good to know I'm not alone! I'm so glad you posted this as I've tried every natural remedy in the book and she is acutally doing worse then ever last few months. I cannot take her for a walk, and at this point she will not even leave the driveway. I have to take Hershey places and simply leave her at home. I am going to discuss meds with my vet, and it is a last resort because I've tried everything else. I feel the same way - I have to try. At this point I feel her health is at stake - she gets no exercise because she will not walk - she's already gained several pounds since this all started. At any rate, good luck with Puzzle whatever you decide, and I will be following this thread closely.

 

ETA: One question I do have is Clomicalm more for separation anxiety than "spooks?" It seems like all of the marketing from the company is directed towards dogs with SA, not inherently shy dogs.

 

This is crazy. If you look at the posts I've had over the last year you'll see that I too have a carbon copy of both of your dogs! As a last resort I tried clomicalm a couple months ago and found that it made Tom extremely lathargic and not really dicernably better. I've since been looking at the possibilty of putting him on some other medication and even hiring a professional behaviorist though god knows we can not afford it. Let me just say that you're definetly not alone, either of you, Tom is EXACTLY as you described outside the house. And recently he just refuses to go outside unless he's absolutely bursting at the seems. I'll add both of you as friends, maybe we can exchange some emails.

[Guest HersheysMom]

Thanks for sharing your experiences, Tomgreyhound! It's good to know your experience with the Clomicalm...I might ask about Prozac instead and skip the Clomicalm. I too am thinking of hiring a trainer to come to the house since it's hard to get her to leave the house.

 

I will be off the board and off the computer for the next week or so, but when I return, I'd love to exchange emails. It is around this time I will be talking with my vet about different options. Good luck!

[HJsM]

Yes. We had a very aggressive kennel dog that was put on amittriptyline. He did, indeed, calm down considerably after being dosed. I don't know the whys or wherefores, however, and some of it may have been that once some time had passed after his neuter, his testosterone levels went down too.

[RileysLegacy]

My vet and I are talking about putting my Italian greyhound on it. He stresses himself out so much whenever we leave the house that he is making himself sick (explosive diarrhea). Even taking him on a walk around our fairly quiet neighborhood is a nightmare for him. If he sees anyone on the street he will cower and try desperately to get away.

 

We have been trying to slowly socialize him in the 4 months that we've had him but he just gets so freaked that nothing we do can snap him out of it. At home, he is doing wonderfully, but it he is like a different dog as soon as we leave his comfort zone. We don't have a yard so walks are a necessity. We also love taking our dogs with us places, and at this point we have to leave Puzzle at home.

 

My vet has talked to me about some behavior modification techniques I can try with him, so I know this is not a quick fix. We would just try it for a few months to see if there's any improvement.

 

He mentioned Prozac but said something about the dosage that I didn't understand. Something about needing such a small dose that they had to do something to the med to make it? I don't know. Should I ask him about Clomicalm?

 

I am just very hesitant to drug my dog, but at the same time I feel like it's worth a try if it can improve his quality of life. He is the sweetest, best boy and I hate seeing him sick

 

Reading your post your IG and my Sonie could be twins. It's so good to know I'm not alone! I'm so glad you posted this as I've tried every natural remedy in the book and she is acutally doing worse then ever last few months. I cannot take her for a walk, and at this point she will not even leave the driveway. I have to take Hershey places and simply leave her at home. I am going to discuss meds with my vet, and it is a last resort because I've tried everything else. I feel the same way - I have to try. At this point I feel her health is at stake - she gets no exercise because she will not walk - she's already gained several pounds since this all started. At any rate, good luck with Puzzle whatever you decide, and I will be following this thread closely.

 

ETA: One question I do have is Clomicalm more for separation anxiety than "spooks?" It seems like all of the marketing from the company is directed towards dogs with SA, not inherently shy dogs.

 

This is crazy. If you look at the posts I've had over the last year you'll see that I too have a carbon copy of both of your dogs! As a last resort I tried clomicalm a couple months ago and found that it made Tom extremely lathargic and not really dicernably better. I've since been looking at the possibilty of putting him on some other medication and even hiring a professional behaviorist though god knows we can not afford it. Let me just say that you're definetly not alone, either of you, Tom is EXACTLY as you described outside the house. And recently he just refuses to go outside unless he's absolutely bursting at the seems. I'll add both of you as friends, maybe we can exchange some emails.

While I am certainly not happy that either of you are going through the same thing with your dogs, it is nice to know that I am not alone. Please feel free to email me anytime. I will definitely keep you all posted on how Puzzle is doing.

 

[Guest candt]

My vet and I are talking about putting my Italian greyhound on it. He stresses himself out so much whenever we leave the house that he is making himself sick (explosive diarrhea). Even taking him on a walk around our fairly quiet neighborhood is a nightmare for him. If he sees anyone on the street he will cower and try desperately to get away.

 

We have been trying to slowly socialize him in the 4 months that we've had him but he just gets so freaked that nothing we do can snap him out of it. At home, he is doing wonderfully, but it he is like a different dog as soon as we leave his comfort zone. We don't have a yard so walks are a necessity. We also love taking our dogs with us places, and at this point we have to leave Puzzle at home.

 

My vet has talked to me about some behavior modification techniques I can try with him, so I know this is not a quick fix. We would just try it for a few months to see if there's any improvement.

 

He mentioned Prozac but said something about the dosage that I didn't understand. Something about needing such a small dose that they had to do something to the med to make it? I don't know. Should I ask him about Clomicalm?

 

I am just very hesitant to drug my dog, but at the same time I feel like it's worth a try if it can improve his quality of life. He is the sweetest, best boy and I hate seeing him sick

 

 

We used to use Clomopramine (Clomicalm) but we've found that Amitriptyline is much more effective and faster acting. I haven't encountered any side effects with either drug so far. Clomicalm can take weeks before the effects are felt, but Amitriptyline only takes a day or two. It's also cheaper. As Lynn said, all anti-anxiety medications must be combined with behavioral therapy.

My vet said the Amitriptyline will take a few weeks to work?

 

 

you know that true had those panic attacks when we lied in nyc and how behavior mod just didnt work when she was in that kind of state. she was on chlomicalm for 3 months and it was enough to calm her down to work some behavior mond on her and as you know now, especially since you saw her recently, shes perfectly fine and not scared in those same kind of situations.

 

i really think she was working herself up more and more and more, and it was a vicious cycle. i feel liek her short time on the meds broke that cycle and allowed her to calm down. shes been off the drugs for 3 years and aside from not liking to be left alone in unfamiliar palces (she did whine a bit at your moms, right?) shes been a great outgoing well adjusted dog.