Valium For Anxiety

[Guest fasthound]

Hello,

I am new to this discussion. Hopefully This post is under the correct topic.

I have a 4 yr. old male grey "Knight" and he has always been a nervous dog. Although I make sure he is well socialized- dog park, we walk everyday, etc. I also have a female grey 7 yrs. old. She is totally the opposite. outgoing, love going places, loves the car, etc. My dilemma is, I may be moving from my home into another place. "Knight" has been to this other house many times but constantly whines and cries whenever he is away from his home he has lived in for 2 years.

 

I wanted to see if there was any advice as to whether I should see if my vet can prescribe him an anti-anxiety medication until he settles in or would this make matters worse? Any thoughts or experiences. He is such a good boy other than his anxious nature. I will be moving to a condo unit and don't want things to get too loud. :-)

[Guest mbfilby]

Welcome to GT..

 

We also have a spook who is 4 and a well adjusted hound who is 9, and we just recently moved.

 

I personally don't like meds for behavior modification, and would only do so as a last resort. Our guy was just fine after a few days, because all his "things" traveled with him... same dog beds, crates, blankets, furniture etc.. My advice would be to see how things go for a few days first before medicating.

[Guest Giselle]

I've never heard of using medication preemptively for anticipated behavioral issues. That is a new one...

 

Your vet may or may not be okay with prescribing meds based on his/her personal feelings, but most vets that I talk to are very hesitant about it (mostly because so little is understood about the way these meds affect companion dogs). Most refer clients to veterinary behaviorists or prescribe medication as a last resort, rather than a first resort.

 

If you can, I'd rather focus on relaxation and alone training, preferably with a good and competent trainer. If no significant improvements can be made, feel free to discuss the option with your vet, but do so with caution. Good luck!

[Hawthorn]

You could look into something like Zylkene if it's available where you are. It's a food supplement (rather than a drug) which is used to treat stress and anxiety in all its many forms and is available without prescription although many vets do stock it. I've had very good results with it but have also read about about others who haven't, so it doesn't seem to work in every case.

[Laurenbiz]

Here are my two cents-

 

After trying everything (I mean - everything - if you've heard about X helping with separation anxiety, we've tried X 100 times,) for separation anxiety with Bernie and never seeing progress in 4+ months, we resorted to the antidepressant Clomipramine. He's been on it since late January and he is doing very well.

 

But, this was our absolute last resort.

 

I would not seek a prescription from your vet in order to prevent problems that possibly could occur. No offense, but I find that idea unsettling.

 

Have you tried DAP items, Rescue Remedy, behavior modification?

 

I think it's best that you do training and use over-the-counter items to ease his anxiety in the process of the move. If his behavior is absolutely worse than what you ever expected, then medication should be the last resort once you've exhausted all other options to work through that negative behavior.

 

[Houndtime]

We have friends who's dog get valium for car rides, so, a known behavior can get assistance. You know that he has been uncomfortable in that home.

 

I would try something simple like melatonin or valarian root, maybe rescue remedy or one of Claudia's stress oils. Perhaps a relaxing lavendar.

[Guest Giselle]

Just be forewarned about certain dietary supplements: There haven't been many objective tests, and the few that we do have show inconclusive results. Of the scientific journal articles that I've read regarding dietary supplements (specifically, tryptophan - which is a precursor to the synthesis of serotonin, the same neurotransmitter whose levels we try to artificially "increase" with SSRI antidepressants like Prozac), the results generally show an improvement in anxious behaviors due to... *drum roll* ... the placebo effect. Yep. It's highly psychological on the owner's part. If you're interested in reading more, I'm thinking of one journal article in particular: "Dietary tryptophan supplementation in privately owned mildly anxious dogs" by G. Bosch, B. Beerda, A. C. Beynen, (etc). in the Journal of Applied Animal Behaviour Science.

 

So, if giving supplements makes you feel more confident, by all means, use it! BUT don't expect anything drastic due to supplements alone. Above all, it is about training and behavioral modification. Pheromones, dietary supplements, body wraps, and prescribed medication are all training aids, and they can be extremely helpful aids. However, the bulk of your dog's changed behavior MUST come from behavioral modification and training. Do you have access to a good trainer? That might be a good investment!

[MaryJane]

I might suggest moving a dog bed and some toys to the new place and stay there for a few hours and see if he will calm down and sleep. Take a book with you so that you'll also be "peaceful".