Clomicalm

[Walliered]

Da Vid has been acting really anxious for the last few days. This morning he would not touch is food. He has been acting like a thunderstorm is approaching and it is not. He is on 80 mg of Clomicalm. Prozac and Valium made him crazy. He pant, drools, paces and is just miserable...me too! He has been on it for about 3 weeks. He also has a bad back according to he x-rays...He has turned into my million dollar dog. Should I ask the vet to just take him off of the meds and just deal with the thunderstorms? Thanks again everyone.

[Batmom]

If he's getting more anxious rather than less and drooling besides, I'd take him off the med as vet directs. I'm not sure why Clomicalm would be prescribed for thunderphobia, unless a case of any port in a storm (bad pun)?

 

Has he shown signs of pain from his back? Is he taking meds for that? That could account for some of the panting and pacing you see.

[Walliered]

He was on pain meds for his back for about a week, but is not on anything now. We have thunderstorms about 3-4 times a week and he is crazy before they get here and while they are going on. He always has been (at least for the 1 1/2 years I have had him.) I think the vet is trying to find something that will work with him and that is why he is on Clomicalm. He walks fine. He runs down the steps and around the yard fine. He lays down and gets up fine. He never crys about anything so I do not know if his back is bothering him or not. I did see the x-rays myself and he definitely has a disk problem. I have taken him to a chiropractor 2 times, but don't think she is doing anything for him so will stop the visits. Actually I don't think he is getting more anxious on the med., I just think it not doing anything. It is like we are in a thunderstorm about 16 hours a day. Thanks for the e-mail. Nan

[KF_in_Georgia]

Is he shaking--or trying to shake--as if he has water in his coat? If he's doing much of that, then I'd guess that his back is bothering him. At least, that's the first sign my boy's spinal arthritis is flaring up. Sam takes Methocarbamol (muscle relaxer) for a mild flare (when he shakes out his back often); Meloxicam when it's time to bring out the big guns (when he starts to shake out his back and stops abruptly because it really hurts).

[Guest ctgreylover]

Tony was on it for SA. He did not drool or loose his appetite.I was not aware that it treats back aches. He has a bad neck but hes treated with pain meds for that. Talk to the vet.

[greysmom]

These meds need more like a month to see if they are going to work. Even then, the dosage may need to be adjusted several times to find the right one. He may need more, or he may need less, or he may benefit from using two or more drugs in conjuction. There are lots of anti-anxiety drugs left to try. If your vet is not familiar with treating for anxiety, look up a Certified Animal Bahviorst in your area. They should be better able to evaluate his behavior and reactions and hopefully help you find something that will work.

[Laurenbiz]

Hello!

Bernie is on Clomipramine for severe SA. Actually, I just posted yesterday on Greytalk that we are so excited that the vet has prescribed a new half dose for him - we are starting the process of weaning him down/off.

 

Anyway, Bernie has been on Clomiprame since late January. The dose really didn't build up in his system and we didn't start seeing and noticing changes until mid March. The vet did remind us that the meds would take at least six weeks to build up, so even though we started giving him pills in late January, we'd still experience his same SA behaviors as usual for a while.

 

But, by the time the meds obviously had kicked in, the difference was night and day.

 

If your dog has only been on Clomipramine for three weeks, you shouldn't see any difference at all yet. You have to give it six weeks - and in my experience, the change in behavior because of the medicine really was a six week period.

 

ETA: Clomipramine and Clomicalm = Same thing. Yours is a branded version of Clomipramine.

Edited August 12, 2011 by Laurenbiz

[Laurenbiz]

These meds need more like a month to see if they are going to work. Even then, the dosage may need to be adjusted several times to find the right one. He may need more, or he may need less, or he may benefit from using two or more drugs in conjuction.

 

I forgot to add that in my last post, too. With Bernie, we started out on a 25mg dose. After two weeks, the vet wanted us to let him know if Bernie experienced any side effects of the medicine being introduced into his system, like stomach problems. Nope. So, the vet increase it to 50mg for another two weeks. Still, after no adverse reactions, the vet gave us another two week dose of the 50mg since he was hoping 50mg would be the dose right for him. After that third round of the two-week period on the meds, the vet wanted to know if we'd seen any behavioral changes. No. So then he prescribed a two week dose of 75mg. And that is what Bernie has been on since.

 

So, now that I write this, I take back what I said in my last post. I was told six weeks for the drugs to kick in, but actually with Bernie, our process was eight weeks.

[Batmom]

Clomicalm does take several weeks to build up in the system but OP's dog appears to be having adverse effects so not a good choice for him.

[KF_in_Georgia]

I think I'd try putting him back on the pain meds (with your vet's approval). You know he has a bad back; stopping the pain meds might have resulted in the panting and drooling--both of which are reactions to pain as well as to stress. If he's on pain meds and still panting and drooling, then the Clomicalm might be the culprit.

[Walliered]

Ok, I will try this again. I think I just deleted my e-mail. Took Da Vid back to the vet today and she put him on Clindamycin 150 mg two times a day. After he finishes that she wants him on Gabapentin and Tramadol as needed. I took the Yucca in and she had never heard of it, but did not object. She scheduled him for a dental as it seems he is tender in a few places in his mouth. He spent all day panting, yawning and licking his lips until we got to the vets. Then he laid down full out and went to sleep. He makes me look like the idiot I am. Thanks