Prozac Dosage

[spottydog]

Our little girl has developed a very severe case of noise phobia relating to garbage trucks, air brakes, back up beeping etc. She doesn't get up until noon or later, won't eat in the morning, won't walk in the neighbourhood until the evening, and generally has a very restricted life. We have had her just under a year, the and she started displaying anxiety based behaviours after 5 months or so. To complicated matters, she also has been diagnosed with PRA, and will likely lose all of her sight within a year. We saw a specialist a couple of months ago, and he didn't think she had any vision loss at that time, but the signs were there that it was forthcoming.

ANYWAY, she has been prescribed Prozac and Xanax for garbage days. The Prozac dose she is supposed to be on is a fairly big dose, even for people. We have eased her into it, and she is now up to 40mg a day, going up to 50mg soon. Seems like a lot for a smallish dog, 57 lbs. She's been on it three weeks, and we can't say we have seen much improvement so far, if anything, she seems less playful. (She used to be her puppy self in the evenings, zipping, digging like a maniac, playing with her brother dog).

Anyone with experience using Prozac on their dog for anxiety?

 

[KF_in_Georgia]

A friend had a budding agility greyhound (Reagan) who developed noise phobias that were especially related to travel. Prozac didn't work. Xanax turned Reagan into "a belligerent, back talking greyhound with serious munchies." BuSpar was helpful.

 

The friend blogged about Reagan and her issues and their various efforts to help Reagan relax. See here (and check additional tags in the left column): http://neversaynevergreyhounds.blogspot.com/search/label/Reagan%20Fears

 

Reagan eventually was rehomed with a family friend. She doesn't have to travel in a noisy van, she has another greyhound for company, and now she has a toddler to follow around. She's a happy girl. http://neversaynevergreyhounds.blogspot.com/search/label/Reagan%20Misc

[PatricksMom]

Leo takes 20 mg/day for general anxiety and thunderstorm issues.

[3greytjoys]

Seems you're aware that it takes time for Prozac to build up daily in the dog's system and for the dog's body to safely adjust before it's fully effective. IIRC, our vet started our hound on 10 mg, daily and very slowly increased dosage over 2 - 3 months to a maximum adult dose of 40 mg. for our similar weight female Greyhound (for extremely severe separation anxiety). 40 mgs. was too much so we dropped the dose back down to an effective management dosage. I would consider holding off on any increased dosage to first evaluate your hound's body reaction to the drug. Since some Greyhounds are more sensitive to normal breed drug dosages, it's a balancing act because higher dosages might be too much for her body and kill her appetite, increase sleep too much, etc.

 

Xanax is for periodic short-term use and each dose doesn't last as long. It's often used for short-term issues like storms, noise, etc. but some dogs' anxiety increases on Xanax (as our case), so it's recommended to test a dog's reaction first on a day when noise is of no concern, and she can be watched carefully.

 

A few cautions just FYI: Don't mix any new drugs with Prozac without your vet's prior approval. Prozac should not be stopped cold turkey. A gradual decrease is needed.

 

Another short-term anti-anxiety option is Trazadone BUT it might not be safe with Prozac (without a full washout period), or with Xanax. Your vet could advise.

 

As our geriatric hounds' sight deteriorated, they became more sensitive to their environment. Best of luck.

Edited August 25, 2017 by 3greytjoys

[NeylasMom]

You may want to seek out a consult with a veterinary behaviorist. There are so many meds beyond the few that most regular vets are familiar with and prescribe, and the vet behv will give you a management and training plan as well. They just have a depth of knowledge that a regular vet isn't going to have, both about behavior issues and about the various meds and combinations that are useful and safe. I'm not sure how common they are in Canada, but if you can't find one near you there's a great one here in VA who will do a phone consult so you can continue to work with your vet. Let me know if you want her info.

[Busderpuddle]

A couple years ago Ruby was on 40 mg a day for her separation anxiety. She is also afraid of some noises, the BBQ, fireworks, thunderstorms, and even the ice maker at times. She was on it about 6 months, and we didn't notice a thing. We have tried Ativan, Xanax, and several others, but nothing has helped her.

I hope there is something to help your frightened little girl. It's so hard to watch.

[Victor]

I'm sorry to hear your girl has developed noise anxiety. Our girl Joy is petrified of small engine noises: lawn mowers, leaf blowers, vacuum cleaners, etc. We tried Prozac, but it made her more anxious, especially at higher doses. Xanax unfortunately didn't help her either.

 

Earlier this summer I read about Zylkene on Greytalk, and we've been giving her that with some success. She still vocalizes and tries to escape the noises, but at least she doesn't tremble with fear like she used to. We've been giving her 450mg once per day (mixed with her breakfast):

 

https://www.chewy.com/vetoquinol-zylkene-behavior-support/dp/121055

 

@KF_in_Georgia: Thank you for the information on BuSpar. I'll ask our vet about trying that next summer!

[greysmom]

Yes, IMO you've been increasing the dosage too quickly. Prozac takes up to 8 weeks to become fully effective. The xanax should take care of day-to-day anxiety in the meantime. If the xanax isn't working there are other fast-acting drugs you can try without to much wash-out.

 

However, it's always good to keep in mind that we don't really understand how anti anxiety medications work in dogs in the first place, and that not every drug will work for every dog. For our girl we tried four different drugs before finding Trazadone, which was the one that turned the key for her.