Sedation for anxious dogs
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Is there such a thing as anti-anxiety meds for dogs? My german shepherd is really jumpy, and tend to flip out with new people. I'd like to get him to the groomer without worrying about him snapping…
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Yes, there are sedatives, they come in drops or pills but this type of medication is for particular uses ONLY (dogs that are afraid of fireworks, visits to the vet, long car trips etc). You can't use them all the time, and some can't be given to certain breeds. They normally last from 6 to 8 hours and need 30 min to take effect
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anti-anxiety meds for dogs?
There are a handful of anxiolytics for dogs. Which one is used depends on the type of anxiety the dog experiences: short term, long term, chronic long term (i.e., how long have they been having anxiety, and how long can they expect to be having anxiety).
The classes of anxiolytics :
[desc=acepromazine, an antipsychotic tranquilizer]ACE[/desc] = short term[desc=benzodiazepine]BDZ[/desc] = short / intermediate term
[desc=tricyclic antidepressant]TCA[/desc] = intermediate / long term
[desc=selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor]SSRI[/desc] = intermediate / long term
[desc=monoamine oxidase inhibitor]MAOI[/desc] = long-term
Vets usually try administering a drug from one class at a time. Short term cases rarely combine classes. In long term cases two of the classes may be combined: TCA and SSRI. If a drug from one of the classes that's used long term doesn't work on its own, a drug from the BDZ class may be added. Combining medication with behavioral modification appears to be more effective than medication alone in long term cases.
FDA approved for dogs:
MAOI…... Anipryl
TCA........ Clomicalm
SSRI....... Reconcile
ACE........ Atravet
BDZ........ Diastatthey come in drops or pills
And suppositories.
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I can see perhaps needing something for the dog for vet visits, but they tend to know how to handle animals. I had a mixed Spitz for some time. Spitz are related to Chows and have the same temperament. Master is Alpha dog and must be protected at all costs. If Master accepts puny human then all is well and we can stop trying to kill them. It's weird. I was a teen and played the piano. We found that we could let in guests best by having them sit on the piano bench. Dog reasoned that if puny human could sit on throne, must be OK and that was that. My dog wasn't particularly large, but you did not want to mess with it. Or me. A bit of a mixed blessing.
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@beep:
but they (vets) tend to know how to handle animals
The same goes for groomers, used to all kinds of behavior.
The only one who might need the tranquilizer then is Detroiticus — but that can be done with some Glenfiddich afterwards.
