About a year ago, I started working with a family who adopted a 2-year old cattle dog. Their older cattle dog, Miles, passed away (I also worked with him), and when they adopted Radar, he had some behaviors that weren't so good. They worked diligently with Radar on a behavior treatment plan for several months, and while he made improvements, some of his triggers still set him off. Radar was fearful and anxious, and he was a cattle dog, so he nipped and tried to 'herd' when he was stressed. Michelle reached out to me again when they were about to give up. Although they were familiar with herding dogs (they've adopted several), they just couldnt take a chance of Radar hurting someone. Radar was at the end of the line.
We had spoken about fluoxetine (generic Prozac) briefly before, but they wanted to try behavioral methods, along with some all-natural anxiety supplements first. I agreed. But because Radar was so anxious and afraid, those only went so far to help him learn. His brain still adrenalized quickly and he went in to 'fight or flight' mode in certain situations almost as quickly as he did the day they adopted him. When Michelle called, I gently pushed her to try fluoxetine as I have seen it work with so many dogs like Radar. She agreed and called her veterinarian. Radar started on fluoxetine the next day. Here is what Michele wrote to me after about 6 weeks...
"We reached out to Kari for help with our red heeler rescue dog. Radar was fearful and reacted aggressively when his triggers were set off. He would bite at us and our other dog, Sadie. Those triggers included loud noises like motorcycles and diesel trucks, accidentally touching him, and getting tangled in leashes. We were at the point of wanting to give him back to the rescue organization we had gotten him from but decided to take Kari's advice and give anti-anxiety medication a try, along with continuing the behavior modification we were already doing. Radar did well throughout the process and was very smart, but needed a little extra help in his brain when he was presented with his triggers.
We had spoken about fluoxetine (generic Prozac) briefly before, but they wanted to try behavioral methods, along with some all-natural anxiety supplements first. I agreed. But because Radar was so anxious and afraid, those only went so far to help him learn. His brain still adrenalized quickly and he went in to 'fight or flight' mode in certain situations almost as quickly as he did the day they adopted him. When Michelle called, I gently pushed her to try fluoxetine as I have seen it work with so many dogs like Radar. She agreed and called her veterinarian. Radar started on fluoxetine the next day. Here is what Michele wrote to me after about 6 weeks...
"We reached out to Kari for help with our red heeler rescue dog. Radar was fearful and reacted aggressively when his triggers were set off. He would bite at us and our other dog, Sadie. Those triggers included loud noises like motorcycles and diesel trucks, accidentally touching him, and getting tangled in leashes. We were at the point of wanting to give him back to the rescue organization we had gotten him from but decided to take Kari's advice and give anti-anxiety medication a try, along with continuing the behavior modification we were already doing. Radar did well throughout the process and was very smart, but needed a little extra help in his brain when he was presented with his triggers.
We are so glad we tried the fluoxetine! Radar is a completely different dog.
He is relaxed, sweet and his fear is almost completely gone.
Even though it takes 6 weeks for the full effects of the drug to
kick in, we saw an immediate change the first day he starting taking the
meds. He still has some issues with loud motorcycles and trucks but
we are working with him to curb those behaviors, and managing him in situations
that could be stressful. Training is easier now as he is a more focused
dog and doesn't immediately react. We are very happy to say Radar is
still part of our family! Michelle and Jamie E."
So, what did the fluoxetine do? It helped increase Radar's serotonin levels so his anxiety decreased. It helped his brain stay in a calmer place so he could focus. It took the edge off of his stress level so his triggers didn't make him so scared. And while it did all those things, he was able to concentrate on learning, so he will be able to wean off the fluoxetine within about 8 months once he learns new behaviors. Meds don't have to be a lifelong thing, and the best part is that fluoxetine isn't too expensive.
If you are struggling with anxiety and aggression with your dog, and have tried behavioral intervention, it might be time to try some anti-anxiety medications in conjunction with training... I know medications have a bad stigma to them, but they can really improve your dog's quality of life!
 |
| Radar somewhere in Colorado |
If you are struggling with anxiety and aggression with your dog, and have tried behavioral intervention, it might be time to try some anti-anxiety medications in conjunction with training... I know medications have a bad stigma to them, but they can really improve your dog's quality of life!
