Behavior Medications

When To Ask a Vet

Dog has been examined by a veterinarian and underlying medical conditions have been ruled out.
- A dog who feels unwell may be more likely to be “reactive” or resource guard.
- A dog who hurts may communicate by growling, snapping or biting.
Dog is displaying maladaptive behavior. Is the fearful/anxious behavior an appropriate response to the trigger? Being afraid of a snake is useful for survival. Being afraid of a common household object probably isn’t.
It takes a long time for the dog to calm down (staying over threshold) after exposure to a trigger. Does the dog shake off the event quickly or does it take hours? If the latter, this is evidence of a prolonged elevation of emergency hormones, such as cortisol, and is not healthy.
Not making progress on a fearful or reactive behavior with training alone.

Important Points

Behavior meds are a bridge between emotional health, learning, and behavior.
- The dog feels better, his brain can work better, so training, behavior work and management can be effective.
If behavior meds are prescribed, they will most likely be part of the overall solution along with training (behavior modification) and management, a “scaffolding” that supports these other aspects of health.
The goal of behavior meds is to help the brain reduce feelings of panic and stress in order to give behavior modification and training the best chance of success.
- Video: Trigger Stacking & Stress Hormones
OTC supplements vs behavior meds:
- OTC meds are not regulated, and can be more expensive. May just result in a delay getting started with prescribed medications.

Vet Options

Veterinary Behaviorist
- Veterinarian with extensive additional training and certification in working with behavior issues and medication. Best option, but expensive and may have to wait for an appointment.
General Practice Veterinarian
- May have to search to find one with more experience prescribing for behavior issues.
Consultation with Veterinary Behaviorist
- Have the GP vet consult with a veterinary behaviorist. This may be a less expensive and more timely option, especially when extensive behavior evaluation is not needed.

Types of Medications

Long acting - These are more likely to be prescribed for general anxiety.
- Some meds, such as Fluoxetine (Prozac) can take as long as 8 weeks to be effective
Short acting - These might be prescribed for situational fears such as fireworks or for a trip to the vet, or recovery from surgery.
- They can also be combined with long-acting meds for greater success treating generalized anxiety. Trazodone is the most common in this class.
There are many different medications, classes of meds, dosage levels and combinations that can be used.
- It can take time to figure out what works best for each dog - this is not a cookbook!
If your dog is prescribed a behavioral med, ask the vet to explain how the drug works, and be clear about the timing of doses.
- For example, if the dog is prescribed a daily dose of a drug that is relatively short acting, you may need to administer the drug in morning vs. at night in order for the drug to be effective while you’re working on behavior modification or when his triggers are most likely.

Is a Medication Working?

Look for the following indicators to tell if the medication is working:

Less intense negative responses
Less frequent negative responses
Faster recovery time

Myths

The dog will be a zombie or lose his personality.
- The goal of behavior meds is not sedation to achieve the result. If this is the response from a particular medication or combination, follow up with the vet to explore options.
The dog will need to remain on behavior meds forever.
- Maybe, maybe not, or maybe at a reduced level.
- If the dog has an anxiety disorder, it’s likely he’ll be on meds long term.
- If he’s responding to a situational crisis, such as the stress of rehoming, meds may only be needed for a short time.
Medications are expensive.
- Many behavior meds are some of the cheapest drugs on the market.

Additional Resources

The following video by Karishma Warr of Calm Canine Academy is fairly long (26 minutes), but it does an excellent job of explaining from a behaviorist’s perspective when and why to seek a veterinary consultation to discuss behavior medications. When Training Isn't Enough: Anxiety Medication & Speaking To A Veterinarian (Calm Canine Academy)

9 Things To Know About Behavior Meds (Instinct Dog Training)

Vet Explains Behavior Meds (Instinct Dog Training)

10 Medications for Dog Anxiety (PetMD)

Webinar: Behavior Medications for Foster Dogs (Dogkind)

Podcast Episode: “The Dog Trainer’s Quick and Dirty Tips” Behavioral Medication for Your Dog (October 26, 2014).

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