Medication for Canine Separation Anxiety

Canine separation anxiety leads to other undesirable behaviors such as barking for hours, destroying furniture or having accidents on the floor. Medication only plays a part in canine separation anxiety treatment.

  1. Function

    • According to veterinarian Alice Moon-Fanelli, medications for canine anxiety are intended to calm the dog enough to pay attention to training techniques. That will encourage the animal to feel more comfortable when left alone. Medications will not work by themselves, she says.

    Types

    • Human medications prescribed off-label for dogs with separation anxiety include antidepressants such as Prozac (fluoxetine) and Elavil (amitriptyline.) The only medication specifically for dogs with separation anxiety is Clomicalm (clomipranine).

    Side Effects

    • Common side effects of antidepressants and Clomicalm in dogs is drowsiness, nausea and vomiting. Novartis, the maker of Clomicalm, recommends giving the medication with food to prevent nausea.

    Alternatives

    • Respected dog trainer and author Pat Miller recommends the use of dog-appeasing pheromone instead of drugs. This synthetic hormone mimics the scent a mother dog gives off to calm her puppies.

    Worst Case Scenario

    • The Humane Society of the United States says medications for separation anxiety are an alternative, but the organization also recommends sending the dog to "doggie day care" or having a friend visit the dog while the owner is at work.