Use of Anti Anxiety Drugs for Pets

Pets get anxious sometimes, an observation that comes as no surprise to dog and cat owners. Triggers for pet anxiety include adjustment to new surroundings, severe weather, unhappiness over being left alone for an extended period and taking a long trip to a strange destination. Many pet owners have had anti-anxiety medications prescribed for making their pets more comfortable and less nervous in strange surroundings and under stressful circumstances.

  1. Conservative Approach

    • Veterinarians prescribe anti-anxiety medications for the treatment of separation anxiety and other such problems in pets, but they generally prefer to try other means of addressing the problem before resorting to drugs, according to PetPlace.com. This conservative approach is based not only on the premise that it's safer to solve a problem without medication but also on the fact that drugs can have some unwanted side effects in pets, just as they do in people.

    Ease Your Pet's OCD Behaviors

    • In an article on the website of the American Veterinary Medicine Association's JAVMA News, R. Scott Nolen suggests that anti-anxiety drugs can help you ease your pet's symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), an anxiety-related problem. Such symptoms may manifest in a variety of ways, including tail chasing, self-directed aggression, hunting imaginary prey, pacing, and excessive eating, grooming and vocalization.

      You'll first want to consult your veterinarian if you believe that some of your pet's behaviors fall into the realm of OCD manifestations. Your vet may feel that the pharmacologic approach will remedy the problem, or he may suggest that you combine the drugs with some form of behavioral modification to help your pet overcome his feelings of anxiety. Although a pet's obsessive behaviors may be amusing at first glance, they could well be a sign of serious anxiety problems that should be addressed.

    Popular Medications

    • Generally speaking, anti-anxiety drugs appear to have the intended effect of making your pets more comfortable and less nervous in strange surroundings and under stressful circumstances. Many of the anti-anxiety medications prescribed for your pets are the same drugs that you might take for the symptoms of anxiety and depression. That said, it is important that such drugs be prescribed by your veterinarian and not taken out of your medicine chest and given to your pet. Your vet will know the dosage that is appropriate for your pet, given its size and symptoms.

      Some of the more common anti-anxiety drugs prescribed for dogs include clomipramine, which has both anti-anxiety and antidepressant properties; amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant; and fluoxetine, according to the VetInfo website. Other drugs prescribed for the relief of anxiety in dogs are alprazolam (Xanax) and acepromazine. According to the VetInfo website, the latter is often used during canine surgery to prevent vomiting while the dog is under anesthesia. However, it has also been found to calm down dogs that are easily excited, particularly during thunderstorms. For feline anxiety, clomipramine, fluoxetine and buspirone are often prescribed, according to PetPlace.com.