Neuroscience For Kids
Prozac for Pooches:
Antidepressant approved for use in dogs
July 7, 2007
When you leave your dog alone, does it ruin the furniture, bark, whine and mess up the house? If so, your dog may suffer from separation anxiety. But help is on its way in the form of Reconcile, a chewable, beef-flavored tablet. Reconcile contains that same active ingredient (fluoxetine hydrochloride) found in Prozac, the antidepressant drug for people.
Reconcile acts as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). In other words, it lets the neurotransmitter serotonin work for a longer time within the synapses of neurons.
Only veterinarians can prescribe Reconcile. Also, this drug is for use in dogs weighing more than 4 kg (8.8 lbs) and older than 6 months. Dog owners should know that the drug may cause side effects such as seizures, reduced appetite, and aggressive behavior.
References and more information:
- Reconcile Web site
- Clomicalm Web site. Clomicalm is another drug approved to treat separation anxiety in dogs.
- FDA final approval order for Reconcile
Copyright © 1996-2009, Eric H. Chudler, University of Washington
