Should canine prozac pills have any place in treating aggression

Yes, on a case by case basis. Behaviorists need to be able to identify issues that can be resolved through training and those which a temperament flaw is responsible for. You can not train a dog to have a more steady temperament, so some poorly bred dogs may actually need mood stabilizers to be happy, safe and reliable.

Mood stabilizers are never a substitute for training, but in isolated cases, they can be an effective supplement.

I have used Prozac on one of my MIn PIns. He had become very aggressive & even bit me a couple of times. My doggie sitters & friends had a hard time with him.

While on the Prozac, I took him back to obedience training & worked very hard with disciplining him. It was much easier to work with him while on the Prozac. After, I had put a lot of time & effort into his additional training, I took him off of the Prozac.

Prozac was a very helpful tool to use. It helped me to get a hold onto a dog that I was losing control of. Although I did not want to keep my dog on Prozac, if the training had not worked, I would have kept him on it until I could find a better answer.

I did not like giving Prozac to my dog; but, I am very glad that it provides another option to choose from.

I do not think Prozac should ever be used for a fix of any type. It is a serious drug & the pros & cons need to be weighed against the types of problems that r being dealt with.

No.

I was told to medicate the dog I wound up euthanizing- his aggression was so bad that I knew he would not even be happy with medication. In America, we seem to over-medicate every illness for people and dogs alike. Just as there are too many good shelter dogs being euthanized to focus on the bad ones, there are too many good dogs in bad homes to focus on the bad dogs in good homes.

Great question, but I do not have a clue about how prozac works in dogs. I've heard of it being used unsuccessfully in dogs but do not have the education or experience to give a solid answer.

My opinion is that the drug may dull aggression but the dog would still be untrustworthy if not trained.

Trainer recommending Prozac = ''I can not train dogs as well as I claim''. Vet recommending Prozac = ''Yes, more money for me.and I also have no idea how to train dogs''. Dog behaviourist recommending Prozac = .well there is no such thing as a dog behaviourist, those people r half witted wannabe dog trainers. Animal behaviourists correct problems the same way a trainer would (deterrent training) only they add gimmicks into the fray (like halties & the dumbest doggy idea to date, walking a dog that pulls on a tool designed to help a dog pull: The harness). Any kind of drug to alter a dog is mental state is a cover up for bad training & the lack of knowledge of good training.

Interesting question!

I've never known anyone who is considered using Prozac to treat aggression. For me, drugs r a ''extreme last resort'' if they're even an option AT ALL.

I have known people in Rescue to utilize Clomicalm for *seperation anxiety*..but only after training, crating, alternative methods of confinement, de-sensitzation & use of something like Rescue Remedy has failed. And even then- the drugs r used when the behavior is so severe that the dog is a danger to itself.

I hesitate to think just how severe an aggression problem would have to be, before I would *personally* consider using a drug to dull it. The prevailing question in MY mind would be..if a dog is aggression is THAT severe, especially if it is unwarranted aggression towards people, then WHY is the dog still ALIVE? Using a drug for something as potentially dangerous as human-aggression..is a far cry from using it to help manage seperation anxiety or thunderstorm anxiety, or helping to manage a puppymill rescue, etc..

And if a severely aggressive dog is in the hands of someone who is NOT equipped to manage it using conventional training methods...(or who is not wise enough to know when to draw the line & opt for euthanasia)...it concerns me that there r those people who WILL use Prozac as a ''quick fix alternative to training'' with a severely aggressive animal.

Like I said, it is a situation I have never experienced..and I have dealt with dogs who have aggression problems (I even owned one). There may be a legitimate use for Prozac in dealing with aggression that I have not thought of...but my first reaction here is to think aggression is NOT something u ''fix'' with drugs. In my mind, u either fix & control it through behavior modification, or u entirely remove the menacing dog from the general populace (euthanize). JMO, but I will star the question for you, I am interested in what others have to say.

Mummy, Prozac is not a muscle relaxant.

Aggression in dogs is a behavioral problem that developed because of improper or no training. You can not tranquilize a dog & expect the aggression to disappear. The dog owner needs to learn the correct training procedure & enforce it without fail.

I know someone who has a Pit Bull that I do not trust because it has had absolutely no training. It destroys everything in the house including the door facings & carpet & nips at their 12 year-old daughter for the slightest reason. One day that dog will hurt their child & someone will go to jail. The police in our state does not take kindly to aggressive dogs & have no trouble sending the owners to jail.

Drugs like that should not be a band aid. If they r to be used at all they should be used along with a good behavioral modification program.

They would not be my first choice, but would be considered after trying just behavioral modification & some possible environment changes. If that is been done & the dog is still having a hard time, then I'd look at them to help tip the scales in the favor of dog & owner.

But no they should not be a first choice, & definately not the only thing done.

Well my dog was prescribed canine prozac to help his fear aggression & anxiety. It really helps he is a happy dog now.

If he wasnt given prozac my dog would be dead now cause he would not be adoptable cause he had bitten 3 people not bad but still.

its not a quick fix for those dogs that cant be trained like my dog, training would help him. He was a good working dog he has a CD. But as he got older he got more & more anxious. To come to find out, it was in the breeding his father had aggression issues. We didnt know that till years later.

So prozac was he last chance now hes doing great. He also has thyroid problems which is also a problem so hes on meds for that.

Now do i think all dogs should be on prozac for behavior problems no, it should be only a last resort in my opinion.

Note: he was prescribed this by a dog behaviorist/psychologist.

It might be beneficial WHILE working on the aggression issues, but I can not see it as a permanent solution. I do not think drugs should be used if there is another solution.

You can treat aggression in a much more proactive way by enlisting the help of a qualified dog behaviorist and trainer. It would probably cost you less than giving your dog an anti-depressent.

Please do that first. I do believe the trainer will do a better job than drugs and you will have a balanced dog.

I would only suggest using it in conjunction with a planned desensitization program under the guidance of a professional behaviorist.

I think that prozac is a muscle relaxant. Though ive never heard of it being given to a dog!

We used to give one of our mental horses bach flower remedy, which helped (after the advise from a vet)