Murphy off meds

[fenella]

Well, some of you read my posts in the behavior forum...
I put Murphy on prozac about a month ago because of his fear issues. I just wanted to give an update that I have now taken him off of the meds. I kept him on for a month, but he really didn't have an appetite anymore and just wasn't himself. He wouldn't play with the other dog, wouldn't play with toys, wouldn't wag his tail. He pretty much looked depressed most of the time.
I decided that it wasn't worth it to keep trying the meds. He is doing much better now, though his appetite still hasn't returned. We'll see how he does from here.

[iluvk9]

Sorry the meds didn't give you the desired affect, but I also would have also taken my dog off prozac if I saw him depressed and a big change in appetite.

Maybe it will take a few weeks for the meds to be completely out of his system and get his appetite back?

[Pit♥bull]

I could be mistaken but aren't you suppose to 'ease' off of the Prozac instead of 'cold turkey' stopping.

[katiek0417]

I could be mistaken but aren't you suppose to 'ease' off of the Prozac instead of 'cold turkey' stopping.

I was wondering the same thing....I once had a dog on clomipramine, and I know we had to wean him off of it in steps...

However, I do know that it might take a few weeks for the effects to fully wear off...

[pitbullmamaliz]

I hope Murphy starts doing better now!

[katiek0417]

Oh, and , I don't blame you one bit for taking him off the meds...it sounds like the reaction he had to the prozac is very similar to one that you sometimes see in teens taking the med (hence the new warnings). I'm sorry that it didn't work for you....and I do hope that Murphy does better!

[blabsforbullies]

I usually have owners wean off meds like that, but if he isn't eating anything, ya gotta get them off as quickly as possible.

Maybe when he is back to normal, you can try a different medication. There are several labeled for fear and anxiety.

Good luck and I hope things get better!

[TheRedQueen]

And I'll jump in, since I've seen Murphy lately...he's very, very skinny...obviously not eating. He's a hard keeper...but I've never seen him this skinny.

[fenella]

Murphy was on 20mg, so I was told we didn't really have to wean because the dosage was so low. I'm hoping he'll get his appetite back. He is still not interested in his own food (he'll take maybe 2 bites), but he dove into the bag of cat food when I accidentally left the gate open. I'm thinking about maybe mixing in a little smelly cat food with his regular to get him to eat. I thought maybe if he wasn't feeling well on the meds, perhaps he associates his food with feeling sick? (He's too smart and he is incredible about making cause/effect connections, even when they are wrong. I have never seen a dog quite like him in that respect. I determined that his fear of his own crate was due to getting his tag caught in the wire...I found his tag and a stretched-out O-ring) He is eating treats and things. I've tried mixing Vienna Sausages with his regular food, and he'll eat some of them, then leave more than half of the bowl. However, he is slowly putting some weight on. (He was scary-skinny over the holidays when I picked him up from the boarding kennel). I'm going to make satin balls today, now that I've gotten paid.
The change in his behavior was dramatic after stopping the meds. He still isn't relaxed (but he never really was, which is why I tried the meds in the first place), but he doesn't seem depressed anymore. He is playing again (and initiating play), he is wagging his tail, enjoys training again...
I may try other meds later, but I want to get his weight into a more normal range again.

[Pit♥bull]

Coming from this household

[iluvk9]

Even my big eater, Truman, loses weight after being kenneled for a week. Maybe that is the other component of his weight loss. The kennel owner said it is the stress, barking, yadda, yadda.

[fenella]

Murphy just sucked down a couple of satin balls. I couldn't find molasses, so hopefully, they are still ok. I am using them to supplement, so he is still getting regular food. He ate his food this morning when I put a little of the chicken liver cat food on top.
I want him to gain weight, but I don't want to create a picky eater (more so than he already is)

[Malli]

also consider that too much rich food could give him diarrhea and possibly add a whole new host of problems for him.
How picky is he?
I find a lot of dogs at work will eat their kibble if you simply soak it in their dish in a little hot water for 5 minutes (my own dog included, odd I know )

[mnp13]

When Ruby was having her serious crate issues we used a combination of melatonin and Benedryl. It helped a lot, it's not as "powerful" as perscription drugs, but it worked well for us. That was for anxiety though, I'm not sure that it would work as well for general fear issues but it might be worth a try.

[Malli]

just curious, those with dogs that take benedryl long term, did a vet advise it? I ask because recently I put 1st aid kits together for christmas and was told only to give benedryl twice, but I'm not sure if that has to do with needing to treat more aggressively in the case of allergic reaction, or a drug issue with it at the higher doses...

[mnp13]

just curious, those with dogs that take benedryl long term, did a vet advise it?

Yes. My vet actually recommended the treatment we used for Ruby. I told her I wanted to try something other than prescriptions first.

[BullyLady]

just curious, those with dogs that take benedryl long term, did a vet advise it? I ask because recently I put 1st aid kits together for christmas and was told only to give benedryl twice, but I'm not sure if that has to do with needing to treat more aggressively in the case of allergic reaction, or a drug issue with it at the higher doses...

It can be and often is used long term. You have to be careful though because sometimes dogs will stop responding to it, even if it's only being used for allergies.

[blabsforbullies]

There are some contraindications to Benadryl use, however(which is why before starting any drug, check with the vet ). For example, dogs with kidney issues, liver issues, dogs taking other medications such as anti-inflammatories, or dogs with heart problems may have significant problems with using Benadryl. No drug is completely safe. But yes, Benadryl can certainly be used long term in some cases.