According to my vet, my dogzilla (IRL) has obsessive compulsive disorder. No, she doesn’t wash her hands 15 times before she can go out to pee: she licks. And licks, and licks some more. She’ll lick her own feet, the couch, the carpet… anything she can get her tongue on.
She’s also got some other behavioral issues like submissiveness, separation anxiety, that sort of thing. Doc sez dogs have seratonin level problems just like people do, and prescribed your basic tri-cyclic antidepressant – which I like to call Dogzac.
Just wondering if anyone else has treated their dog with antidepressants – can you share your experiences? Did the dogzac help? Will your dog be on it for life? Did you have trouble getting the proper dose… How’s your dog now? Would you recommend I continue this treatment, or does anyone have any other recommendations for treating lickyness? BTW, although this is a new vet, I trust her completely – she’s saved my friends’ dogs’ lives and managed their medical issues very well.
My german shepherd was diagnosed with separation anxiety. He wa svery destructive in the house when I was gone, and eventually figured out that if he worked long and hard (and did a lot of damage) he could unlock my windows, open them up and let himself out of the house. We tried anti-anxiety meds, but I felt that they made him too zoned. He’d lie there with his head under a chair, very unlike him. I ended up taking him off the meds and putting burglar-proof locks on the windows.
StG
Questions: What behavioral modifications did you try prior to medicating, i.e. crate training? And, did you play around with the dosages or just give up? Exactly which drug did your vet prescribe?
It was several years ago, and I don’t really remember the name of the med. I couldn’t keep the dog in a kennel or on a chain, he’s a true escape artist. He was too old by the time I got him to adapt well to crate-training (although my airedale is fine in her crate). I didn’t try to vary the dosage - I just figured I’d have to learn to live with him and accept him for what he was. I did get him a pet (another dog) to be with him in the house. His history is that the original owner apparently didn’t take any care of him, or even really provide food. He lived by going from neighbor to neighbor as a puppy and by digging in garbage. I adopted him from the pound an hour before they were going to euthanize him. He was probably a couple years old by then. I believe the old owners knew he was there, but chose not to get him out. In fact, someone who knew him in his previous incarnation said that someone in the neighborhood told the owners they’d pay for the fee if the owners would get him out (they didn’t want him neutered, and wanted his registration so they could breed him) and the old owners chose not to be bothered. So until I got him, he never had bounderies. And because I was the first to show him love, he’s very attached to me.
StG
Well, at least you saved a dogzilla. Good for you.
My dogzilla’s been on dogzac for 2 days now – so far, no change at all.
Still licking. I keep telling her if she continues licking carpet, she’s going to become a lesbian. Not that there’s anything wrong with that… ;>)