Pill Popping Pets

Maybe some of you saw the article in the NY Times last week entitled "Pill Popping Pets". It was one of the most e-mailed articles on the Times site for a couple of days. Probably for a good reason.

I'm in New Orleans for the annual AVMA meeting and attending the scientific session of the American College Of Veterinary Behavior. I'm getting to talk to lots of board certified veterinary behavior experts and learning about the latest in behavior therapy and behavior modification.

Separation anxiety is one of the more common behavior issues managed by veterinary behavior experts. It is estimated that up to 14% of a veterinary clinic's canine patients suffer from separation anxiety and among behavior specialists it represents 20% to 40% of the cases that are referred for treatment.

Destructive behavior, excessive barking and whining, inappropriate urination or defecation and general anxiety are all associated with canine separation anxiety.

Many behavior problems are thought to be due to abnormalities with neurotransmitters.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that relay signals between nerve cells. These signals result in emotional responses and various forms of behavior. In conditions like separation anxiety, insufficient quantities of neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine are thought to be responsible for some of the erratic behavior changes associated with this disorder.

That's where the Pill Popping Pet article comes in.

Two classes of drugs are commonly used in veterinary medicine to help normalize and control neurotransmitter levels. These drugs, in combination with behavior modification, are often effective in managing conditions like canine separation anxiety.

Both tricyclic antidepressants and selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors (SSRI's) can be effective in dogs. Novartis makes a tricyclic antidepressant called Clomicalm and Lilly makes an SSRI called Reconcile. Both of these drugs have been studied in dogs and both are effective in helping manage canine separation anxiety. 

Importantly, the combination of drug and behavior modification are more effective than either alone.

The hallmarks of effective behavior modification include the following steps.

1. Positive reinforcement. Only reward good behavior. Ignore bad behavior and don't punish bad behavior. That means waiting until your dog is calm after you return home before you interact with them. Ignore the attention seeking behavior like jumping up and following and excessive vocalization.

2. Get your dog accustomed to you leaving the house. Pretend to get ready to go somewhere and then don't go. Walk around the house gathering up your stuff, rattle the keys and act like you are about to leave. ignore your dog if he starts following and whining.

3. Substitute. Give your dog a favorite toy or Long acting treat 20 - 30 minutes before you actually plan to leave the house.

4. Ignore bad behavior upon returning home. Don't interact or treat until your dog calms down.

5. Teach your dog to stay in one place in the house for increasingly long periods of time.

Lilly, the makers of Reconcile have a handy CD that you can get from your veterinarian that can help with these behavior and training suggestions.

When you think about it dogs are very social animals and they get very attached to their owners. That's one of the big reasons we love them so much. But too much of a good thing can be bad for owners and dogs alike. The combination of drug therapy and behavior modification can help control over-attachment and make life much more pleasant for pets and their people.