My dog bites kids aggressively. Can Buspirone help his anxiety?

Hello. This is a common anti-anxiety medication for both dogs & cats & it does seem to be quite safe when used within the parameters of its suggested use. As with any long-term medication, regular veterinary visits with blood work to follow liver & kidney values are necessary & required. If at any time, there are elevations of the liver/kidney enzymes or concerns, then one will need to re-evaluate the need for the medication or the risk vs benefits of continuing the medication. Many pets can safely be maintained on these medications for years & live happier, much more comfortable lives. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry to hear about Blue, but you are not alone! This type of behavior is usually related to fear - fear that is so extreme that the pet has no choice but fight or flight. It often leads to aggression. The bad news is that an expensive trainer may not be able to help Blue anyways because her fear level is so high. The good news is that there are several great anti-anxiety medications that can make a HUGE difference in Blue's life. Not only will they reduce fear (and therefore aggression), but they will make whatever training you try MUCH more effective. (Pets cannot learn when they are scared). My favorites are amitiptyline and trazadone, but there are others available. Talk to your vet about what is available and reasonable to try for Blue. I hope this helps and best of luck to you and Blue!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Chewbacca is super cute! Biting children especially in the face is very serious. Chewbacca should not be in a home with young children. Biting in the face is unacceptable in any breed of dog. I recommend seeing a Veterinary Behaviorist for the best possible outcome. They can provide you and prognosis for his ability to be around children. Sadly it is likely best for him to be re-homed with someone with out children. I am not convinced that stress of moving has anything to do with the bite. I would at a minimum discuss this with your Vet at an appointment and consider behavior modifying drugs. In the meantime Chewbaca should be kept in a separate room from kids. I am sorry! I hope this helps and I wish you the best of luck!

If you have a dog with severe aggression, you will not be able to resolve the problem with medications alone. Any severe problem requires medication while you are doing intensive behavioral training. Then, once you have the problem well controlled with the medication, you can slowly taper the medication. For aggression, I always recommend working with a veterinary behaviorist. I would recommend consulting with a veterinary behaviorist ASAP for this problem with Bongo. A veterinary behaviorist is a veterinarian who has additional years of training in behavior. They can also prescribe or change medications if needed. Hopefully you can find one near you here. http://www.dacvb.org/about/member-directory/ There is at least one in the UK even though this is a US organization. Sagi Deneberg Langford Vets Ltd. University of Bristol www.langfordvets.co.uk Email: behaviour@langfordvets.co.uk Langford house Langford United Kingdom Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using PetCoach.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Yes, this medication works very well for anxiety. However, I do not recommend starting this unless it has been prescribed by your veterinarian to make sure that he is healthy enough to receive it. Have a great day!

Sorry to hear that Bo is having this issue. Thank you for rescuing him :) Separation anxiety is a huge issue in dogs and it is not an easy fix even with medications. We cannot recommend you give any medications without you talking to your vet first, especially a drug like alprazolam that is a controlled substance. What I can tell you though is that 0.25mg will not touch a dog that size. Dogs take a MUCH higher dose than humans as they metabolize the drug differently. What you really need to do is try to correct the behavior instead of trying to mask it. I suggest you consult a dog trainer in your area that will come to your home and assess the situation. They can help you try and correct the behavior. Sometimes medications are indicated to be used in conjunction with training and then you can try to wean them off the drugs eventually. You will need to work with your vet and trainer about using medications in conjunction with behavioral modification. Clomicalm is one of the main drugs we use for separation anxiety in dogs. https://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=A&S=0&C=0&A=3144 I recommend Bark Busters for a training company: http://www.barkbusters.com/dog-training-columbia-sc Of course you can do your own research for trainers in your area. Hope this helps. Best wishes.

Nero is a very handsome guy! I'm sorry that you are in this situation - it sounds very difficult. Unfortunately, there is no medication that can be used to make Nero safe around this child. Medication can be a useful part of an overall behavioral treatment plan for dogs with aggression or anxiety issues, but it will not make any significant difference in his behavior if you're using it on its own without making any other changes. If you want to see if it might be possible to keep Nero safely in your home, I would strongly recommend a consultation with a board-certified veterinary behaviorist. He/she will evaluate Nero in person and get a detailed history from you regarding his behavior and temperament. The behaviorist can help you decide if keeping Nero is a realistic goal, and will also help you put together a detailed plan to manage the situation in your home to keep everyone safe if you decide to give this a try. You can ask your veterinarian for a referral to a behaviorist - he/she should be able to direct you to your nearest one for an appointment.