Help for my 1-year-old puppy's separation anxiety without RX?

Hello. I would start with an over the counter anxiety product like Zylkene. I would also start using a dog appeasing pheromone in the home ( room diffuser ) or it comes as a collar. The pheromone can calm an anxious dog without drugs. Adaptil is the name of this product. If this does not help over the course of a couple of weeks, you will need to talk to your vet about possible behavior modification therapy & the use of prescription medications like Trazodone. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Hi there and thank you for using Pet Coach to address your concern! Unfortunately, separation anxiety can be quite difficult to address for most dogs. I usually recommend a multi modal approach. I recommend the following non-prescription approach prior to anything prescription: 1. NaturVet Quiet Moments calm chews plus Melatonin (can be found online quite easily. 2. Adaptil pheromone collar 3. Adaptil diffuser 4. Thundershirt In combination with this, I typically recommend providing plenty of toys such as a kong toy filled with peanut butter and some other noise making toys. I have recently recommended a product called the Pet Cube. This allows you to watch him via an app on your phone remotely and you can even control a laser pointer and interact with him while you are away. If this does not work or the behavior worsens, I typically recommend adding in anti-anxiety medications such as Trazodone, Amitriptyline, Clomipramine (clomicalm), etc. in combination with the above recommendations. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns.

I am sorry to hear about Max. Lexapro is not a drug we normally use in dogs so its safety and efficacy hasn't been evaluated and I would not recommend giving this drug. The drug also requires several weeks of use before effects are truly seen so it would not help you now. There are, however, some prescription medications your vet can recommend and prescribe to help Max to provide both short term and long term relief. You can read more about this condition and treatment options at https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952970 . You can try over the counter products like an Adaptil collar https://www.vin.com/veterinarypartner/default.aspx?pid=19239&id=4952970 and Zylkene calming supplement http://www.vetoquinolusa.com/content/zylkene though in severe cases of anxiety these may not be enough.

Hello. Much depends on what is the underlying cause of your pets anxiety. Noise phobias can sometimes respond to gradual conditioning to that noise. Training & training tools & toys can sometimes help with separation anxiety. Often, we turn to pharmaceuticals & supplements. I always recommend OTC products like Zylkene or Composure. These are natural supplements that contain ingredients that are not harsh or dangerous. CBD may help with anxiety, but you need to be sure the company you use has scientifically formulated their products to be sound. Canopy Growth seems to be one doing so for pets (https://canopy animal health.com ) & yes, this is the one associated with Martha Stewart. Prescription medications are often used, as needed or for help with behavior modification. Sileo, Trazodone, acepromazine & anti-anxiety medications like Prozac have all been utilized, but you will need to work with your veterinarian on these. Start with some of the supplements, like Zylkene & go from there until you find the right fit for your pet. Thanks for contacting PetCoach.

Hi there. Yes, in general, Zylkene is a good choice for a natural calming supplement for dogs with anxiety. However, I would also say that if his anxiety is severe, it's unlikely that a natural supplement alone will make a significant difference. If you didn't feel that the fluoxetine worked well for him, I would suggest talking to your vet about trying a different medication - just as in humans, it often takes some trial and error to find the best choice for each individual patient. Some other daily meds that could be considered would include sertraline, paroxetine, clomipramine, trazodone, or clonidine.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Separation anxiety can be difficult to address but with patience and persistence training can help. Rather than starting on anti-anxiety medications right away, I typically recommend trying products such as NaturVet Quiet Moments Calm Chews with Melatonin and an Adaptil collar, which can both be found online or at your local pet store quite easily. I would also recommend using a Thundershirt, which can be found online or at the pet store. It would also help if you began feeding Sienna breakfast and dinner in the kennel so that she becomes used to being inside the cage for positive things. I would move all of her toys to the inside of the kennel and whenever she goes inside the kennel, reward her with her favorite treat. If this does not help, I would recommend speaking with her veterinarian and discuss anti-anxiety medications as these may be beneficial in deterring this separation anxiety she suffers from. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further!

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! While hydroxyzine is an antihistamine commonly used for allergies and might cause mild sedation in dogs, it is unlikely to resolve Hunter’s separation anxiety. I recommend trying positive reinforcement, providing distractions, or even using calming supplements for dogs or a product known as a “thundershirt” prior to resorting to medications. You should consult with your vet regarding any medications you may want to give to Hunter to confirm that there will be no interactions with anything he is currently taking and that the dose is appropriate for his size.