Separation Anxiety Doggie Prozac Does the Pet Industry Lack Ethics

CAN SEPARATION ANXIETY BE SAFELY TREATED or EVEN CURED BY USING DRUGS (SSRIS)?

THE ANSWER IS NO!

I do not recommend the use of anti-depressant SSRIs (i.e. Reconcile) for dogs. Reconcile is actually Prozac. Prozac/Reconcile:

• Will NOT cure separation anxiety, or any other anxiety for that matter;
• Has many and serious, including lethal side effects;
• Actually induces many of the symptoms of anxiety, and;
• Can make the anxiety a heightened and chronic condition.

Separation Anxiety can be Summarized as Follows...

• The Root Cause of separation anxiety is insecurity;
• Provocation can be immediate or accumulated;
• The Source of the provocation is predominantly caused by inadvertent human-based influence;
• However the condition may also be triggered and/or exacerbated by a sudden traumatic event or an event in tandem with human-based influence;
• The Result of provocation without proper intervention is a destabilized physiological state - an altered normal which when addressed properly can be reversed.

So, Lets Have a Serious Talk About Doggie Prozac

In 2006, thepharmaceutical giant Lilly (also known as Eli Lilly), decided to launch a new drug in its line of pharmaceuticals for dogs.

This new wonder drug was actually Prozac (generic name fluoxetine, also produced by other companies under the trade name Sarafem, Fontex, etc.) an anti-depressant which is used for humans who suffer from depression and other mental/mood disorders (anxieties). The drug company renamed Prozac in order to re-badge it as a canine drug - its new name was Reconcile  

Prozac is an anti depressant and an SSRI - selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. SSRIs work by altering the action of the neurotransmitter serotonin.  Serotonin a) regulates aging, learning and memory; b) mood; c) sleep and other important functions. Unbalanced serotonin levels can play a role in anxiety problems, digestive and appetite issues. The range of common and rare side effects of Prozac are very extensive.

  

Lillys pre-approval testing for human use, included testing of the drug on dogs. In one study,  six dogs were intentionally overdosed with oral fluoxetine (soon to be called Prozac). Five of these dogs experienced grand mal seizures. The study reports that the lowest plasma concentration at which a seizure occurred was only twice the maximum plasma concentration seen in humans taking 80 mg/day, chronically. This means that in dogs, just a relatively small amount of Prozac is enough to create seizures and grand mal-seizures (lethal seizures) in dogs.

When Lilly decided to move forward with their new doggy Prozac drug Reconcile they carried out additional testing on dogs as part of the pre-approval process to obtain FDA approval to market Reconcile. In one such ‘study’ Lilly gave the drug to a 117 dogs. Three of the 117 dogs experienced seizures – for one of the dogs the seizure was fatal.   

In my opinion:

• 3 seizures resulting out of 117 dogs tested reflects a very high rate;
• 1 death out of 117 dogs tested is an unacceptable risk;

Another test of the drug was carried out on five beagles. Three of these five beagles either died or were euthanized due to severe damage resulting from the drug in the first six months of the study. Look at the numbers – that is a high incidence of serious side effects - including death.

In addition to the very real threat of seizures...

Doggie Prozac - Reconcile has More Side Effects

• Anxiety - ludicrous as Reconcile is marketed to resolve anxiety;
• 

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