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Posted by fullottermoon on January 25, 2003 at 02:55:34:

In Reply to: Re: Alternative to Drugs? posted by Lynn on January 23, 2003 at 18:39:45:

:St. John's Wort, Bach Rescue Remedy, Melatonin and the TCM remedy Anmien Pien are all prescribed for animals. St. John's Wort might as well be classified with the serotonin affecting drugs as that's how it acts, herbal or not. The other 3 are more along the lines of calmatives. A few years ago Kava Kava was very widely used but it has been shown to do nasty things to the liver, and is hardly ever prescribed. Valerian root extract, essential oil, and powders are also used.

:Given that the other option to many animals that are prescribed psychotropic drugs is euthanasia, there isn't much attention given to the longterm effects. The animal would likely be dead anyway. Serotonin imbalance is gaining recognition as an organic cause of behavior and mental issues in dogs. With the acceptance of this diagnosis, SSRI's are being diagnosed more frequently. In my breed, greyhounds, "spookiness" is very much inherited in racing lines. There is no doubt that this type of dog has an imbalance due to genetic factors. Such dogs are not usually bred.

:Lynn

Thanks so much for your responses! I do still have to wonder about long term effects of the psychotropics on animals, even if the other alternative is death. I also wonder if chemical imbalance is a fact in dogs as it is with humans. Again- wo has done long term studies. SSRI's are absolutely necessary for some humans ( of which I am one) to function. But for animals, is this truly a chemical imbalance that's causing such behavior problems? In some cases (as with irresponsible breeding) it very well could be --- but in others is it just an alternative to some type of tranquilizer?
My BC was very shy and skiddish for a few years. My trainer said it was partly due to not enough socialization as a pup (my fault) but that in part it was genetic. Well, I gotta tell you that he is on a modified raw diet now and has gotten a couple of obedience titles and is the social butterfly when at training classes and even being used (by me) as a demo dog if I happen to be teaching. So, I don't know. I expect the answers to all these questions and more will come to us eventually. But I still hate seeing psych drugs used so readily! Thanks again for your help! Nancy

Follow Ups:

• Spooky Greyhounds Lynn 01/25/03 (0)