Experiences with Prozac

[Bipley]

I swear, it's not for me. It's for my dog.

I have a 3 pound teacup poodle that has severe and I'm talking SEVERE OCD. Yes, dogs can have OCD. Com'on over and I'll show you first hand. My vet actually wanted me to take him to a doggy neuro dude to show him what a SEVERE case is all about.

My vet prescribed Clomipramine, didn't work. Made the 3 pounder lose weight. At three whole pounds you can't afford to lose weight. I went to another vet and requested Prozac, he complied.

Started the drug yesterday. Any personal experiences on Prozac? Results are supposed to be quite similar to human results.

Look folks, I'm not kidding here. I need some suggestions. The 3 pounder hasn't slept well in days. That means it is 1:51AM here and I haven't slept well in days either. I basically told the vet that either he give Mr. Benson Prozac or he give it to me. I don't give a rat's behind if he is licensed for people medicine or not. Either treat the dog or treat the one paying the bills.

Mr. Benson is on Prozac. Kinda cute in a way. Dose is 1mg/kg. That means Mr. Benson gets 1.5mgs of Prozac a day. That comes out to 0.38cc of the liquid stuff daily. heh.... And keep in mind, critters get far more per pound than humans do!

I realize the books say it takes a month for the drug to kick in. Anyone have any personal experiences where it took less time to kick in? Notice a difference at 7 days vs. 7 weeks?

I WANT to SLEEP!!! I'd give cold hard cash for SLEEP! Until this drug works, the 3 pounder and I will be wide awake and OCD'ing. I can't work safely under the circumstances. I want to sleep in a way you just can't understand! He paces across our bed non stop. If he does fall asleep he is awake q 30 mintues barking the monotone bark. If he isn't doing that he is licking something. Anything. If I won't let him lick my hand or arm he licks the air. NON STOP!

Poor little guy, he has nightmares, can't sleep, wakes up every 30 minutes doing his routine of licking the air and pacing, runs in tiny circles while barking in a monotone bark. Can't quit without help.

He's actually a LOT better than he was when I first adopted him. He is 90% better! A little love, tiny itty bitty food, and tiny itty bitty cookies go a very long way. We have room for improvement here. He cycles just like a mentally ill human does. Need I mention he's cycling now?

Any thoughts about Prozac? It's supposed to be the #1 drug for OCD in canines. Not sure why that is, any enlightening info in this area as well? All I want for this dog is to be happy and healthy. All the dog wants is someone to love and someone to love him back. Okay, that and itty bitty food with itty bitty cookies to top it all off.

This pooch was seriously abused for the first 1.5 years of his life. He was debarked in someone's kitchen sink. He was to have his neck broken because his nose was too long and he was useless for a breeder dog living in a cage. He's been dropped, kicked, and drop kicked. My vet believes he is only 3 pounds (vs. 5 for a typical Teacup) because he was starved to keep his size down) Life is much better for him now, but I think I can improve his quality of life. If I can make a 90% change, I can make at least a 99% change in quality of life. I just need to find the right tools.

This little guy is adorable, you just have to see him to understand. He is 3 pounds of fur, attitude, and OCD. He's pretty darn tough when he's sitting in my lap. He can bark, snarl, and be a big dog while in the safety of my lap. Not on my lap and he cowers in a corner.

We can do better, I just need the tools. Clomipramine wasn't it. Hopefully Prozac is the key. I am looking for personal experience on the drug. Exactly when did you FEEL a difference? Not the full effect, but a difference? HOW was it better or worse? BTW, side effects are exactly the same in dogs as in humans.

This little guy has a right to feel good. He WILL feel good if I have anything to do with it. Considering most here seem to be animal lovers, I'm assuming I'll get some thoughts on the topic.

[RENAISSANCE RN]

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[pricklypear]

Bipley - It's awesome that you are taking such good care of Mr. Benson. He sounds pretty cute, and a darn lucky guy to have you. I haven't had any experience with Prozac and dogs, but I have been on and off it (back on now) for several years for serious depression - not OCD. It seems to work like a charm for me. I usually feel a difference in my sleeping habits within the first week, and all around better by 3 weeks. Hope Mr. Benson feels better soon!

[pugmum]

Bless you for taking care of the poor pooch...No personal experience with Prozac, but a friend was prescribed it for depression. She began to see and show slight improvement after one week, and progressed steadily from there.

All the best to you and your dog, and I sincerely hope you get some soon!

[LydiaNN]

I tried Prozac once, and it made me really anxious. Luvox worked like a dream, but it made me gain too much weight. That wouldn't be a bad thing for Mr. Benson, though.