KWCH - Kansas News and Weather - Could Puppy Prozac Help Your Pooch
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by Tracy Crockett
Humans have been taking Prozac for depression for years, now many puppies are on it too, and some people swear by it.
Meet the Brodkorb family. Leann and Scott, Eddie, Oliver, and Kirby.
Leann says, "We don't have human children, these guys are our life, they're what we base our days around we base vacations around them, they're pretty much our kids."
But this happy family wasn't always so happy.
Kirby is the newest edition, injured after being hit by a car, Leann fell in love with him and brought him home, only eddie didn't quite feel the same way Leann did.
"When we brought Kirby into the mix he figured that his job was to protect Scott from Kirby and any time that Kirby would approach him he'd get very angry he'd jump on him he'd attack him he'd bite him and pretty much turned out house into a war zone," Leann says.
That's when the family knew something needed to be done.
For Leanne after consulting with her veterinarian it was this drug that made all the difference, that drug, Puppy Prozac.
Dr. Dan Thompsan says, "Eddie had a real problem with compulsion and mood control, anger control, being excessively territorial it's all really hovered all compulsive behavior."
The Puppy Prozac increases the serotonin levels in the brain and helps buffer the overeraction to certain stimuli causing Eddie's problems.
Scott says, "He went from unruly to almost acceptable you know in just a couple of days."
It's making a difference in this family's life, and many dog's lives as well.
"It's made the difference between euthanasia and having a normal dog," Thompson says.
Scott says, "95 percent of the aggression that he was showing towards the new dog is gone so we're really pleased with it and would say if you're having similar problems it's probably something to look into."
Dr. Dan Thompson says Puppy Prozac should be used along with behavior modification. The drug can also be used for separation anxiety.
A three month supply is around $20, but watch out for side effects like tiredness and loss of appetite.
