I have a 50lb lab that has separation anxiety. Has anyone had experience with occasionally giving their dogs benadryl, melatonin, or any other similar medications to supress pet anxiety?



TIA

My GSD used to get alprazolam (Xanax) for storm anxiety. New vet won't prescribe xanax and instead put him on diazepam (valium). The diazepam just seems to make him drunk, but he's still scared of the storms.

Thanks Max-Unfortunately, I know I'll need to take her to the vet to get her "diagnosed" and possibly medicated. I'm looking for a short term solution for just this weekend to possibly supress her separation anxiety. Any items that I can get a local pet store or drug store for temporary relief?

There are a lot of OTC herbal/homeopathic type things available at the pet stores. I have not tried any of them.

Could these work in a pinch?

Half a regular benadryl tablet for a dog that size would work, but not a long term solution. You say 50lb lab so I'm guessing he is still fairly young. With time they trust you more and get used to developing routines. Sometimes it just takes patience and working with them a little more. Of course there's not much of a way to keep a lab from not wanting to see you when you get home. They are very loyal dogs. They calm down with age.

I wish she was a young lab. She is 5 and this is a new habbit. She has never had destructive behavior untill recently when I had to move into an apartment and started traveling more.

I have friends and family take care of her,excercise her plenty and give her attention when I'm away. It's usually when I return home and then leave the house for a few minutes to run an errand and I come back to my door frame being chewed up. She apparently thinks that I'm leaving again and spazzes out.

I'll try the benadryl and see if it helps for a few days after returning from travel.

Try leaving on the TV or radio for her. My 1yo lab developed separation anxiety but we were able to cure it in a few months. Even though she was crate trained, we reinforced that it was her home and made it a positive place to be. Started turning on the radio, and gave her a Kong filled with frozen peanut butter. We found that she mostly started freaking out right when we would leave, and if there was nothing to calm her down she would continue until we came back. Now, the Kong distracts her for a short time immediately after we leave and the radio helps. Follow all the other recommendations found online, like don't shower too much praise on her when you return, etc.

Best of luck, it can be quite frustrating. Our lab destroyed a metal crate she would panic so bad.

[This message has been edited by mneisch (edited 5/4/2012 10:45a).]

Thanks for the advice!

Magnetic therapy has been used with success to help anxiety in your pets. You can pick up a magnetic collar or magnetic vest at your local pet store and see how it works on your dog. This may be easier on your dog than using the medications. Just a thought.

-------------------------------------------------------
Learning to Do, Doing to Learn, Earning to Live, Living to Serve.

For most people, a crate (and proper training) works wonders.

Is she used to being crated? What's the reason that you need help with anxiety this weekend? I've got a lot of experience working with this in my own (now 5 y.o.) lab/hound mix ... unfortunately, no real good solutions.

Most of the drugs that are prescribed for anxiety -- basically, prozac, valium, and acepromazine -- are in the former things that take a while to work, or in the latter are things that are just plain not good for the dog. Valium straddles the two for me. I would never give a dog ace for anxiety or thunderstorms. It only immobilizes the dog; the dog is still anxious as hell, it just can't do anything about it, which isn't the best feeling for a dog to have.

Benadryl ... will make the dog sleepy for about 3-4 hours, but that's about it. The dog, if anxious, will just bull it's way through any sedative effects that benadryl will provide.

The most solid recommendation I can give you is to crate train your dog. That's also not quite possible in a weekend's time, but it might help contain the damage. Use a wire metal crate and not a plastic one.

If it's because you're leaving for the weekend and your neighbors are complaining, board her at a kennel for the weekend.

Edited to add: I have not had any luck whatsoever with herbal remedies, and I'm incredibly suspicious about anything like a 'magnetic' remedy.

[This message has been edited by superspeck (edited 5/4/2012 5:10p).]

I've used this stuff with my boxer a couple times. It helps some.

St John's Wort 500 mg daily - natural Prozac. Some folks say it works for them.

Prozac has worked wonders for my dog. She would destroy her crate and herself in the crate (throw up, claw till she bled, etc). Tried benadryl, no luck. Prozac turned her into a completely different dog and she's great now. Never has to go in the crate because I actually trust her alone now. I was VERY VERY VERY hesitant to put her on it but I'm extremely glad I tried it.

Had a Choc Lab that was not wired right in the head. We put her on "puppy Prozac", to no avail. She would build up immunity to it, and took it in stride.