Using medication for treating behavioural problems in pets.

Using medication for treating behavioural problems in pets.

Guide to getting comfortable.

There is unfortunately some misguided information in the media and among popular opinion regarding using medications to address behavioural issues in pets. It is often viewed or reported as being "controversial". However, it is NOT controversial when done appropriately.

Let's do some important myth busting and sort the facts from the fiction.

Myth #1:

Behavioural medications are used to sedate or pacify animals for our benefit.

o This is false. o Sedation refers to an altered state of consciousness whereby sensation, perception,

cognition and reactions to the environment are altered. o Sedation is inappropriate in most cases of behavioural medicine and is considered

an unacceptable side effect. o Sedating an animal who is fearful / anxious may actually make them feel worse as it

scrambles their ability to accurately process the information they need to decide what to do and hinders their ability to deploy behavioural strategies to cope with how they feel. o Sedating an animal may sometimes be needed in specific acute situations when there is risk of harm to the animal or others around it BUT is a temporary and situational measure ? not a general or ongoing aim of treatment. o Yes, some animals prescribed anti-anxiety medication may suddenly sleep more and this can be concerning to some pet owners. BUT this is not sedation! This is actually normal and what they need (most anxious animals are sleep deprived or have poor sleep quality and may show rebound excessive sleep when their anxiety is finally treated). It may seem dramatic as the owner is not used to seeing their animal sleep a normal amount and sees their level of hyperactivity and hyper-reactivity as their "normal" when they are in fact abnormal and unwell.

The way you can tell the difference is in whether the animal is capable of responding to stimuli normally and engaging in activities normally.

True sedation causes impairment to functioning. For example, a sedated dog may not want to eat, may be wobbly and weak,

may be lethargic and apathetic, may not want to go for a walk, may not come when called nor be interested in playing.

 In contrast, a dog who is non-anxious or normal (not sedated) will sleep often and deeply but should respond normally to things happening in the environment and should not be impaired in any way.

Myth #2:

Using medication to treat behavioural problems should be a last resort when nonmedical approaches fail.

o This is false. o In many and most cases, medication is needed as a first resort. o Medication is used specifically where a disease / disorder has been medically

diagnosed. o Behavioural medication is prescribed to address brain disease, just like insulin is

prescribed for diabetic disease or antibiotics for bacterial disease. We do not wait for infection to become septic before we reach for a medical antidote, rather we treat the problem as soon as it becomes apparent ? this is how we should treat mental illness in animals, we need to intervene before the problem progresses and they become worse. o Delaying or with-holding medicine can certainly cause more harm and is not ethical. o Using medicine to provide necessary treatment and intervention is important in alleviating chronic stress and normalising the brain and body of patients with medically diagnosed mental illness. o Medications are prescribed because we deem them necessary to help your pet overcome their mental illness and achieve optimal normal functioning, health, behaviour and quality of life. o Most patients will not improve or show very little progress with behaviour modification without medication.

Myth #3:

Medications should not be used because they have side-effects and may shorten my pet's life.

o It is true that any and all medications can have side effects but we need to put things in perspective.

o We need to balance any negative effects of medication against the already existing negative effects of the disease itself.

o Anxiety and chronic stress has severe side effects ie leaving behavioural problems untreated has severe side effects and is not benign.

o Chronic stress and anxiety is known to do serious harm to the body in many ways such as: compromise the immune system, cause inflammation, lower pain threshold, make infections and cancers more likely to develop, cause metabolic and hormone changes, interfere with learning and memory, reduce quality of life and shorten life span.

 There is evidence that pets with anxiety disorders and mental illness on average have a shortened lifespan compared to normal dogs for these reasons.

o There is NO evidence that long-term use of behavioural medications shortens lifespan ? on the contrary it likely increases longevity by treating the harmful effects of anxiety.

o We would always aim to avoid and minimise any potential adverse effects by choosing appropriate drugs at appropriate doses for each patient.

o We are conservative with use of medication, often starting at a very low dose and weaning up to ensure the patient tolerates it and has time to get acclimated to it.

o Medical regimens will be adjusted as needed pending clinical response. o Medication will always be used at the lowest dose necessary for response. o Medication is not used on its own ? it is used as part of a holistic multi-angled

treatment plan in combination with other therapies (in this way less medication is needed). o We will always offer baseline blood testing prior to starting medications so that we can assess health and organ function and identify any risks or complications.

Myth #4:

Medication will change an animal's personality.

o This is false. o Medicine is used to relieve anxiety and correct abnormalities in the brain and

behaviour which are harmful. o When animals are anxious they are not able to relax due to constant worry. They are

always hypervigilant and monitoring because they are wired to perceive threats and are always trying to ready themselves to deal with them. o Relieving anxiety actually allows the patient to be calm and rational and will actually better show their personality (ie they can relax and engage normally instead of behaving out of fear). o When we use medication to address anxiety and emotional disturbances we help reveal a patient's true underlying personality which they have been unable to display due to their disease. o Their behaviour will be different but we need to remember that we are used to a skewed perception of normal and that many anxious patients are hyper-active and overly busy ? when they are more settled this is the real them (without the burden of anxiety driving their behaviour). o Often using medications to help anxiety will better enable animals to be affectionate, to play and to socialise. o Medication may improve a patient's emotional resilience and stability. It may enable them to be more confident and optimistic and recover better after stressors.

Myth #5:

Medication will make my pet confused or dopey and interfere with their ability to learn or train.

o This is false. o When medication is prescribed appropriately and is effective it will actually

dramatically IMRPOVE your pet's ability to focus, engage, maintain attention, learn and remember. o Medication is proven to improve speed and efficacy of behavioural training. o Many animals with anxiety cannot learn properly until they receive medical treatment. o Medications address anxiety by calming centres of the brain involved in panic and worry which are too active in anxious animals. o Anxious patients cannot concentrate, learn or remember well and often perform very poorly at training. This is because the parts of their brain needed for such tasks are being high-jacked by primitive stress circuits. When these centres are normalised then rational processing by higher centres of the brain can finally function normally and these patients can think clearly and rationally. o This is similar to how we cannot learn or recall information properly when we are stressed ? we are too distracted and our brains are taken over with self-preservation making us unable to do any complex thinking. o During anxiety / stress / panic, behaviour is reactive, impulsive and irrational. It is when we are calm we can process information, think and behave appropriately and in context.

Myth #6:

Medication is a "band-aid solution" and doesn't address the problem.

o This is false. o Medication addresses the core of the problem by correcting physiological

disturbances which are the cause of true behavioural problems. o Most mental illness is due to abnormal levels of certain neurochemicals and

subsequent mal-firing / abnormal activity in certain brain circuits. Medication is used to address these abnormalities and rebalance the system back towards as normal as possible. o Management strategies and some outdated behaviour modification techniques (such as punishment) can be band-aid solutions ? while medication actually treats the problem in a targeted way.

PAWLY UNDERSTOOD Veterinary Behaviour & Mental Health Services

COMPASSION | COMMUNICATION | COOPERATION | COHABITATION

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