My dog is on Prozac...

…so i don’t have to be. Does this look like a dog who needs “mood enhancers?”

It all started Saturday afternoon. The sun was shining and there were a million people in the neighborhood of the shop for a special Murder Mystery day. It was standing room only for six hours and I was late getting out to give Sabu her mid-afternoon potty walk. Everything looked fine, she behaved as normal, but when I went out to leave for the day I saw that she had removed the fur from a quarter-sized area on her left hip. No hair and the skin was inflamed and she was in distress. Sigh.

Sabu has done this before, licked a hole in herself until the skin turned black and fell off in a huge nasty scab, so I braced myself for another episode of yuck. I watched her closely all evening to keep her from licking, but you know how sly dogs can be.

By Sunday morning, she was depressed and in obvious pain from her self-inflicted wound. Out on our morning walk we spied one of our neighbors and wandered over to say hey. Sabu did not want to be petted and as soon as Lara saw the hot spot and Sabu’s odd reaction to her she said, “I know just what this is – I had Ruger [her 12-year-old black labrador] in to the vet on Thursday for this same thing. It’s “large dog anxiety disorder.”

Well, huh. I had no idea it was a “thing” and that it had a name. She was nice enough to give me a few antibiotic pills to tide us over until I could get Sabu to the vet today, which worked a treat.

So off to the vet’s office we went this AM to get an In Person diagnosis and to get Sabu’s shots and license updated. Sabu was less than thrilled to be there and adamant that the vet tech Would.Not. be taking her temperature in any orifice, thankyouverymuch. Not even a muzzle would induce her to let anyone near her sore spot. Sigh.

When the vet came in and tried to get a closer look and Sabu resisted by jerking away, growling, howling, yipping, etc. She Was.Not.Going.To.Be.Examined.

It was at this point that the vet said, “Rather than overstimulate her further today, I’m going to recommend an antihistamine that has Mood Enhancing side effects because I believe she would benefit from it.” He then went on to explain that when I picked the prescription up at the pharmacy the word “Prozac” might be tossed around and I was not to get excited about it…At which point I started laughing.

“My dog is going to be on Prozac! That is hilarious! I’ll be blogging this for sure!”

Really, I have no problem with better living through chemistry and for those who have chemical imbalances that can be corrected with a pill, I say, “take the pill and be happy!” I just hadn’t considered it for my no-doubt-about-it neurotic dog.

While she was “in the back” getting her shots the vet techs shaved the area around the hot spot so they could see how bad it was and recommend treatment if needed. The dog howled the entire time like they were pulling out her toenails. I was so embarrassed. She is a Drama Queen for sure!

She’s had her first dose of Doggy Happy Pills (hidden inside a powdered sugar donut hole because I’m a cool Dog Mom that way) and is now sacked out like she hasn’t slept for a week. Admittedly she’s had a long day – a trip to the vet, a visit at the dog park with four other big dogs, a long walk on the beach and dinner half an hour late.

From PetcareRX (bold mine):

Doxepin, belonging to the group of tricyclic antidepressant drugs, is a psychotropic agent known for its anxiolytic and antidepressant properties and anticholinergic and sedative effects. Doxepin is recommended for the treatment of depression and/or anxiety. The medication is effective for the treatment of noise phobia, depression, anxiety and obsessive compulsive disorders (OCD) in canines like acral lick dermatitis.The active ingredient, doxepin, is a strong antihistamine, effective against the dopamine receptors in the central nervous system. The analgesic action of the medicine is triggered by the sodium channel blocking activity of the active ingredient, Doxepin Hydrochloride.

The commonly observed side effects include low blood pressure, high blood pressure, drowsiness, rapid heart rate, dry mouth and constipation. In rare instances, doxepin turns urine blue-green in color.

Stay tuned for reports about Sabu’s urine color

The pharmacist gave me two full sheets, typed small, of precautions and advisories. I told her the medication was for my dog, but she gave them to me any way. The list of side effects for people is pretty disturbing, and if they affect my dog I’m not sure what I’ll do. I mean, if she jumps into the creek, is that a “suicidal action” or just a dog being a dog?

Maybe I’m over-thinking this one. She seems fine at the moment, resting quietly, staring off into space, so I have to assume the drugs are working as she has left the hot spot alone for several hours now.

Stay tuned for updates…