Growing Number of Dogs Taking Antidepressants Is Nothing Short of Staggering
The World Health Organization reported that there was a massive 25% increase in levels of anxiety and depression amongst humans across the globe in the first year of the Covid-19 pandemic. It seems that us humans aren't the only ones suffering mental health disorders, and our dogs may be becoming increasingly more anxious too.
According to the American Pet Products Association’s 2023–24 pet-owners survey, more than half of American dog owners said that they buy “calming” products including pheromone spray and Lycra jumpsuits for their anxious dogs.
Yesterday, October 22, The Atlantic published an article discussing how many pet owners put their dogs on medication when they are unable to deal with typical dog behavior. A lot of people on Facebook agree and @Katherine comments, "If you’re going to have a dog, you have to expect them to do dog stuff. They’re going to be loud and annoying and dirty and break stuff sometimes. If the companionship isn’t worth the disruption to you, don’t get one. It kinda sucks to get a dog and put it on like three different psych meds just because you can’t hang with normal dog behavior. I get that some dogs legit need meds, just like people, but the lady in the article sounds ridiculous."
@Jill adds, "People who never owned a dog should read up on what to expect, especially if they want a puppy. Dogs don't train themselves. Puppies are *babies*, they are baby animals and they will NOT walk into your house fully trained like that dog you saw on the sitcom.
The best thing for people new to dogs is to get an adult dog that's already trained. Don't throw yourselves into the deep end not knowing how to swim. An adult dog will bond with you just as much as a puppy."
According to a 2021 Salon article, a survey found that 83 percent of veterinarians had prescribed the antidepressant fluoxetine to either dogs or cats.
Sure, there are some dogs that absolutely require anti-anxiety medication and do great when their veterinarian prescribes them a medication to help with their issues. But it's fair to say there are a lot of dogs out there that are medicated when a few weeks of obedience training would work just as well.
Only you and your veterinarian can determine if medication is the best solution for your dog, but it may be worth considering alternatives first.
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