Pets On Prozac: Absent Owners Medicating Their Cats And Dogs Out Of Guilt
According to a new report, absent pet lovers are turning to Prozac to keep their cats and dogs happy while they leave them locked up at home for many long hours.
Some vets are even claiming that there has been a rise in doggy separation anxiety recently, which is making guilty owners medicate their pets, just to get them through the day.
A leading authority on all things to do with animals, Andrew Knight, a professor of animal welfare and Ethics at the University of Winchester, talked about the new trend.
“The number of behavioural problems in dogs and cats, and even other pets, such as birds, seen by veterinarians is huge. We’re constantly seeing animals that are aggressive, unduly fearful, or barely under control when they visit, although my colleagues and I do our best to put them at ease with gentle handling and tasty treats.”
At the same time, Knight said that a lot of the issues with pets come from “poor socialisation and training” when the animals are young, “Instead of attempting to calm or even sedate our stressed pets with pharmaceuticals, it’s about time we started giving our pets the care and attention they really deserve. Only then might we truly be eligible to call ourselves ‘a nation of animal lovers.'”
Amazingly, even though anti-depressants aren’t manufactured specifically for animals, vets give them human pills, akin to Prozac or fluoxetine, as well as drugs like Clomipramine and Selegiline.
A report, written recently by the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals, found that over a quarter of dog owners leave their pet alone in the house for five hours or more during a weekday.
Dr. Knight’s advice to dog owners is fairly simple and straightforward, if not a little easier said than done. “It’s hardly surprising many resort to barking and demolishing the furniture, in their desperation for attention and stimulation. Such problems are widespread within our pet population, and constitute a major, under-recognised animal welfare problem.”
