Medication Update for My Anxious and Reactive Dog (February 2024)

Last month, I posted an update regarding Lucky’s progress on Fluoxetine. She is now halfway through month 10, and we visited the vet yesterday. As mentioned in our previous update, she has not shown much progress in the past few months and has been quite sensitive to sounds again, she is even terrified during some moments, especially at night.

I have consulted both our trainer (during one of our sessions) and the neurologist we’ve been in contact with since 1.5 years ago (via email). There could be several reasons for her regression: seasonal factors, unnoticed events, Lucky’s potential tolerance to the medication, inadequate dosage, and more. However, it’s really hard to pinpoint the exact cause.

I was provided with two options (three if we include maintaining the current dosage and continuing with training):

1️⃣ Increase the dosage from 20 to 30mg – This is the straightforward option, but I’ll only consider it if option 2 doesn’t yield results.

2️⃣ Add natural supplements 🍃 In this case, I’m incorporating Zylkene into her daily breakfast alongside her usual 20mg Fluoxetine capsule. Additionally, I’m using CBD oil for stressful situations, although I haven’t seen any improvements with CBD yet (since pretty much forever), but I remain hopeful 😁

Before Fluoxetine, I tried Seren-UM, a similar product to Zylkene, without success. But this time, our vet suggested that combining natural supplements with medication could be effective, so we’re trying that approach for now. Zylkene typically takes at least 5 days to take effect, and we started today. I’m considering giving it 10 days for Lucky 😅

However, Zylkene is over 12 (!!) times more expensive than Fluoxetine, and as some of you may know, CBD oil is even pricier, especially considering Lucky’s recommended dosage 😩 Nonetheless, I prefer natural alternatives if they prove to be effective. So, fingers crossed! 🤞 

I know some of you may be contemplating dosage adjustments or currently using natural supplements. Please share your experiences and updates in the comments! Your input would be greatly appreciated and could benefit others too! 🙏