My Beagle on Prozac
A month later.
Last month I took my beagle, Cherry, to the vet for her yearly physical and some vaccinations. She was deemed healthy (if a pound or two overweight), and her teeth were nearly perfect. She behaved well, and all the vet techs loved her!
When the vet asked if there was anything else I wanted to address, I mentioned Cherry’s separation and car anxiety. Cherry gets very upset when I leave my apartment and barks for several minutes after I leave, and that’s after dealing with the crate fiasco. She also gets extremely anxious during car rides, exacerbating her car sickness.
The vet suggested Prozac, and I went with it.
The vet warned about initial behavioral changes, and I didn’t think they would be that dramatic. For the first three weeks of taking this drug, Cherry was almost a different dog. She was much more subdued, slept more, and cuddled more. When I lied down in my bed, she jumped to crawl in with me. She curls up into my stomach so that I’m spooning her. It’s all she wanted for the first three weeks.
She also had a much lower appetite for a few weeks. There were days when she wouldn’t eat anything. She even turned her nose away from some treats. Thankfully, she’s gotten past this stage, and she’s back to her regular feeding routine. She’s never been food-motivated, but at least she’s eating enough.
She does seem to feel better about different things now. Her separation anxiety is much better, and she doesn’t get nearly as drooly on car rides. She also doesn’t pull on the leash anymore and has an easier time just existing.
I’m really thankful for pill pockets. It’s a product from the Greenies brand. They are little chicken-flavored treats with a hole for pills. Cherry loves them. She looks forward to taking her medication every day, which is a big deal considering how non-food motivated she is. If you have a pet that needs to take a pill every day, I recommend this product wholeheartedly! They come in different flavors for both dogs and cats.
The last month with Cherry has been different than any other month I’ve had with her. While the break from her insane energy was nice, I’m thankful she’s back to her hilarious self.
(She is a little bit clingier, though, which I’m not complaining about.)
