Non Rx anti anxiety meds for dogs? Exist?

Sooooo....one of our darlings is having a hard time. She's always had a hard time but we were able to contain the crazy due to the fact that I was in / out of home most of the day to keep the crazy in check. Now that my schedule has changed, what triggered her before (dogs walking by house, sudden loud outdoor noises,  outside children being loud) have her spinning out of control. She scratches furniture, bites edges of tables, etc. When we got her, she was fostered by a great family who mentioned that they had her on a "calming" med. We decided against this because we thought that the reason she was high strung was because she was kenneled most of the day and when they came home, she became a bit rambunctious, but now we aren't sure.

Talked to our vet who said she could be put on "doggie Xanax" but ONLY if we did behavioral modification therapy with her. Honestly, neither of us can undertake that time commitment right now.  Our doc was very clear that it "may not work for all dogs" and that it's "steady and constructed" (I think were the words). She also said several of her patients drop out because of the time and the money, but a few have seen great results. 

When speaking to a few whom I know have cats / dogs with anxiety issues, those animals are on meds sans the therapy (not same vet). I just want her to be a happier her. I can't imagine what it's like to be jarred and on edge like she is, looking for us to soothe her but to discover she's alone. When we are around, I'm able to take her away from a window or have her concentrate on something else, but when she's solo... My vet also suggested kenneling her while we are gone. We have a large kennel in the basement, but to us, that defeats the purpose of having a dog. I'd kennel her if she was undergoing training, but to me, it kinda feels like punishment for something she can't control. 

I was hoping to find something I could give to her that over time wouldn't be harmful to her but would relax her more when no one's around. I didn't have the non Rx conversation with our vet because I didn't think of it at the time. 

Our dog sounds very much like yours.  We've tried a variety of meds and don't really seem to notice a difference.   She always liked her crate but we got rid of it when we moved as she didn't seem to really use it that much.  When her anxiety seemed out of control we decided to get a new crate and honestly what keeps her calmest is having her in her crate when we are not at home or when we are home and there is a trigger - like the gardener or pool guy.  I also keep one of those cheap high frequency anti bark things near the front door and that helps with the mailman anxiety (she had started attacking the mail as she figured out that it comes from that horrible intruder).

Are there ways to protect her from the stimuli? Rather than crating her, is it possible to confine her to a part of the house where she can't see and hear as much? Maybe block her in the kitchen or some other room? Or close the curtains when you're gone so she can't see out the windows? Play classical music to block out outside noises? 

I had a dog who barked at everyone who walked by. I put translucent paper over the lower panes of the windows that looked out over the sidewalk. She couldn't see out, but plenty of light came through the paper and I hardly noticed it.

Don't think of crating as punishment. A lot of dogs are very happy in their crates and go there voluntarily. Dogs don't get a lot of enjoyment out of having free run of the house when they're home alone. They usually spend most of the day in one spot anyway. Couch > water bowl > your bed > water bowl > couch.

You might check out the Dog Relaxants category in Amazon. A lot of people swear by Rescue Remedy and DAP products.

kthnry said:


Don't think of crating as punishment. A lot of dogs are very happy in their crates and go there voluntarily. Dogs don't get a lot of enjoyment out of having free run of the house when they're home alone. They usually spend most of the day in one spot anyway. Couch > water bowl > your bed > water bowl > couch.

Our dog hangs out under our bed when we're away.  We put a thinner-type dog bed there so she can be comfortable (there's no carpet).  She seems to like the protective, cave-like surroundings.  

You can try giving rescue remedy orally and/or in the water dish.  Also you can get a DAP (dog appeasing pheromone) plugin for the rooms of your house.  You might want to try the kennel. She may feel more secure and less anxious.  

I recommend trying Dr Levine at AERC in fairfield. She is a behaviorist and in my opinion is more suited to prescribing meds and giving advice than a regular vet. I used her for my dog when he started having anxiety issues, my friend uses her for behavior/anxiety issues and my Vet uses her for her own dogs. 

Good luck!!

What about the Thunder Shirt? I know it doesn't always work, but I have heard that many recommend it for anxious dogs.

The woman at PetSmart suggested a Thunder Shirt but I don't think it's what we need for her. She'll sleep through bad weather, including claps of thunder. It's something about man made noises that gets her going. 

The thunder shirt is similar to swaddling a baby.  The gentle pressure can be soothing for some dogs.  I tried it on our previous dog and it was not effective but I have friends who swear by it, even for man made noises.  Worth a try in my opinion.  You will know within a few days if it is working and if it doesn't work for her you can return it.  I would also consider getting a second opinion from a different vet.  I don't usually jump so easily to medicating but it sounds like your sweet pooch is experiencing higher than usual anxiety/reactivity to stimuli and it might help take the edge off so to speak.  And I would also echo using a crate.  We still use a crate for our 3 year old dog when we are away for more than an hour or two and probably will always do so as he tends to roam the house looking for mischief when we are gone.  I am always surprised at how calm he is when we return home.  He yawns, stretches and then wags his tail, relaxed and happy.  Of course a nice long vigorous walk before crating helps immensely.  Good luck to you!  I know how stressful it can be for the whole family when the four legged family member is suffering and you are trying everything in your power to help them.  If only talk therapy worked for dogs!

This may be too simple for your situation but these calm one of my dogs down a lot.  He is a wreck in the car.

I figure any and everything is worth at least a try. Including a different vet. I can understand wanting the medication to go hand in hand with another approach designed to lessen her fear so she can get off the medication, but for right now it doesn't sound practicable.

Kibbe, I am sorry your dog is such a basket case without you. I would be reluctant to recommend any sort of anxiety meds (even otc) because they can have deleterious effect on the kidneys and liver. if taken over time.  

Exercise can have a very calming effect on dogs.  If you can wear her out with a good run or game of fetch, before you leave the house, and maybe think about having someone come in to take her on a good 30 minute walk around mid-day, you may be  able to tire her out enough so that external stimuli doesn't put her over the edge.

Actually, there are a number of good suggestions here that you might try in combination--kthnry's suggestion to apply the translucent paper to the window, the pheromone diffuser, and vigorous exercise might help.  Personally, I think consulting Dr.Emily Levine  might be the most effective course of action.  She is an animal behaviorist , as well as a vet, so she can prescribe. A very good friend of mine has used her, and has been happy with the results. The most important part of her recommendations is always the reinforcement homework. You have to be diligent and consistent.

Good luck, Kibbegirl, I hope everything works out for your family and your dog.

Have you considered consulting an animal behaviorist--psychologist?  As far as medication is concerned, you might want to get an RX for acepromazine and give the pooch a half.

Thanks everyone for the advice. Really, really - THANK YOU.

She's exercised daily and we have another one and they go at it pretty good and wear each other out. Even if she's tired from walking, playing, etc., she will muster the energy to be aggressive. I simply do not want to cover my windows with paper, etc., because it's ugly. LOL! Also, she's a scratcher and my gut tells me that if we did this, she'd claw at the paper to see outdoors. She goes under blinds, curtains, etc., to get closer to the window, so covering windows with paper may make her even more nuts. 

Emily Levine was one of doctor's recommended to me. Although I love all of my dogs - past and present, I cannot take out hunks of time for them for therapy or therapeutic training. I don't have the time to give and my human family must come first. Dr. Levine, as I've been told, is time consuming. I'm just being honest. 

And if I used Xanax for myself, I probably wouldn't post this because I'd be so chill that none of this would bother me  

This is a new supplement we carry at Zen Pets and so far the results are promising  .