Antidepressants for dogs during wartime: when an animal needs medication

Explosions, sirens, and constant stress affect not only people but also pets. A veterinarian, veterinary dermatologist and dietitian, and PhD in veterinary medicine, Eduard Kotliarov, told UNN journalist in more detail about when an animal needs help from antidepressants, how the medications work, and what owners can do during shelling.

Details

According to the doctor, animals can develop behavioral disorders similar to those experienced by humans, although they manifest somewhat differently. Against the backdrop of the war, the reaction of dogs and cats to explosions has become a particularly noticeable problem.

Animals have many mental disorders similar to those in humans, but they may manifest somewhat differently. In veterinary medicine, we more often talk about behavioral disorders, although the essence is similar. These may include acute stress disorder, anxiety and depressive disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, hyperactivity, and so on. Animals can also experience separation anxiety, when they are afraid to be left alone 

According to the veterinarian, animals’ reactions to explosions can indeed be very strong, but they are not always easy to notice immediately. A dog may even change its attitude toward people or other animals because of such stress.

A great many animals react severely to explosions. They may hide, tremble, refuse to go outside, stay close to their owner, refuse to eat, or constantly sit under the bed or a blanket. If an animal is hiding and a person tries to pull it out, it may show aggression not because it has become aggressive, but because it is frightened and does not want to leave its makeshift safe zone 

Eduard Kotliarov separately draws attention to the fact that animals  may absorb their owner’s emotional state during explosions. This particularly applies to dogs, which are good at reading human behavior, but the point is that even an owner’s calmness does not always guarantee that the animal will also cope normally with shelling.

Animals are very good at reading their owners’ reactions. If the owner is highly anxious, the animal may also begin to feel nervous. But the opposite can happen as well: the owner is calm, while the animal still reacts severely to explosions. This is often more noticeable in dogs, whereas cats may simply hide more and not show their condition 

Therefore, the doctor says, it is not always worth waiting after another attack ends for everything to pass on its own. If changes in the animal’s behavior have already become постоянними or are already affecting the lives of the animal and its owners, the specialist advises seeking help. There are specific specialists who deal precisely with behavioral problems.

It is impossible simply to dismiss everything as the animal being old, fearful, or having merely experienced an explosion. An animal cannot say how frightened it is or how severely it is stressed, while prolonged stress can negatively affect both physical and mental health. If it seems that something is wrong, it is better to consult an animal behavior specialist and determine the cause 

At the same time, the veterinarian advises against viewing medications for behavior modification solely as "antidepressants." According to him, this is a broader concept, since such medications can be used for various behavioral problems.

We more often talk about medications for behavior modification rather than simply antidepressants. They are used not only for depression but also for various behavioral disorders, anxiety, sleep problems, separation anxiety, and other conditions. Very often, a comprehensive approach works best, when the animal is treated simultaneously by a veterinarian and a behavior specialist 

The veterinarian also emphasizes that the need for medication is determined not by the mere fact that the animal is afraid of explosions. It is important to assess how much the animal’s condition changes its usual life and whether it is becoming постоянним.

When such behavior leads to destructive or dysfunctional consequences for the animal itself or its owners, then it is worth considering treatment. For example, if an animal stops eating, urinates in the house, becomes aggressive, or lunges at people, this already worsens its quality of life. If the dog simply hides during an explosion, sits beside its owner, and calms down after a few minutes, that is a completely different situation 

He says that in Ukraine, only human medications are used to correct animals’ behavior, but one must categorically not give a dog medication intended for humans without professional guidance.

We do not have separate veterinary antidepressants of this type, so human medications are used. But doing this without a doctor’s prescription is extremely dangerous. The medication and dosage must be selected correctly, and other medications the animal is taking must be taken into account, because some drugs cannot be combined with one another or used for certain illnesses 

Moreover, one should not expect the first effect of such medications immediately, because, according to Eduard Kotlyarov, the clinical, that is, lasting, effect takes a long time to develop.

Antidepressants have an interesting mechanism of action that has not been fully studied. The biochemical effect may appear after just a few hours, but the actual clinical effect usually manifests after two to four weeks. The body needs time to readjust the functioning of its neurotransmitters and the entire system, rather than simply receive more of a certain substance

Instead, side effects may even occur at the beginning of treatment, although, according to the veterinarian’s observations, they are not particularly common in animals. That is why the dog’s condition at the start of therapy must be monitored very closely.

At the beginning, side effects may include diarrhea, constipation, drowsiness or, conversely, less sleep. Agitation, meaning increased irritability, or sluggishness may appear. Sometimes the animal becomes more sensitive to sounds to which it previously did not react. This usually happens during the early stages of therapy 

The course of treatment must also not be stopped independently after the first improvements.

The course must be long enough to recalibrate the system, so the medications are taken for months, not a few days. They must be discontinued gradually, under a doctor’s supervision, because abrupt withdrawal can cause negative side effects. Sometimes an animal genuinely needs such therapy for a long time, although this is uncommon 

Kotlyarov also advises not waiting for the explosions to begin if it is known that the dog experiences them very badly. Instead, it is better to take the dog to a veterinarian so that the doctor can prescribe the animal  a medication used specifically when anxiety intensifies.

If we understand that the anxiety will last for several hours and that explosions will recur, the doctor may prescribe a fast-acting medication that will help calm the animal at that particular moment. If it is known in advance that there will be heavy shelling, it may sometimes be better to give such medication beforehand, because after taking it, it also needs time to take effect. But it must be a medication prescribed by a doctor 

However, medication is not the only way to help an animal during an attack. First and foremost, it is important for the owner to remain as calm as possible.

The animal should not be left alone at this moment. One should speak to it in a calm voice and stay nearby. If the owner is very nervous, it is better for someone who is calmer to look after the dog, because the animal senses intonation, rapid breathing, and a trembling voice, and understands that something is wrong 

The animal should also be allowed to stay wherever it feels safer. If the dog chooses a hiding place on its own, it should not be forcibly pulled out.

If an animal wants to hide in the bathroom, under the bed, or somewhere else, it should be allowed to do so. You can make a bed there, put out water and food, and simply stay nearby. There is no need to scold it, shout, or forcibly pick it up. If the animal wants to be held, you can pick it up; if it wants to hide, let it hide 

Ultimately, the main thing is not to ignore changes in the animal’s behavior that have arisen after the stress it experienced, the doctor emphasizes. Even if a dog outwardly returns to its normal life quickly, repeated explosions can still trigger an anxious reaction again. That is why, in the case of persistent problems, it is better not to experiment with medications on your own, but to consult a veterinarian.

If it seems that something has changed with the animal, it is better to consult a specialist and determine together whether medication support is needed. Medications are not inherently something frightening—it is only important to use them correctly and under a doctor’s supervision 

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