Surge in 'puppy Prozac' prescriptions as vets blame lockdown for anxious pooches

Dogs are having a ruff time as vets are dishing out record Prozac prescriptions to beloved pets.

The number of pooches on antidepressants has increased tenfold in the last decade. Nearly one in 500 are on Fluoxetine - an antidepressant that helps regulate emotions. In humans, the , which is commonly known by the brand name Prozac, is known for its uses to help treat , obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and bulimia. Vets typically prescribe the drug to curb excessive whining, barking and furniture chewing. The dog version contains the same active ingredients as Prozac for humans, formulated for vetinary use, and sold as prescription-only chewable tablets with the brand name Reconcile, which can cost £30 a month.

Experts blame the , which saw pets unable to socialise and develop separation anxiety, especially those brought during lockdown. One top vet explained that along with a lack of socialisation during lockdown, many owners are now "treating their dogs like children".

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However, they warned that as a result, many owners are now looking for the "perfect animal", with social media contributing to a "mismatch" between what owners expect of their pets and "the reality of dogs being dogs." Social media has also been highlighted as a driving force behind owners, especially first-time owners, bringing home pets that prove unsuitable for their lifestyle.

Dr Dan O’Neill of the Royal Veterinary College looked at data from 2.3 million dogs across the UK, finding that nearly one in 500 were taking fluoxetine for issues such as excessive whining, barking or furniture chewing. To put that into perspective, a similar study from 2013 found that only one in 10,000 dogs were on the drug.

Most of the time, the vet says there is "probably nothing wrong with the dog". He told : "What is wrong is the owner's expectation. The owners are looking for a perfect animal that plays with them when they want it to, and never barks.

"Over time, since lockdown, people seem to be moving to treating their dogs like children, there is more pressure on the dogs to behave like mini-humans. Owners call them fur-babies. It is less acceptable that dogs will behave like dogs, that they run and bark and play and chew. The expectation is that dogs' behaviour will be perfect."

On top of this, there was also a surge in lockdown of people bringing home a furry companion. Dr O'Neill says the increase in medicated dogs reflects this as first-time owners were buying breeds that weren't suitable for them and their lifestyle out of lockdown without thoroughly researching the animal's needs. Dr O'Neill's findings, presented at a conference last month, found border collies and lurchers as having the highest prescription rates - high-energy working breeds that are not suitable to life as a domestic city pet.

Cockapoo owner Emma Reed claims the meds were a "game-changer" for her pup, though she admits that friends "laughed" when she told them. They also question how she knew her pup was suffering from depression, but says she clarifies that "he's not suffering from existential angst", as far as she knows.

"He exhibited prolonged periods of anxious behaviour which no amount of time and training seemed to resolve," she said. Chester, her cockapoo was not a lockdown dog, he was purchased as a puppy in 2018 after vast amounts of research and was exposed to a range of social and environmental stimuli from a young age.

Despite this, during his adolescnet years, his behaviour regressed, and Chester began "barking and lunging randomly" while on walks, with Emma noticing he was "hyper-alert" while out in the as though it was "one big threat". She noticed that Chester seemed "stressed" and said as a result, so was she.

A canine behaviourist noted that Chester's behaviour was fear-based, rather than aggressive. And after trying a whole host of different tactics to calm his nerves, and having him checked over to make sure physical pain wasn't playing a role, she was advised fluoxetine to take the edge off his anxiety.

"The difference was striking. He became a calmer and happier dog whom we could take anywhere," she wrote in The Times. Adding: "I've gone from sceptic to convert and have a dog who's blissed out rather than stressed out."

Dr Julian Hoad of the Small Animal Veterinary Association has also had success with the meds, adding: "I've had a couple of dogs that were pretty close to being put down as they were becoming more aggressive - and [they] are now the most docile pets you can have."