treating panic attacks in dogs with medication

[dougpeg]

Bit of context;
Rescue dog. Very sweet, well behaved. I've had him about 4 years now. He's 8.
Came to me undersocialised. Much more confident these days. Most days he's a happy, chilled out little dog. Homelife is quiet and uneventful. Walked daily and rarely left home alone. In good health and loved dearly.

Issue: random panic attacks. He's always had them. They vary in severity, duration and frequency. He can go a month without one, or have 3 in a week. Sometimes they are mild, sometimes they are very distressing. Generally they present in an evening but not always. No known trigger and when they happen, it's instant- no build up or warning.

He's had blood tests etc and physically he is healthy. Currently he's prescribed Sileo which I use on an adhoc basis for the bad ones. It's effective but it knocks him out. It can be difficult to administer too when hes already distressed. After a particular bad week I'm going to ask if there is anything else we can try. Maybe a daily medication but I don't want him in a permanent sedative state as when he's not having panic attacks, he's totally fine.

 

[HopOnTrot]

My mature (13) terrier gets quite anxious when he goes away from home, I spoke to the vet and she’s given us sedatives to use when we go away (very rare we take the dogs but happening twice this year) we did the first trip a few weeks ago and it was great, he slept in the car and was able to settle down and sleep in a new location. Last time we went away he stayed up the whole first night

She gave us two different kinds but the milder ones worked well enough. He’s good at swallowing capsules though so not sure how a very anxious dog would do this in a meltdown.

 

[Mynstrel]

This might be a useless suggestion but when our rescue had what I can only describe as a breakdown he was on valium for a while. It turned down his anxiety and helped him to cope with life but didn't make him dopey. Hope you find something to help him.

 

[CorvusCorax]

What do you mean by panic attack, how is he presenting?

 

[HopOnTrot]

This might be a useless suggestion but when our rescue had what I can only describe as a breakdown he was on valium for a while. It turned down his anxiety and helped him to cope with life but didn't make him dopey. Hope you find something to help him.

Ah, this! I knew there was a human drug but couldn’t remember what.

 

[dougpeg]

Mild ones he will pant and lick his nose, some trembling. He will want to climb on top of me or cling to my leg but remains fairly stationary. The nose licking seems to be a self soothing mechanism.

Severe ones he will pant, shake and pace. Climbing all over me and shoving his nose in my face. He can't sit still. If I ignore him and make him stay on the floor he paces round and round. He will touch his nose on objects gently while he's pacing around. The best I can describe it, is like an acute onset of extreme fear.

Taking him outside helps calm him but he will pick up where he left off on return. There is never any warning. He goes from normal to not in a nano second. I've lived in different places and it's the same whatever the setup. The rest of the time he is a relaxed dog.

 

[blackcob]

There are many other anti-anxiety drugs like clomipramine available but in the absence of a known trigger I’d be hesitant to label the behaviour as a panic attack. Have things like acute
gastric pain and neurological disorders been ruled out?

For example, one of mine went through a brief phase of eating small pieces of fabric toys and his reaction to the pain of a foreign body in his stomach was to pant, lick, tremble and pace, quite intensively and distressingly.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I would want to understand what is causing the behaviour and worry that any drug would just mask it, making it more difficult to work out what's going on.
We have one whose fear response is to dive into a (most awkward) corner, trampling on anything, including me, that is in her way. We realised that although a generally confident dog and our alpha bitch, she gets frightened when the brown Lab chases moths. We can only assume that it is the hunting mode that worries her. That took a lot of working out, partly because it is so ludicrous!

 

[CorvusCorax]

I agree I'd want to find out the root cause before treatment. I've had stressy dogs in my time but I'd never describe a dog as having a 'panic attack', which is a human thing, especially without an obvious trigger, which is why I asked, and agree it may be a pain response, if not something neurological.

 

[dougpeg]

Thanks. Physical causes have been ruled out as much as we can. Our best guess is noise sensitivity. Problem is dogs can hear things we can't.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Thanks. Physical causes have been ruled out as much as we can. Our best guess is noise sensitivity. Problem is dogs can hear things we can't.

Have you ruled out mice/insects in the wall? That is the kind of thing I'd be looking for, if no physical cause can be found, or if you think it's a reaction to a noise, try having music playing, as you might for Bonfire Night.

 

[druid]

Thanks. Physical causes have been ruled out as much as we can. Our best guess is noise sensitivity. Problem is dogs can hear things we can't.

Have you put a calming hood on him when he starts? Will rule out noise issues/triggers

 

[YorksG]

Has your vet ruled out any seizure disorder?

 

[Fellewell]

Thanks. Physical causes have been ruled out as much as we can. Our best guess is noise sensitivity. Problem is dogs can hear things we can't.

We had one who was very wind phobic, she'd take up a position on the kite step and refuse to move. She was very poorly bred with no thought for temperament and the vets weren't keen on seeing her (very reactive) they suggested sedatives which I refused, luckily for them she never had a days illness in her life. I just spent 11 years learning how to shut her down. We did discover eventually that the house had a structural defect, it could be blowing a hurricane and she'd be fine in the garden. Yes, they do hear things we don't.

 

[Teaselmeg]

I would get referred to a vet behaviourist. They are much more qualified to assess what is going on and recommend the right drug (s) than your normal vet.

 

[cbmcts]

I have one that is on sertraline for anxiety. He is/was anxious which did lead to hysterical behaviour when overwhelmed. As a 48kg dog, hysterical behaviour was difficult and borderline dangerous to deal with especially in public. It's not a magic bullet and took about 3 months to see an improvement in all honesty but it does keep him calm enough that you are able to train through the issues if that makes sense. It's not a sedative and doesn't make him dopey (we need much stronger pharmaceuticals for that!) I did try and wean him off it last year after 3+ years on it and it was noticeable how much difference it made so back onto it he went...

Unless your dog is trigger stacking prior to an attack - it may be worth thinking about what has happened/where you've been in the 24/48 before as well as his environment - I don't think it would work.

One of my siblings had their mali on prozac for a while with no success but to be fair, there is nothing wrong with the dog and everything wrong with their management of her...

 

[dougpeg]

Thanks all. We went down the behaviourist route before we resorted to prescription medication. I don't think we'll ever get to the bottom of it sadly. I think it is a reaction to something in the environment. Something he can hear or feel, as taking him out that environment calms him down. It's difficult though becase it presents the same whatever house we live in. We've done all sorts of environmental experiments / adaptations with no success. Hopefully a different medication will help. Thanks for the suggestions in this area.