Alternatives to pet prozac?
March 28, 2009 6:42 PM Subscribe
Prozac didn't seem to help cat's problems. Options?
I'm posting anon for complicated personal reasons.
About two months ago, we consulted the vet about the cat's seeming anxiety and aggression towards guests. (We have kids who have friends and sometimes we need to have someone come in and feed the cat, if the family is away.) The vet gave us a prescription for generic Prozac but the result seems to be less than optimal. The cat is definitely more tired but not less hissy and aggressive. In fact, she's gone from being hissy towards guests to being hissier towards family. She is less physically affectionate and we are thinking of dropping her meds. Is it the case with cats, as with humans, that sometimes a different SSRI will have better effects or should we just give up? Yes, we've tried Feliway; no joy. A companion cat is not an option at this time.
I'm posting anon for complicated personal reasons.
About two months ago, we consulted the vet about the cat's seeming anxiety and aggression towards guests. (We have kids who have friends and sometimes we need to have someone come in and feed the cat, if the family is away.) The vet gave us a prescription for generic Prozac but the result seems to be less than optimal. The cat is definitely more tired but not less hissy and aggressive. In fact, she's gone from being hissy towards guests to being hissier towards family. She is less physically affectionate and we are thinking of dropping her meds. Is it the case with cats, as with humans, that sometimes a different SSRI will have better effects or should we just give up? Yes, we've tried Feliway; no joy. A companion cat is not an option at this time.
Just call and discuss your situation with your vet—if they aren't engaging with your cat's behavioral issues or don't seem approachable, find a friendlier vet.
You did axiomatically say that a companion cat is not an option, but I'll throw this out there: our first cat was destroying stuff, pooping all over the place, freaking out, etc.; when we got another cat he totally chilled out. But like I said, this is part of your unique situation that your vet should be dropping knowledge on.
posted by mindsound at 7:02 PM on March 28, 2009
You did axiomatically say that a companion cat is not an option, but I'll throw this out there: our first cat was destroying stuff, pooping all over the place, freaking out, etc.; when we got another cat he totally chilled out. But like I said, this is part of your unique situation that your vet should be dropping knowledge on.
posted by mindsound at 7:02 PM on March 28, 2009
If you do decide to stop the meds, make sure you do it safely (i.e. stepping down the dosage in order to wean the cat off of it). Cold-turkey cessation of meds (particularly SSRIs) can be dangerous.
posted by amyms at 7:18 PM on March 28, 2009
posted by amyms at 7:18 PM on March 28, 2009
My single cat was annoying (not aggressive, but clearly bored and lonely). He has totally chilled out since I got him a cat. It was a great move and has improved eveyrone's quality of life in my house, ymmv.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 7:41 PM on March 28, 2009
posted by pseudostrabismus at 7:41 PM on March 28, 2009
sorry, didn't read that line correctly in the question
posted by pseudostrabismus at 7:42 PM on March 28, 2009
posted by pseudostrabismus at 7:42 PM on March 28, 2009
Drugs aren't the way to treat this. At all.
This behavior is ingrained in the cat.
To undo the damage done a new approach must be made and this requires a lot of patience, love and consistency.
If you wish, you can connect with me via memail and I can assist.
posted by watercarrier at 4:05 AM on March 29, 2009
This behavior is ingrained in the cat.
To undo the damage done a new approach must be made and this requires a lot of patience, love and consistency.
If you wish, you can connect with me via memail and I can assist.
posted by watercarrier at 4:05 AM on March 29, 2009
To answer your main question, yes, sometimes a different SSRI will have better effects in a cat. One of our cats has been on various SSRIs until we found a med that worked... for a time, unfortunately. It stopped working after a while, and we don't know why. Definitely talk to your vet, of course, but if you're committed to the idea of treating this medically (and I would always use medication in conjunction with behavioral therapies) it might not hurt to try a different sort.
posted by Never teh Bride at 3:24 PM on March 29, 2009
posted by Never teh Bride at 3:24 PM on March 29, 2009
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 6:50 PM on March 28, 2009