Mental health pills for pets? The rise of psychiatric medication in dog behaviour therapy
We love our dogs like family, but putting them on medication for 'behavioural problems' may not be the answer.
We love our dogs like family . They greet us with wagging tails, comfort us on tough days and ask for little more than a walk and a treat. But lately, a question has been quietly echoing online and in vet clinics - "Are we medicating our pets for just being themselves?"
A recent viral TikTok video by content creator Dr Jef has stirred the pot on pet parenting, sparking fiery debate about whether we've lost sight of what it means to let animals just be animals. The clip zooms in on an unsettling trend: more and more dogs are being prescribed psychiatric medication like Prozac, not for serious mental health disorders, but for simply behaving like dogs.That's right. Barking. Chewing. Running wildly around the house. Behaviours that were once shrugged off as part of the canine experience are now being 'treated' with pills.
And it's not just social media buzz. Data backs it up. Dr Diana Neil at the UK's Royal Veterinary College analysed data from over 2.3 million dogs and found that 1 in every 500 dogs was prescribed Prozac for behaviour-related issues. Just a decade ago, that number was 1 in 10,000. The reasons range from barking excessively and chewing furniture to showing separation anxiety or general restlessness.
Research confirms that mood stabilisers for pets, often the same ones prescribed to humans are becoming more common, especially post-lockdown. Covid created a generation of 'lockdown puppies' who missed critical early socialisation. When their humans returned to the office, many dogs were left with high anxiety levels they didn't know how to cope with. The stress is real for both the dog and the owner.
Are we projecting our mental health struggles onto our pets?
Melissa Bain, a professor of veterinary behaviour at the University of California, Davis, told STAT News, "When we start to recognise things in humans, we recognise it in our dogs too."
She believes the growing focus on human mental health, especially since the pandemic, has made us more conscious of our pets' emotions. But while awareness is essential, experts warn that not every 'bad' behaviour requires a pill.
Breed choices and lifestyle mismatches
High-energy breeds like Border Collies, Labradors and Belgian Malinois - historically bred for work - top the list for behavioural drug prescriptions. Why? Because we bring them into small apartments, work long hours, and expect them to be Instagrammable cuddle companions. We're medicating normal animal behaviours because they don't fit into our lifestyles. If a dog has too much energy for your schedule, that's not the dog's fault. That's a mismatch.
And let's be honest: many of us pick pets based on cuteness, not compatibility. The rise in popularity of working dogs with strong instincts and high prey drive clashes with our urban, high-stress lives.
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