Peanut Butter Pills
OK, so you might notice that Gail looks kind of soulfull and sweet in the this shot. Indeed, she has made an extreme amount of progress, and it is all thanks to this wonderful little pill she takes every afternoon. It’s called fluoxitine, and it is used to treat separation anxiety. I call it a miracle!
Some of you might recognize the drug. It is the same drug that goes under the brand name of Prozac. While it is primarily used to treat depression in humans, fluoxitine is an anti-anxiety drug when administered to dogs, and is the only approved medication for separation anxiety in dogs. As an added bonus the overall improvement in Gail’s temprament is something to behold. She is… Lovable.
I guess once you take away a dog’s anxiety, they tend to enjoy being cuddled and fawned over more. It is obvious that Gail is much more content these days, and she is far more trainable. Although not perfect, she is starting to get a grip on a basic vocabulary, and will typically retreive the object you ask for such as a ball, rope, or Wubba from the other room.
Even my cat, Alex has noticed the improvement. His anxiety level has also dropped thanks to the fact that Gail has stopped using him as a chew toy. Every once in a while, Gail will get a little too “nosey”, but for the most part she is respecting Alex’s boundaries.
Initially I was told it would take up to 30 days before there would be any behavioral changes, but honestly I could tell that something was happening after only two weeks. It has been a little over two months, and Gail is like a new dog. It is also of note that the medication is rather affordable. At only $18 for a 60 day supply, I can keep Gail on this pill indefinitely to ensure that her previous disposition never comes back.
Kudos
Some amazingly kind and generous soul has been using our submission page during my extended hiatus. They are a bit different from my usual style, but the submitter was kind enough to provide them, so I will be posting them over the next few weeks with minimal editing. I hope you all enjoy.
“I’m envious of actors. You shoot a movie or you do a season of ‘Big Love,’ and then you’re on hiatus and you have a bunch of free time.” ― Jack McCollough
Pax,
-f2x