Animal depression medication is usually only prescribed for severely depressed behavior in animals and is generally used as a secondary or stand-by treatment, depending on the severity of the disorder. In humans, depression is usually treated with appropriate prescription drugs, cognitive behavior therapy, or ongoing counseling. It is also treated with pharmaceuticals, but these are reserved for cases of severe depression or for patients who are not responding well to conventional treatment. In most cases, antidepressants are used for the treatment of mild to moderate depression. Animals also suffer from depression due to chemical imbalance, which can be treated with animal depression medication.
However, the treatment of animal depression varies according to cause of condition. A physical examination, x-rays, and blood tests can help with the diagnosis. A veterinarian may prescribe anti-depressants or anxiety animal depression medication if the animal has chemical imbalance. Paroxetine is an anti-depressant medication used for the treatment of the panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, and major depressive disorders. It can take up to two months for a drug to be effective in treating depression. Most animals make a full recovery in around six to twelve months after being administered selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).
SSRIs were launched in the mid to late 1980s. This generation of antidepressants is now the most common class used for depression. Examples include sertraline (Zoloft), escitalopram (Lexapro), fluoxetine (Prozac, Sarafem), paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva), and citalopram (Celexa). However, some animal depression medications have been found to cause unpleasant side effects, such as nausea, diarrhea, constipation, dizziness, and agitation in the animals. Newer anti-depressants are being developed to avoid these side effects. Moreover, the most effective animal depression medications have fewer side effects and are better tolerated by animals than older antidepressants. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved only one anti-depressant, Clomicalm (clomipramine) for treatment of anxiety in dogs.
