Dogs Prescribed Anti-Anxiety Medication
Considering all the noise and danger of fireworks, WHY do we keep using them and causing all this trouble? On the plus side, they make a lot of noise. On the negative side, they make a lot of noise, they are extremely dangerous to humans and our four-footed companions, they leave a major mess and they waste a bunch of money. Am I missing anything? I just don’t get it!
This news comes from icCroydon.co.uk.
Dogs on drugs to cope with stress of Guy Fawkes night
Exclusive by Hugo Daniel hugodaniel@croydonadvertiser.co.uk
SCORES of New Addington dogs are being prescribed drugs to cope with the stress of Bonfire Night.
More dog owners than ever before are asking vets to give their pets medication to sedate them on November 5.
This year at Ashton Veterinary Surgery, in Salcot Crescent, 24 people have asked about getting sedatives for their pets and 12 have been given prescriptions.
One dog-owner, Debbie Loveland, has been giving her dog Dex medication for the last eight years.
He becomes manic whenever fireworks go off near Debbie’s home in Homestead Way, New Addington.
Since he was bought as a puppy he has destroyed two vacuum cleaners, three foot spas and a Christmas tree – all because of panicking when loud bangers explode.
The cost of the drugs to calm him down has run into thousands of pounds over the years, but Debbie insists he can’t cope without the medication.
She said: “He will go from room to room panting, trying to bury himself in whatever he can.
“He used to try to get behind the television and chew through the wires before I blocked it off. He’s like a dog possessed.
“He chewed through the phone wire once and we had no phone for a couple of months.
“Once he jumped on the Christmas tree and went for the lights.”
Diazepam (valium) is the drug most commonly handed out by vets but Debbie says that it did not work on Dex so she now gets a prescription of ACP (Acepromazine) which is more commonly used before pets have surgery.
The mum-of-two has to stay indoors with Dex when he takes the drug and it has put her off fireworks for good.
She said: “I absolutely hate fireworks and I do not want to take my kids to any more displays.
“Normally Dex is lovely and does what he’s told. He’s probably cost us thousands of pounds but I could not part with him, nutty as he is.”
Noreen Terrons, receptionist at Ashton Veterinary Surgery, said people come in every year with terrified pets.
She added: “Every year it’s the same people who want their dogs sedated.
“We do not like doing it. The dog has to be fit and healthy to have it and if we have not seen them within the last six months then we won’t do it.
“We try to encourage people to use other methods.But some people have tried everything else and it has not worked so they want the sedatives.”
