Behavior problems can plague pets and they can potentially turn into significant issues in certain situations. Because of their behavior issues, your pet might be incapable of doing certain things.
To be clear, the behavior issues we’re discussing are not about your cat or dog going potty somewhere they shouldn’t. Instead, we’re focusing on problems such as anxiety, depression, and excessive stress. Many of us deal with those issues on a regular basis, and sadly, our pets are not safe from them.
So, what can we do to help our pet cat or dog who is suffering from those issues? Well, one solution is to offer them medication.
What Can Drugs Do for Our Pets?
Let’s answer the most important question right away. Why do our pets need to take behavior modification drugs?
Technically speaking, drugs aren’t completely necessary for behavioral issues. Numerous alternatives besides pet medication have yielded positive results.
If you want to avoid giving your pet behavior modification drugs, you may be able to do so. However, there are also genuine benefits to gain from using those drugs.
According to MSD Manual, behavior modification drugs possess immense potential in terms of how helpful they can be to our pets.
Specific issues can targeted by previously mentioned drugs. Medication can treat certain anxieties. Pets displaying compulsive behavior might benefit from specific drugs.
Basically, those drugs give veterinarians a way to precisely target the issues that your pet is struggling with. That could lead to the issue being resolved faster.
Behavior modification drugs can also work great for normalizing your pet’s behavior. In a situation where you know your pet may grow anxious, you may be able to use medication to calm them down. They will be able to relax better thanks to the medication you gave them.
How Effective Are Behavior Modification Meds on Pets?
After learning about the different benefits that behavior modification drugs can offer your pets, you’re probably wondering why they aren’t more widely used at this point. If you’re just judging them by the benefits they provide, they seemingly warrant wider usage.
Of course, there are real reasons why their usage is still fairly limited. One is the lack of data.
Regardless of the number of behavior modification drug studies performed, veterinarians still need more data to feel confident prescribing them. Veterinarians want to be certain about their prescriptions so you shouldn’t be surprised if they are showing some form of hesitation.
While the results of behavior modification drugs for pets have so far looked positive, we still cannot definitively state that they are always effective. Hopefully, more studies in the coming years will reinforce the effectiveness of those drugs.
It’s also worth pointing out that we cannot rely on them alone.
Veterinarians and pet parents should not turn to behavior modification drugs thinking that they can resolve the issues by themselves.
Combining drugs and other treatment methods such as behavioral modification focused training so they can be effective. As long as we all remember that, we should be able to accurately assess how helpful behavior modification drugs can be to our pets.
Behavior problems can adversely affect your pet’s long-term health. Medication coupled with training guided by a professional can help your dog live a happy and healthy life.
We at TAILored Pet Services can also watch over your pet if they recently started a new medicine regimen. Our on-staff trainer can also assist you in creating a plan to allow the medication to do the most good for your pet. Simply call 425- 923-7791 or contact us to learn more about the services we provide.
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