Prozac? Is it safe?

[sugarwookie]

We've tried just about everything to get our older cat acclimated to the kitten, now 6 months old. It's just not working. The Vet recommended Prozac, so I'm just wondering if anyone can chime in on giving this to a cat for aggression.

 

[hybriseris]

Not for aggression, but my friend's cat had to be enucleated due to severe eye ulcers, and obviously it was an intensely stressful time for him just like a kitten introduction can be. It made a WORLD of difference. He went from licking all his fur off and never moving, to hanging out with the second cat they'd gotten and acting himself despite his new blindness.

The only side effect I've noticed is that he has gotten quite overweight which is common with antidepressants but he's been on them long term. If you were trying them short term that may not be an issue.

 

[sugarwookie]

Thank you for taking the time to reply

 

[fionasmom]

Search Results for Query: prozac

You might look through previous threads about Prozac. There are lots of different opinions as to its effectiveness in matters ranging from overgrooming to aggression to hyperactivity. What I recall from reading these is that it seemed to depend on the cat and some were very happy with its effectiveness and others were not.

 

[artiemom]

Geoffrey was on Prozac for a while. It was prescribed for really bad anxiety: frightened of every noise, movements around him..constantly hiding under bed, constantly crying...

Because I could not really pick him up--he was never out, and he ran from me'He was afraid of everything-- I got the transdermal. Pilling him at that time was impossible.

The Prozac helped him a lot. With the transdermal, I alternated ears, each day; washing down the previous ear, the next day.
I also had to wear either gloves, or a finger cot, so I would not absorb the prozac.

I would say, try it.. It may take a while to kick in. I cannot remember how long it took for Geoffrey.

 

[sugarwookie]

Geoffrey was on Prozac for a while. It was prescribed for really bad anxiety: frightened of every noise, movements around him..constantly hiding under bed, constantly crying...

Because I could not really pick him up--he was never out, and he ran from me'He was afraid of everything-- I got the transdermal. Pilling him at that time was impossible.

The Prozac helped him a lot. With the transdermal, I alternated ears, each day; washing down the previous ear, the next day.
I also had to wear either gloves, or a finger cot, so I would not absorb the prozac.

I would say, try it.. It may take a while to kick in. I cannot remember how long it took for Geoffrey.

Is he still with you?

 

[artiemom]

I still have Geoffrey...

 

[Caspers Human]

I'm not against Prozac or other antidepressants but I don't like the idea that people think if something is okay for humans that they should give it to their cat, too.

Just for full disclosure, I'm the kind of person who won't even take aspirin or cold pills unless I feel like I'm actually sick enough to need them. If I've got the sniffles, I blow my nose. If I've got a headache, I eat something and have a drink of water then take a nap for twenty minutes. Then, if the headache doesn't go away, I'll decide whether taking something is the right thing to do.

Sure, there are times when medications are called for but I think that too many people are too eager to resort to taking pills for every little thing that ails them.

 

[hybriseris]

If I've got the sniffles, I blow my nose. If I've got a headache, I eat something and have a drink of water then take a nap for twenty minutes.

I totally agree that especially in our animals who don't have the autonomy to express their own feelings about being medicated, it's important not to just slap them on any old thing. And that yes as humans, we are prone to just taking pain relievers because we can, or saying we can just take a med for high blood pressure or cholesterol and not take steps to lower them naturally.

But... mental illness, anxiety, etc, are a totally different beast. Unfortunately I can't drink some water and take a nap and wake up with my crippling anxiety disorder relieved in any way. Actually the nap will probably leave me feeling worse.

In the case of a chemical imbalance in the brain caused by temporary (or chronic) stress, medication can not just help but save a life. I myself am currently not on medication, but if it weren't for Zoloft ten years ago, I would without a doubt not be here to type this to you right now. Certainly not a little thing. But I'll get off my soapbox!

To the point above about some people noticing a huge difference and others not, I do think that's the case because antidepressants work differently for different people and I wouldn't be surprised if it's the same for cats. But most other anxiolytics/antidepressants haven't been evaluated for use in animals.

 

[sugarwookie]

I'm not against Prozac or other antidepressants but I don't like the idea that people think if something is okay for humans that they should give it to their cat, too.

Just for full disclosure, I'm the kind of person who won't even take aspirin or cold pills unless I feel like I'm actually sick enough to need them. If I've got the sniffles, I blow my nose. If I've got a headache, I eat something and have a drink of water then take a nap for twenty minutes. Then, if the headache doesn't go away, I'll decide whether taking something is the right thing to do.

Sure, there are times when medications are called for but I think that too many people are too eager to resort to taking pills for every little thing that ails them.

I appreciate you taking the time to give me your opinion on the topic, but that wasn't what this post was trying to do. I'm thrilled you don't pop pills when you don't get a sniffle, or medicate your pets, but this post was made because we've tried any and everything to keep one highly territorial animal from physically harming another, thus the "have you used Prozac and did it help?" and not " would you use it?".

See the subtle difference there?

 

[furmonster mom]

I’m a fan of natural alternatives in general, but I also believe that modern medicines have their place too.

We haven’t had to use Prozac for any of our cats, but our dog is another story…

We have a 10 yr old poodle mix that we took in a couple years ago. This guy came with some intense separation anxiety. We worked with him, and got him to a somewhat comfortable level without meds.

HOWEVER, he has cataracts, and they have gotten to the point of complete blindness. Recently, hubby and I were intermittently gone for two days working a local festival. Our prolonged absence combined with his blindness was too much for our old man, and his anxiety went off the charts. So I finally caved and called the vet for some meds. He’s been better for it, and so have we as his anxiety was affecting us as well.

I know that cats systems have a very different way of processing chemicals and medications, so if you are looking at this as a long term solution, you may want to consider liver and kidney support as well.