Help from Your Veterinarian
There are several different medications for treating canine anxiety, all available by prescription from your vet. Trazadone and Fluoxetine are used to treat depression in humans, and can be equally effective in reducing anxiety in pets.

Alprazolam is another human drug that has been adapted to help with panic and stress disorders in dogs and cats. Solliquin is a supplement that has been specifically developed to treat fear and anxiety in animals.

You should never, however, treat your dog’s loud noise (thunder, fireworks, etc) anxiety with acepromazine. Commonly marketed as “Ace”, this drug may actually increase your dog’s sensitivity and is essentially just a powerful tranquilizer.

You can read more about the negative effects of acepromazine here:
http://www.preventivevet.com/dogs/why-you-shouldnt-use-acepromazine-for-cats-and-dogs

Behaviour Modification
When you’ve tried everything and nothing seems to work, it may be time to schedule a consultation with a behaviorist, not to be confused with a dog trainer. These specialists are able to diagnose any underlying physical causes for the problem and recommend modification techniques for abnormal behavior. There are only 74 Board-certified behaviorists in the nation, and we’re lucky enough to have one right here in Mesa.

You can find Dr. Kelly Moffat here:
http://www.drmoffat.com/

Whether it’s thunderstorms, fireworks, loud noises or separation from their human companions, most dogs get anxious from time to time, just like us. If your dog’s quality of life is suffering from persistent and severe panic attacks, however, there’s a lot you can do to help. Overcoming your pet’s anxiety will not only increase his capacity for doggy joy – it’ll do wonders for your stress level as well.

Good luck!

Your friends at Mesa Northeast Animal Hospital

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