Medicating a dog for his behaviors

Every one to one's own trade !

First and foremost, perhaps even the main one : veterinarians alone are entitled to prescribe medication. No dog trainer, no coach, no behavior consultant, no dog psychologist— call the profession as you wish —has the right to do so.

The veterinarian alone is allowed to decide to put a dog under treatment, and prescribe drugs. Even though they work along with behavior consultants, veterinarians are independent professionals, with their own skills.

Prescribing a treatment means linking symptoms with molecules, with chemical substances that have consequences on your dog's organism.

Putting a dog on medication is no trivial matter. It's not about giving treats that only some faint influence your dog's body.

The part of the behavior consultant

As a behavior consultant, I am sometimes likely to emit doubts about some positions, some behaviors, some reactions, their intensity.

For examples :

➤ if a dog is anxious, which means that he anticipates a negative event even with no assurance that it will occur, depending on his learning abilities, therefore adjustments and behavioral modifications, I can advise environmental management in addition to exercises, which will help the dog to cope better. However, if I notice that the dog is not able to progress, I refer him to a veterinarian. If his owners agree, I write an email to the veterinarian, with them as CC, to factually describe what I observe objectively; saying more would risk revealing that this is not my field (even if I have some knowledge), as well as biasing the observation of the health professional.

➤ if I have any doubts about a health issue that would cause, or issue from, behavioral problems, I will also refer to a veterinarian. Sometimes, I will first engage the owners to collect data on certain aspects; for example, this may be providing them with a table that they fill out on their dog's digestive routine, with some parameters to observe and take into account.

Conveying observations, rather than opinions, to the veterinarian respects their professionalism and integrity, prevents me from directing them when the dog's health-related problem may be completely different, and involves the dog's owners in taking into account the influence that their dog's health and emotions have on his behavior (and vice versa).

What if he is put under treatment...

I have met humans who are allergic to the very idea of treatment. The word itself has a negative connotation. Still, it is to be understood that treatment can be nothing but a specific diet. For some dogs, treatment is a crutch to help them move forward, a life jacket in the storm that shakes their brains when it's learning. When learning is slowed down or even hindered due to poor health (this could be painful digestion, a disturbed thyroid, chronic joint pain, etc.), due to an organic dysfunction, a deficiency that affects the functioning of their cognitive abilities, depriving the dog of treatment amounts to leaving him in pain, demanding that he makes progress while his own body is an obstacle for him. Some organisms need outside help, beyond adjustments and training, because they are not able to resolve dysfunctions autonomously.

In humans, thyroid dysfunction has been observed to cause behaviors similar to those seen in schizophrenia. Once a treatment has been started to treat the thyroid, the behaviors of the concerned human being change.

Medicine, whether human or veterinary, has made progress. Even though everything is still far from perfect, even though some diagnoses are underestimated, overlooked, or take time to be made, providing the appropriate help to your dog is an asset for his well-being and your serenity.

For all that, a regular collaboration between you, your veterinarian and your behavior professional, will be the best support for your dog. The duration of the treatment, the relevance of a treatment, and the type of treatment are all debatable. Your dog cannot state his mind, while it's all about him. By thinking for him, not instead of him, you allow every person and professional to contribute to the well-being of your home.