Behavioral Therapy and Fluoxetine Treatment in Aggressive Dogs: A Case Study

Canine aggression is a major concern, affecting millions of people worldwide, and treatment can be challenging even for skilled veterinarians. Empiric use of fluoxetine is sometimes attempted, although few data regarding long-term effects in aggressive dogs are available. The aim of the study was to...

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Published in:Animals (Basel) Vol. 10; no. 5; p. 832
Main Authors: Odore, Rosangela, Rendini, Diego, Badino, Paola, Gardini, Giulia, Cagnotti, Giulia, Meucci, Valentina, Intorre, Luigi, Bellino, Claudio, D’Angelo, Antonio
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 11.05.2020
MDPI
Subjects:
aggression
Aggressive behavior in animals
Aggressiveness
Behavior modification
Behavior therapy
blood
case studies
dog
Dogs
Fluoxetine
high performance liquid chromatography
Laboratory animals
norfluoxetine
Plasma
Serotonin
therapeutics
serotonin
fluoxetine
aggression
dog
norfluoxetine
ISSN:2076-2615, 2076-2615
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Summary:Canine aggression is a major concern, affecting millions of people worldwide, and treatment can be challenging even for skilled veterinarians. Empiric use of fluoxetine is sometimes attempted, although few data regarding long-term effects in aggressive dogs are available. The aim of the study was to investigate clinical effectiveness of fluoxetine (1.5 mg/kg/die PO) combined with a behavior modification program for treatment of canine dominance-related aggression. Circulating levels of fluoxetine, norfluoxetine, and serotonin (5-HT) were also measured. Eight dogs with a diagnosis of dominance aggression (owner-directed) were enrolled. Before treatment (T0), and after one (T1), two (T2), four (T3), and six (T4) months of fluoxetine administration, clinical outcomes were graded using a five-point frequency scale (0–4), and blood samples were collected to measure fluoxetine/norfluoxetine (high-performance liquid chromatography) and 5-HT (ELISA) levels. Following treatment, a decrease in behavioral test scores was observed at T1–T4. Increasing concentrations of circulating fluoxetine and norfluoxetine were measured throughout the follow-up. Correlation between norfluoxetine levels and clinical scores was observed at T4. Starting from T1, a significant decrease in 5-HT levels was observed. Our data suggest that fluoxetine (1.5 mg/kg/day) when associated with behavior treatment is effective in controlling canine aggression over a six-month period, and that, in dogs norfluoxetine levels seem reliable in predicting clinical efficacy.
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ISSN:2076-2615
2076-2615
DOI:10.3390/ani10050832