HEALTH - New Medication for Dogs with Noise Anxiety

It’s a common sight - Fido panting, trembling or running for cover when he hears loud noises like thunder or fireworks.

Noise aversion or anxiety has been treated with anti-anxiety medicine, tranquilizers and behaviour modification with mixed results.

Now pet owners have a new option - a gel medication that can be safely administered at home to help calm dogs without sedation. This allows dogs with noise aversion to remain calm yet fully functional.

Manufactured by Zoetis, SILEO is a gel formulation of dexmedetomidine, a highly selective alpha-2 adrenoceptor agonist that blocks norepinephrine release, a chemical in the brain that is involved with the development of fear and anxiety.

“We know that noise aversion has been difficult to treat, is stressful for pet owners and can be traumatic for their dogs. SILEO works the way veterinarians and pet owners need it to work, calming dogs while allowing them to interact normally with the family,” said Shelley L. Stanford, DVM, MS, MBA, group director, Companion Animal Veterinary Professional Services at Zoetis.

“It has rapid speed of onset, is easy to administer at home and works ‘in the moment,’ without any other treatments or training.”

SIELO is the first and only medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treatment of noise aversion in dogs.

Each dose lasts two to three hours and takes effect within 30-60 minutes after application.

The first dose can be given as soon as the dog shows signs of anxiety and fear, or approximately 30–60 minutes before a known anxiety- or fear-causing noise stimulus, such as fireworks.

Researchers Working on New Botanical Anti-Anxiety Medicine for Dogs

Canadian researchers have potentially found a botanical anti-anxiety medication for dogs that works similarly to Valium. Researchers at the University of Ottawa have discovered that chemical components from Costa Rican vines and sycamore bark can be combined to create an effective anti-anxiety medication. So far the compound has been tested on dogs, piglets and rats. All animals appeared calmer after administration and no harmful side-effects have been observed.

Chemistry Professor, Dr. Tony Durst said, "We've compared dogs treated for anxiety with Valium and we found our compound acts similarly. It acts almost as well as Valium but it has none of the side-effects Valium is known for."  Valium can cause several side effects in humans including agitation, aggression, drowsiness, hallucinations, hyperactivity, and muscle weakness.

Durst said, "Dogs are known to be anxious, among other things. When thunderstorms arrive, when their owners leave them at home all day, they show anxiety."  Animal behaviourist, Kelly French said, "Anxiety plays a big role in dogs. People don't realize that. They don't think, 'my dog is anxious,' because a dog can't tell you, 'I'm freaking out right now.' "Most of the behavioural problems I see are related to anxiety and fear. The dog is usually fearful, nervous, shy, trying to cope with a situation."

Durst is working with a distributor and hopes the medication will be available in veterinary clinics in Spring 2016. Durst is also working to get the drug approved for human use. Durst said, "We've made an application to Health Canada for permission to do human safety studies. We fully believe that based on the data we have, a human safety study will be very successful."

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