Amitriptyline - Page 1

I was wondering if anyone has had experience treating dogs with Amitriptyline? I did a google search and see that it is used to treat depression and a variety of other conditions. I also see that it is used on cats.

A friend was telling me about a local vet who prescribed this drug for a dog he was treating and it worked wonders to improve the dog's mood. I'm not sure why the dog was in a "bad mood" but know the dog is old and suffers from arthritrus.

Yeppers, worked for a vet that treated the kennel kitty with it so he wouldn't get all pissy and pee on stuff!  It was amazing how well it worked!

Vickie
www.PowerHausKennels.com

It is one of the oldest of tricyclic antidepressants. Brand name Elavil. Studies were done and it hit the market in the early 60's I think. All those tricyclics kind of lost favor when newer generations of antidepressants like Prozac hit the market around 1987-88. Although it is not designed for OCD, it was used for other things too as were Sinequan, Deseryl, Asendin, etc

Paul

One of my dogs was on it for thunder storms.  It was very helpful and we gave it to him, 2 hours before we thought the storm was coming.  Summer time we were glued to the weather channel to see what the weather would be.  We did not notice any side effects and he took it for about 5 years. 

The tricyclics are chemically very similar to the drug chlorpromazine (Thorazine). Drugs like Elavil, being CNS depressants, are unique in that they have a rather strong sedating effect as a side effect - I believe due to the antihistamine side effect. If they increase serotonin and norepiephrine levels, they may have an effect of also causing a mild sense of well-being over a long period of time. It takes at leaast four weeks of regular use. I would think the sedation would have the most profound affect on a dog that is not given therses drugs every day.  

     Very true. My uncle was a physician and once in a while when my father could not sleep, he would give my father a small Rx of about 10 capsules , 25 mg of Sinequan and tell him it was to help him sleep. It made my father sleepy and he only took one maybe a few times a year.  Worked like a charm. My father never knew the chemical nature of the meds. This was about 35 years ago.
Paul