So you noticed some behavioural problems in your cat and you are looking for medications to fix them? If you’ve decided on Prozac, you’ve probably made the decision after a lot of consideration. One of those considerations would be how often you have to feed your cat the medication. While Prozac is usually recommended to be given every day without fail, can you give your cat Prozac every other day and still undergo treatment?
In this article, we will discuss whether it is safe to give Prozac to your cat every other day and if it is suitable for your cat based on its habits.
Alternatively, if you looking to wean cat off prozac properly then we have already discussed it.
Is it okay to give my cat Prozac every other day?
Generally, most vets regard a Prozac dose as an antibiotic. They even recommend taking it as strictly as one and urge cat owners not to miss a dose whatsoever.
But what if you do miss a dose? Life gets in the way sometimes, so is it really that harmful?
Apparently not. Again, this is not proper medical advice and you should consult a vet if you are looking for personalized advice.
However, many cat owners have tried this method out with their cats, and it has seemed to work fine for them. Instead of a dose of 2 mg per day, they gave 3.5 mg in 3 parts on the other day and still their cat managed to heal within a few weeks.
Sometimes, though, switching the days of giving Prozac to your cat is not the answer. If you think that the regular dosage is causing way too much disruption in its habits and health, then you can switch from providing the medicine in the morning to the night.
Other times, it may just be the taste of the medicine that does not suit your cat, which causes more problems.
In this case, you can use empty gelcaps to keep the medicine in. Your cat won’t feel the taste at all and will ingest with ease.
So to answer the main question, yes, it is possible to give Prozac to your cat every other day, but if other options are bothering you like the hassle of feeding your cat the medication multiple times every day, then you can always employ other options.
Problems of giving Prozac to my cat every other day
For some cats, giving Prozac every other day might be a feasible option. But not if you overdo it.
It can be easier to overdose Prozac if you give it every other day because the amount would have to be readjusted from giving it every single day.
So if you have to give 1.5 mg in a day every day, and you want to switch to 2 or 2.5 mg every other day, then you need to be very careful about being accurate with this dose.
Too much Prozac can cause problems like kidney and liver failure. In severe cases, it can cause cardiac issues as well.
Seizures, breathing issues, anxiety and sleeping problems are all very common in scenarios like this.
You may also notice that your cat is always tired and avoids eating even its favourite foods.
Because medicine deals with brain functions, the effect of not giving the right dose at the right time can be drastic and make your cat depressed.
This is also a reason why you should have a rough idea of exactly how long Prozac could take to cause behavioural changes in your feline friend.
Remember, this does not replace veterinary advice in any sort of way. Prozac is a very strong antidepressant and should only be adjusted after a vet’s opinion.
Precautions of giving Prozac to your cat every other day
If you decide to give your cat Prozac every other day, then here are a few things you should keep in mind.
Firstly, give the right dosage, as mentioned above. You don’t want to mess this up, trust us.
Secondly, Prozac takes approximately 6-8 weeks to properly work in the cat and fix its behavioural issues.
This period can be further prolonged by giving the dose every other day, so if you don’t see results very soon, don’t panic. They will show up sooner or later.
If after 2 months, you still don’t see a significant improvement in your cat, then take this matter up with the vet. He may either adjust the dose or change the fluoxetine brand.
However, if your cat has been prescribed a higher dose every other day, you could notice some mood swings a little while after giving the medicine to it.
There is not much you can do about it, but you can change the medication routine from morning to night time. This way, your cat will go to sleep at night and when it wakes up, the effect of the fluoxetine will have worn off.
But again, one side effect of Prozac is problems with deep sleep, so if your cat goes through this, it is going to be a few tough nights for both of you!
Conclusion
In conclusion, is it okay to give your cat Prozac every other day? Yes, it is, but not under every circumstance.
While the ideal situation suggested by vets is to give Prozac every day for at least 2 months, some cats can be treated with a dose every other day as well.
Before you decide to go for this method, you should keep an estimate in your mind about how long it will take for Prozac to heal your cat. This will help determine the dose for the cat.
On the other hand, if you somehow overdose on your cat, contact a vet immediately because an overdose of Prozac is a common cause of kidney and liver failure in cats.
Either way, you should always weigh the pros and cons of giving Prozac to your cat every other day with your vet.
Oh and lastly, do not make any adjustments to your dosage without consulting your vet first. Your cat deserves professional medical attention.