If you’ve noticed a pattern of aggression issues in your cat, then it may be time to consult a vet for a solution. Cats don’t normally have behavioral problems, aside from territorial issues, and other general stuff that almost every cat goes through. Aggressive cats need to be dealt with seriously, and one of the methods to tackle this problem is to give Prozac for your cat’s aggression.
What exactly is Prozac and how can it help to reduce your cats’ aggression? In this article, we will evaluate the effectiveness of Prozac for your aggressive cat and how you should go about using the medication with caution.
Prozac for cats’ aggression
Prozac is the brand for an antidepressant called fluoxetine. Fluoxetine is responsible for treating behavioral issues in cats as well as canines.
It is deemed to be a safe and effective drug for use in cats because it is FDA approved and has shown a positive change in cats’ behavior in the past.
The way fluoxetine works is that it delays the absorption of a hormone called serotonin back into the nerves of the body, so the feeling of emotion is delayed and forgotten.
The effect of the drug lasts for a while, and until then it is time to give your cat the next dosage.
Now, what exactly would you define as aggression in your cat?
If your cats get defensive over their shared food bowl or litter trays, then we won’t call that aggressive behavior because this is part of cats’ nature.
However, if your cat gets violent immediately after laying eyes on another cat or smelling its scent around, and pounces at it, then your cat has aggression problems.
While there are other ways to treat your aggressive cat, we will focus on the pros and cons of using Prozac as a medication for aggressive behavior.
How will Prozac reduce your cats’ aggression?
As mentioned above, Prozac directly affects the synapses of your cats’ nerves, where the sensation and emotion are not transmitted to the brain, hence your cats’ behavior remains under control for a specific amount of time.
Prozac is similar to antibiotics in terms of function; it needs to be given a couple of days before noticing any behavioral improvements in your cat.
It also depends on the dosage (we will come to this later in the article), and your cat itself. Sometimes, the changes are not completely visible, so the vet might conduct a few tests to ensure your cats’ betterment.
Moreover, Prozac only works if it is given regularly based on the schedule set by your vet.
You may have to give it to your cat a few times a week, but it should be given on time and not stopped all of a sudden, because this can cause mood swings and you might lose all your cats‘ progress till now.
Possible Side effects of Prozac on your cat
One of the most common questions that arise when pet owners are told to use Prozac, is whether there are any side effects of the medication.
Unfortunately, there are quite a few side effects of fluoxetine-based medications, but most of them are not something to worry about.
The most common yet not too serious side effects are:
- Lack of appetite
- Laziness
- Diarrhea
- Weight loss
- Shortness of breath
However, some side effects are a little more serious like:
- Increasing Anxiety
- Excessive Vomiting
- Seizures
- The side effects stated above but much more severe
Your vet may prescribe Prozac for your cat for a specific period, but sometimes, especially in older cats, it leaves its effect on the body and can even cause kidney and liver failure.
Nevertheless, you will most likely notice the first set of symptoms in your cat because they are very common, but if the severe ones show up, you might need to go to the vet as soon as possible.
Precautions of using Prozac to control feline aggression
While Prozac will most likely fix your cat’s aggression, there are a few precautions you must keep in mind while feeding your cat this powerful medication.
But before that, you must know exactly how to feed your cat the medication. Use the next subheading as a guide to feed your cat Prozac the right way.
Method of feeding your cat Prozac
Prozac comes in different forms such as pills, syrup, and tablets.
It can be given to your cat on an empty stomach, but some cats feel bloated when the Prozac is given this way, so you may have to test to see if this method suits your cat.
If it does not work, then try to feed your cat something before giving it Prozac, hopefully, this method should suit it.
Otherwise, your vet will suggest alternate methods of getting your cat ingesting the medicine. For some cases, it may be okay to give cat Prozac every other day however consult your vet before opting for this method.
Things to take care of while giving Prozac
While the above guide may make feeding your cat Prozac feel pretty straightforward, there are a couple of other things you should keep in mind before doing so.
Firstly, if your cat has diabetes mellitus or kidney and liver problems, then you should inform your vet about these disorders beforehand so he can give you the appropriate dosage for your cat.
Secondly, we know that fluoxetine involves the hormone serotonin in the cat’s body. serotonin syndrome is a reaction caused by an inappropriate dosage of Prozac.
It can cause many symptoms such as hyperthermia, a sudden increase in energy levels, as well as hypersensitivity.
Furthermore, avoid giving an overdose of Prozac at all costs as it can be fatal to your cat.
Overdose of Prozac
With medications like antidepressants, it is easy to overdose and causes side effects.
Especially with small animals like cats, the dosage has to be accurate to the dot because Prozac is very strong.
Fluoxetine is easily absorbable in the cat’s body, so even a small dosage can be enough.
The factors on which an overdose of Prozac will affect your cat are:
- Age of cat
- Breed of cat
- Health record over the past few years
- Depending on the size of the overdose
Overdose of Prozac can cause uncontrollable symptoms, similar to the side effects we mentioned above, except worse.
In cases of a massive overdose of Prozac, most cats find it hard to survive, and even if they do survive, the underlying conditions obtained from Prozac prevent them from living a long and healthy life.
If you accidentally give your cat an overdose of Prozac, make sure to immediately contact the vet for assistance in time or your cat might have to suffer the consequences.
Conclusion
In conclusion, is it safe to give Prozac to cats to cure their aggressive behavior? Yes, it is, but is it effective? Also yes.
Prozac has been a very common brand of fluoxetine, which is known to cure behavioral problems in many animals, specifically cats.
While Prozac is usually pretty effective in improving aggressive behavior in cats within a small amount of time, it also has a few side effects namely, weight loss, laziness, shortness of breath, as well as harsh side effects like seizures, vomiting, and lack of appetite.
To make sure that Prozac works well for your cat you should give it the medicine in the right way. If you are not aware of it, we have a small subhead above guiding you on how to do so.
Moreover, you must not give your cat an overdose of Prozac because it is an antidepressant and even a small amount can make a big change in their small bodies. After long-term usage, you may want to wean your cat off prozac in right manner.
Lastly, many cats are allergic to antidepressants, and Prozac isn’t an exception.
So if you notice any irregularities in your dad’s behavior other than the aggression, as well as any of the severe symptoms we have mentioned in this article, make sure to pay a visit to the web as soon as possible.
