A retrospective study on the clinical use and owner perception of venlafaxine efficacy as part of a multimodal treatment for canine fear, anxiety, and aggression

Abstract

The serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor venlafaxine is labeled for use in the treatment of several emotional disorders in people and has been steadily growing in popularity for the treatment of aggression, anxiety, and fear-related behavior problems in canine patients. Current publications describing the clinical use of venlafaxine in dogs are limited to a narcolepsy-cataplexy case report and its suggested use for pain and narcolepsy. In this retrospective open-label clinical trial, the records for dogs administered venlafaxine for a minimum of 21 days in combination with an individual management and behavior modification plan for the treatment of fear, anxiety, and aggressive behaviors were reviewed. The following factors were considered: owner-reported efficacy, dose range, diagnosis, number of diagnoses, and previously trialed and concurrent medications. Of the 110 dogs included, 71.8% (N = 79) percent of owners reported venlafaxine as helpful during at least one follow-up and 39.1% (N = 43) found it helpful at all three follow-up points. For those who found it helpful, the median dose used was 1.65 mg/kg by mouth every 12 hours (range 0.63-5.91 mg/kg every 12 hours). Venlafaxine was not more helpful in treating any specific diagnosis or number of diagnoses. Due to the efficacy and low frequency of adverse effects (N = 20, 18.2%), venlafaxine might be a useful medication option in dogs showing clinical signs of aggression, anxiety, and fear.