Question

At what point should a veterinarian recommend medication for separation anxiety?I have three dogs, and one of them has destroyed over $2,000 in property. The other two are fine.

Answer

There are volumes of information on separation anxiety. Even "experts" do not agree on causes and treatments. This is probably because the abnormal behavior is considered one problem when actually there are probably many causes.

The fact that your other two dogs are normal, and one pet is doing the damage seems to indicate that she is the one with the problem. However, that does not mean that your actions haven’t or don’t inadvertently encourage it. All dogs have different personalities and do not end up exactly the same just because they have the same owner, just like children with the same parents.

Your specific question is regarding anxiety relieving medications. Antidepressants, anxiety relieving, or mood altering drugs are seldom the definitive treatment for behavioral problems. Most of the time they are used as part of an overall behavioral modification program. Separation anxiety is a problem that is commonly treated with medications at least on a temporary basis.