With the growing recognition of animal sentience and closer human–dog relationships, awareness of canine behavioral disorders has increased. These issues often arise from stress, fear, excessive humanization, or inadequate environments, leading to emotional dependency, temperament shifts, or suppression of natural behaviors.
In this study, Leticia Ramos Viana and colleagues (2024) evaluated the effectiveness of three psychotropic approaches in dogs diagnosed with compulsive disorders secondary to other behavioral dysfunctions. The trial compared:
- Trazodone hydrochloride (Group 1)
- Psilocybe cubensis mushroom extracts (Group 2)
- Fluoxetine hydrochloride (conventional treatment)
Each group included four dogs, diagnosed and monitored using standardized behavioral questionnaires. Across all treatment groups, atypical behaviors were reduced or eliminated, supporting the potential of these drugs as therapeutic aids when combined with behavioral therapy. Notably, while fluoxetine demonstrated effectiveness, it was associated with reduced appetite as a side effect. In contrast, trazodone and psilocybin extracts did not produce significant adverse effects in the small study population.
The authors highlight that psychotropic drugs act by modulating serotonin and dopamine systems, improving emotional stability and social adaptability. These findings suggest that alternative agents such as trazodone and psilocybin extracts may provide safer or more tolerable treatment options compared to traditional pharmaceuticals.
While preliminary due to the small sample size, this research represents an important step toward diversifying canine psychiatric care, balancing pharmacology with behavioral therapy to improve welfare outcomes.
Source: Viana, L. R., Monteiro, T. M., Torres, J. D., Vargas, T. S., Correia, L. M. R., & Santos, B. G. (2024). Efeitos de fármacos psicotrópicos no tratamento de distúrbios comportamentais em cães (Canis familiaris). Revista Ft. Authors: Leticia Ramos Viana, T. Moura Monteiro, J. D. Torres, T. S. Santos Vargas, L. M. R. Correia, B. G. Santos. Publication Date: 2024-10-31. Journal: Revista Ft.
