I came across three seemingly unrelated stories today which may collectively tell a story about something bad happening in America. The stories are all about anxiety which seems to have peaked during the pandemic and never quite receded. One result of this general anxiety is than an increasing number of US dogs are now taking anti-anxity medication meant for humans.
Prozac prescriptions for dogs are on the rise, veterinarians across the country acknowledge, along with a myriad of cheaper generic mood stabilizers sold for humans but applied to pets’ separation anxiety, socialization fears, biting habits, or other problematic behavior.
The apparent mental health crisis in pets comes in the midst of a very clear human one. Americans’ depression and anxiety rates hit record highs during the pandemic and keep moving upwards. Prescriptions for mood stabilizers like Prozac and Zoloft…
