Studies have shown that the introduction of appropriate psychotropic drugs into treatment options for cat behavior problems can solve the problem faster and more satisfactorily. So, how can clinicians identify the necessity of drug treatment, choose the most appropriate dosing time and monitor the results?
is very similar to all other areas, and a comprehensive understanding of behavioral issues is first based on diagnostic assessment, accurate diagnosis, and comprehensive treatment options. If the clinician and pet owner agree that the treatment regimen may not be effective given the current treatment effect of the animal, psychotropic drugs can be introduced. Pet owners must be informed that although drugs can improve the therapeutic effect, they cannot replace necessary treatment measures. There are some limitations in the use of psychotropic drugs in cats:
Limited Research Ideally, clinicians will strictly evaluate the available drugs in their hands based on their clinical expertise and high-quality data from clinical trials to form evidence-based decisions and lead to optimal treatment outcomes.
Unfortunately, there is a lack of research on the use of psychotropic drugs in cats. Limited research focuses on a few drugs in a few drug categories. To date, most studies have focused on selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs, mainly fluoxetine), tricyclic antidepressants (TCAs), benzodiazepines (research limited), buspirones (azapirons), and trazodones (serotonin antagonists and reuptake inhibitors, SARI). The indications studied were mainly urine marking behavior and cats’ stress in the medical setting.
Pet owners' attitudes
The level of trust and understanding of psychotropic drugs will affect their willingness to agree to the use of these drugs, their willingness to continue to give them, and their positive and negative perceptions of the efficacy of the drug. Some pet owners will make it clear that they are not satisfied with psychotropic drugs, which is usually due to the negative impression of psychotropic drugs in a person with psychopathy. Some pet owners will worry about the expected (or actually seen) side effects to cause harm to the pet. There are also pet owners who are interested in drugs but are not prepared to stick to the drug, because some new, more targeted drugs sometimes take a long time to work.
There are currently no psychotropic drugs that can be used in cats.
Despite these limitations, psychotropic drugs are often an important aspect of a comprehensive treatment plan for cat problem behaviors.
2. How to determine whether psychotropic drugs are needed?
There are four steps to determine whether a pet needs psychotropic drugs:
1. Make an accurate diagnosis based on medical history and physical examination.
2. Develop a complete treatment plan to address the mental illness, taking into account current problems and lifestyle details.
3. Assess whether it is possible to successfully complete treatment without the use of medication. Indications requiring medication include excessive excitement, inevitable triggers, moderate to severe anxiety in some or all cases, lack of other behavioral control measures, compulsive behavior, and less frequent behavioral triggers such as fireworks or visiting an animal hospital.
4. Confirm whether there is a drug suitable for the diagnosis. Not all urination marking behaviors require medication. Not all aggressive behaviors related to play require medication.
Although clinicians always try to diagnose through drug treatment responses, this is usually not a valid path.
It is crucial for clinicians to remember that medication is an aspect of the treatment regimen, and satisfactory solutions also include careful care and behavioral correction.
3. The things to consider when choosing a drug
When choosing a drug, the following three points are included:
1. The first thing to consider is the list of drugs that are effective for treatment and diagnosis in the previous medical history of animals.
2. Whether the owner accepts the feeding method; for example, it is difficult for some pet owners to feed cats tablets, while it is difficult for others to feed liquid dosage forms. Sometimes, these limitations can be overcome by training of pet owners and animals or by desensitization training and adversarial conditioning. However, it is important to discover the existence of these limitations.
3. Finally, it is crucial that clinicians know whether the ideal drug chooses to take effect quickly (are behavioral abnormalities occasional or related to certain events, such as visiting a veterinary hospital? Is pet owner's impatient with behavioral abnormalities threatening the life of the cat?), or that delays taking effect (such as SSRIs and TCAs).
This article provides two methods for clinicians to select drugs based on diagnosis. First, the description of each drug category below lists the most commonly used indications for this category. Second, the dosage table at the end of this article includes the latest information on the dosage forms and dosages currently available for the listed drugs. Each drug category points out the possible onset time. The onset time varies between drug categories, but the differences in drugs in the same category are very small.
IV. Animal Examination
All drugs discussed in this article are metabolized by the liver and/or kidneys. Some affect cardiac function, and some change the detection level of thyroid analytes in the circulatory system. Therefore, it is crucial for clinicians to evaluate the suitability of a specific drug to the diseased animal. This will evaluate suitability from the minimum examination data (full blood count, serum biochemistry), any other tests required based on contraindications prompts for the drug or its category.
5. The compliance of the pet owner depends on their full understanding of the plan. This is especially true for medications, especially those that require lifelong administration or may have adverse effects. For each psychotropic drug to be prescribed, pet owners must fully understand the following five points:
1. The purpose of prescription. How will this medication help treat mental problems that arise?
2. Possible positive and negative impacts. Most adverse effects are mild and transient. It is important to understand when these effects will manifest? What adverse effects can lead to treatment pause or even failure, and which should be tolerated for a day or two to see if they will resolve? And what effects need immediate attention from the veterinarian?
3.When may the drug start to work. It is very important for pet owners not to seek improvement too early; their disappointment may weaken their confidence in treatment and thus change compliance.
4. How to know if the drug meets expectations. Changes in behavior due to medication use may be difficult to observe. Therefore, it is necessary to remind pet owners that drug treatment is only part of the matter, laying the foundation for behavioral change. Many pet owners will think that the medication does not work because the pet's behavior is still the same as before; more careful inquiries usually reveal that the degree, duration or range of mental problems in the cat will actually improve. Therefore, it is best to create conditions for pet owners to find even the slightest improvement, as a sign that the drug is "effective".
5. The time and frequency of the clinician's expectation of animal condition to be updated.
In short, the more pet owners know about drugs and expected results, the more they can monitor and use drugs as directed.