Thoughts on medicating our dogs

When our cattle dog, Scout, was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy, we didn’t immediately put her on a daily anticonvulsant. I was surprised to realize our choice to wait gave some people the impression we were “against” or “anti” medication. (In case there’s still any confusion, we are not!)

The conversations got me thinking about our decision making process and feelings about meds as a whole. Medicating our pets can be a controversial topic:

• Some dog trainers belittle vets and behaviorists who prescribe drugs (particularly for behavioral problems), saying that proper training can fix issues without meds.

• Other professionals and owners swear by the positive effects pets have experienced on prescription drugs.

• Some people are generally uncomfortable with modern western medicine, opting for natural, holistic remedies whenever possible.

• Many of us fall somewhere in between. We see the merits of various meds while also wanting to prescribe them with caution.

Whether or not medication is necess…