America: Land of Doped-Up Fido

[Snowden]

America: Land of Doped-Up Fido

Newser) – Americans spent $49 billion on their pets last year, with an ever-growing percentage paying for treatment of those doggone pooches' behavioral issues with tailor-made psychotropics, reports James Vlahos in the New York Times Magazine. Frustrated owners are feeding dogs drugs like Reconcile—beef-flavored Prozac—-instead of trying old fashioned training.

"Owners want their pets to be more like little well-behaved children," said one industry observer. A veterinarian confirmed that "people always want the magic pill." For some, however, drugs may be the only thing saving a beloved out-of-control pet from euthanasia. "It's a lifesaving thing," said another vet.

Source New York Times

Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis produces Reconcile, an anti-anxiety medication for the canine set. (AP Photo/Keystone, Steffen Schmidt)

Prozac: it's not just for humans anymore (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)

Cleary, a canine in need of depression medication (Flickr)

America: Land of Doggy Doping - Newser