Re: doseage

patrick murphy — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 15:25:02 GMT

tried it without success on catalptic dog, on advice of course. now next stage is prozac? have not been on long enough. it's Martha Alex.

Re: doseage

David Mills — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 16:53:40 GMT

Normal indications for its use are hyperactivity (usually assosciated with exercise) or hyperkinesis. Dose rates are along the following lines:

Initial dosage of 0.7 mg/kg PO q12h, increasing the dosage by 0.4 mg/kg q72h until either a decrease or increase in hyperactivity is noted or a maximum dosage of 2 mg/kg PO, q12h is reached.

If ritalin doesn't work, then fluoxetine at a dosage of 30 mg (1.1 mg/kg [0.5 mg/lb]), PO, every 24 hours, can be tried - this has shown improvement in hyperacitivty parameters in some case studies.

These dosages have been documented in a few case reports, and are contained in Horwitz F, Neilson J. Hyperactivity: canine and feline. In: Blackwell's five-minute veterinary consult, clinical companion, canine and feline behavior. Ames, Iowa: Blackwell Publishing, 2007;337–344; Luescher UA. Hyperkinesis in dogs: six case reports. Can Vet J 1993; 34: 368–370; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22044325

Toxicosis can occur even in therapeutic doses - from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21155683

"Clinical signs of toxicosis were reported in 107 of 128 (84%) dogs that ingested MPH; these included hyperactivity in 42 (33%), tachycardia in 27 (21%), vomiting in 19 (15%), agitation in 16 (13%), and hyperthermia in 13 (10%). Doses ranged from 0.36 mg/kg (0.164 mg/lb) to 117.0 mg/kg (53.18 mg/lb). Severity of clinical signs was not strongly associated with dose. More severe and prolonged clinical signs were associated with ingestion of extended-release formulations of MPH; 3 dogs that consumed these formulations (doses, 10.2 mg/kg [4.64 mg/lb], 15.4 mg/kg [700 mg/lb], and 31.1 mg/kg [14.14 mg/lb]) died. Favorable outcomes were reported for most (31/34 [91%]) dogs."

An interesting aside is that dogs have been shown to abuse psychomotor drugs such as ritalin in a cyclical fashion, much the same as human drug abusers do: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/986843

Re: doseage

Tim Cheyne — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:47:30 GMT

Isn't 'Ritalin' toxic for dogs? If so, the dose will need to be calculated very carefully, perhaps even titrated with slowly increasing doses.

Tim.

Re: doseage

Emily Nightingale — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 14:01:57 GMT

No I'm afraid I haven't- but am very intrigued as to why you would use it?? Have you got any more details on the case?