| | Examples | Uses | Onset | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | SSRIs | Fluoxetine (Reconcile®), Sertraline | Canine aggression, separation anxiety, compulsive disorders | 4-8 weeks | | Tricyclic Antidepressants | Clomipramine (Clomicalm®) | Separation anxiety, OCD (acral lick dermatitis) | 3-6 weeks | | Benzodiazepines | Alprazolam, Diazepam | Phobias (noise aversion), feline aggression – short term | 30-60 min | | Azapirones | Buspirone | Feline anxiety (non-sedating, no dependency) | 2-3 weeks | | Alpha-2 agonists | Dexmedetomidine (Sileo®) | Canine noise aversion (gel, oral transmucosal) | 30-60 min |

| | Potential Medical Causes | | :--- | :--- | | Sudden aggression | Pain (dental disease, osteoarthritis, ear infection), hyperthyroidism (cats), brain tumor, rabies, cognitive dysfunction. | | House-soiling (cats) | Urinary tract infection, cystitis, chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, arthritis (pain entering litter box). | | Excessive vocalization | Hypertension (cats), sensory decline (deafness, blindness), pain, separation anxiety, hyperadrenocorticism. | | Lethargy/apathy | Any systemic illness (fever, anemia, infection), hypothyroidism, pain, depression. | | Pica (eating non-food) | Anemia (pica for ice/soil), exocrine pancreatic insufficiency, inflammatory bowel disease, dietary deficiency (rare in commercial diets). | | Compulsive behaviors (tail chasing, flank sucking) | Neurological disorders (epilepsy, brain lesions), GI pain (cats with triaditis), dermatological conditions. |