13/11/2025
Why Finding the Right Medication Balance Takes Time 🐾
Rupert is having a particularly tough time right now, as he deals with chronic pain and anxiety while preparing for a major upcoming surgery in a few weeks.
As part of Rupert’s care plan, Lisa is on a challenging journey with his medication working with their veterinary team to find the perfect combination of pain relief and calming behavioural support. This means adjusting dosages, trying different medications, and waiting patiently for the drugs to reach their therapeutic levels.
This whole process can feel slow and demanding, but Rupert's story is a powerful reminder of a crucial reality in holistic canine care: Getting to the right combination of medication and therapeutic levels takes time.
Here is a look at the key reasons why this process requires patience and precision, ensuring Rupert (and all dogs like him) achieve safety and ultimate wellbeing:
1. The Complex Canine Blueprint 🧬
Every dog is a unique individual. Just like humans, no two dogs will process or respond to medication in exactly the same way.
🐾Metabolism Matters: Factors like your dog's age, weight, breed, and overall liver/kidney health all impact how quickly a drug is absorbed, used, and eliminated from their system. A dose that's perfect for one dog might be too strong or too weak for another.
🐾The Combination Effect: For instance, a dog with chronic musculoskeletal pain may also have significant anxiety or hyperarousal. This often means a combination approach: a pain-specific medication plus a behaviour-specific medication. Finding the right balance where they are both effective without causing adverse side effects takes careful calculation.
2. The Slow Climb to Therapeutic Levels
The most crucial factor in this process is the need to move slowly and deliberately to achieve a therapeutic level the amount of medication circulating in the body that produces the desired effect.
🐾 Starting Low and Gradual Increases: A veterinarian will always start with a low dose to ensure your dog doesn't have an adverse reaction. This is purely a safety measure. Once it's confirmed they tolerate the drug, the dosage is slowly increased. This gradual increase is essential to avoid unnecessary discomfort or side effects.
🐾 Lag Time for Behaviour Medication: Unlike pain medication, which often provides relief quickly, behaviour-modifying medications are designed to gently alter the chemical balance in the brain. They do not work instantly. It can take 4 to 8 weeks for these medications to build up to a sufficient level in the brain to make a noticeable difference in emotional state, such as reducing anxiety or stress responses.
3. The Art of Observation and Teamwork 🔎
Since your dog can't tell you how they're feeling, observation is paramount. This makes you, the most critical part of the process.
🐾 Monitoring Subtle Shifts: We're looking for subtle, sustainable shifts in your dog’s emotional state and ability to cope, not an immediate "fix." Are they sleeping better? Are they less jumpy at specific noises? Are they moving more freely? You, alongside your vet and behavioural support, are responsible for noting these changes both positive and negative to guide the next adjustment.
🐾Adjusting the Foundations: Remember, medication is just one tool. While we are dialing in the pharmaceutical support, we are also often working with you on Safety, Communication, and building Confidence. It takes time to implement these strategies and see their results.
The time it takes is an investment in your dog’s long-term happiness and quality of life. By moving slowly, we maximize the chances of finding the perfect balance for each dog.
We will keep you posted on Rupert's journey and upcoming surgery.
