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Can I give my dog human Lexapro for anxiety or stress relief?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Shiba Inu | Male | neutered

Can i give my dog lexapro?

3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jennifer Summerfield, DVM CPDT-KA

Veterinarian, Certified Dog Trainer

Published on July 13th, 2016

No, I would not recommend giving Lexapro to your dog. Although some dogs with certain types of anxiety issues may benefit from SSRIs, these should only be given if prescribed for your dog by your veterinarian after discussion about the pros and cons. In addition, there are a number of other SSRIs, such as Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil that are used much more commonly in dogs with a good track record for safety and efficacy, so it is likely that your veterinarian would choose one of these instead if your dog is a candidate for medication. I would encourage you to speak to your vet about the problems your dog is having to see if he/she feels that a medication trial would be appropriate.

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Lexapro is similar in function to Prozac, which is used in dogs, but Lezapro itself is not regularly prescribed to dogs in my experience. It is never recommended to give any human drug to an animals without it being prescribed by a vet. I would not give Finch Lexapro unless your vet has prescribed it.

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    Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    It is only possible to give your dog Lexapro if it has been prescribed to him as this is a prescription drug that can cause severe toxicity symptoms if used at the wrong dosage.

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