Vet visit and chemical chill

Doses given: First dose

Time for the annual vaccines and health check visit again. This time it was left purposely for 18months as they both had serious reactions the last time. Hopefully, this time we are ok as both seem fine 3days on.

In discussing Red's psycho fear of any noises or visitors the vet suggested a new drug based on digested milk proteins. I took some (for him!) to be started a couple of days or so post-vacc to see if it would calm him and make him less reactively stressed. He is fine and very loving with me and quite boisterous around the house and Magic but others stress him terribly. It seems this drug works miraculously for some animals but has a variable onset and duration depending on the particular animal.

The drug seems not to have any side effects and owners on various forums are in the main raving about how 'Fluffy has stopped over grooming and spraying' or 'Rover has stopped using the postman as a chew toy'. A colleague also shared her positive experience of the drug with her tigger-style spaniel. Those who are unimpressed find it hasn't worked rather than because it had any side effects.

Coincidentally, I also found out it has been available for humans and was sold by Boots at even greater cost, mg per mg, than the animal version for what is just digested milk. However, bizarrely, the human version seems to be criticised on other sites as totally ineffective with a poor evidence base in the same way homoeopathy is decried as being totally reliant on the placebo effect. Certainly there appears to be a lack of good evidence to explain and reproducibly demonstrate why this drug is an effective anxiolytic, particularly in humans, so the scepticism seems justified. But, what I don't understand, is why is the drug so effective in animals when it is hidden in their food? How can an animal show such significant behavioural changes resulting from a purely placebo effect when they are unaware the drug has been hidden in their food?

Something doesn't add up but, as I can find no side effects or risks that would put my beloved little bundle of fear at any harm, I think this Pixie Dust worth a try. So this morning he had the powder from his first one hidden in some aerosol cream. I thought I would try it this way first so that I know he is getting the full dose initially before putting it in the food and risking the eternally chilled Magic getting even more horizontal till I know if it works for Red!