EFEITOS DE FÁRMACOS PSICOTRÓPICOS NO TRATAMENTO DE DISTÚRBIOS COMPORTAMENTAIS EM CÃES (CANIS FAMILIARIS)

With the strengthening of human-animal interaction and the scientific recognition of sentience, there has been a significant increase in the perception of atypical behaviors in companion animals, as observed by legal guardians and veterinarians. In general terms, such changes occur due to excessive humanization, stress, fear, or inappropriate environments, leading to variations in temperament, emotional dependency, and/or inhibition of species-specific natural behaviors. The class of psychotropic drugs offers pharmacological treatment for the mental state of these animals by modulating neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine. The objective of this study was to evaluate the pharmacological impact of psychotropic drugs on the social development and emotional resilience of these animals, in conjunction with behavioral therapy. For this purpose, domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) diagnosed with compulsive disorders secondary to other behavioral dysfunctions were treated with trazodone hydrochloride (Group 1) and extracts from Psilocybe cubensis mushrooms (Group 2), and compared to conventional treatment with fluoxetine hydrochloride. The animals were diagnosed and evaluated using questionnaires aimed at diagnosing and monitoring the evolution of treatment, based on the literature referenced in this study. Atypical behaviors associated with primary and secondary disorders were mitigated or eliminated in Group 1 (n=4), Group 2 (n=4), and the conventional treatment group. However, fluoxetine hydrochloride showed a reduction in appetite as a side effect.