Pill Popping Pets

In going through the archives of the New York Times recently, I found an interesting, and in a sickly way humorous, article on the versatility of pharmaceutical companies entitled Pill-Popping Pets, published on July 13, 2008.  In his article, James Vlahos describes German shepherd Max's manic compulsive disorder (identified by his continual desire to chase tennis balls and chase his tail), and his prescription for Clomicalm, the doggie version of the human medication clomipramine, a commonly prescribed antidepressant.  Vlahos writes "the practice of prescribing medication for humans to animals has grown substantially over the past decade and a half, and pharmaceutical companies have recently begun experimenting with a more direct strategy: marketing behavioral-modification and 'lifestyle' drugs specifically for pets."   To read more . . .