Full drug information and a pet owner handout can be found at Plumb’s.com.
What Is Citalopram?
Citalopram offers another treatment option to manage behavioral disorders in dogs and cats.
Pharmacology of Citalopram
Citalopram is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) with little effect on norepinephrine or dopamine reuptake and very little activity at muscarinic or H1-histaminergic receptors.
Contraindications of Citalopram
Citalopram is contraindicated in dogs and cats that are hypersensitive to it or have received a monoamine oxidase inhibitor within 14 days.
Adverse Effects of Citalopram
Information about the adverse effects of citalopram is limited. In a case series of 9 dogs, adverse effects included sedation (3 dogs), loss of appetite (2 dogs), and constipation (1 dog).1 In cats, citalopram adverse effects are likely similar to other SSRIs and might include sedation, decreased appetite/anorexia, vomiting, diarrhea, behavior changes (eg anxiety, irritability, sleep disturbances), and changes in elimination patterns.
Additional Information
There has been interest in using escitalopram, the active S-enantiomer of racemic citalopram, in veterinary patients; however, data are extremely limited. For more information on aggression, read the Clinician's Brief articles on Canine Aggression Toward Other Dogs & Humans and Feline Aggression; or, take a deeper dive into aggression in dogs and aggression in cats provided by the experts at Standards of Care (paid subscription only).