Ivan Balabanov

Where do I start? I've been mocked, dismissed, and told to stay in my lane. All because I question the rush to medicate dogs with SSRIs. For fear, for anxiety, aggression, OCD, leisure activity, pretty much anything can be, we should supplement at least with SSRIs. The typical response I get is, you're not a veterinary behavior specialist or you're not an educated dog trainer.

Where do I start? I've been mocked, dismissed, and told to stay in my lane. All because I question the rush to medicate dogs with SSRIs. For fear, for anxiety, aggression, OCD, leisure activity, pretty much anything can be, we should supplement at least with SSRIs. The typical response I get is, you're not a veterinary behavior specialist or you're not an educated dog trainer.

But here is the thing. I understand bad science when I see it. And after working with dogs for over 40 years, including some of the most complex behavior cases imaginable, I can tell you this. Not one time have SSRIs helped me personally to have a breakthrough with a dog. Not once have they solved the real problem that the dog had.

But here is the thing. I understand bad science when I see it. And after working with dogs for over 40 years, including some of the most complex behavior cases imaginable, I can tell you this. Not one time have SSRIs helped me personally to have a breakthrough with a dog. Not once have they solved the real problem that the dog had.

In this conversation, I hope that we can bring clarity to why that is. Because the narrative around the drugs needed to be challenged for the sake of humans and animals. For decades, the public has been sold a beautiful but, at the same time, dangerous story. The depression and behavioral issues stem from a simple chemical imbalance, a serotonin deficiency.

In this conversation, I hope that we can bring clarity to why that is. Because the narrative around the drugs needed to be challenged for the sake of humans and animals. For decades, the public has been sold a beautiful but, at the same time, dangerous story. The depression and behavioral issues stem from a simple chemical imbalance, a serotonin deficiency.

It was repeated in ads, in doctor's offices, in textbooks, in everyday language. But the science just doesn't support it. The most comprehensive and very current review to date by Dr. Joanna Moncliffe and her team looked at every major area of serotonin research and found no consistent evidence that low serotonin causes depression.

It was repeated in ads, in doctor's offices, in textbooks, in everyday language. But the science just doesn't support it. The most comprehensive and very current review to date by Dr. Joanna Moncliffe and her team looked at every major area of serotonin research and found no consistent evidence that low serotonin causes depression.

In fact, the only reliable pattern was that long-term antidepressant use might actually lower serotonin and not restore it. So if this theory doesn't hold in humans, Why is it being used to justify prescribing psychotropic drugs in dogs? Here in the States, we have a culture that celebrates dogs having behavior problems.

In fact, the only reliable pattern was that long-term antidepressant use might actually lower serotonin and not restore it. So if this theory doesn't hold in humans, Why is it being used to justify prescribing psychotropic drugs in dogs? Here in the States, we have a culture that celebrates dogs having behavior problems.

Many dogs going through some kind of behavior modification are supplemented with SSRIs. And we clearly have a serious problem. That's why I invited tonight Dr. Joseph Witt Doering. He's a board-certified psychiatrist, a former FDA medical officer, and one of the few professionals willing to expose the real story behind modern antidepressant use.

Many dogs going through some kind of behavior modification are supplemented with SSRIs. And we clearly have a serious problem. That's why I invited tonight Dr. Joseph Witt Doering. He's a board-certified psychiatrist, a former FDA medical officer, and one of the few professionals willing to expose the real story behind modern antidepressant use.

Now, just so I'm clear, I brought Dr. Joseph on to do most of the talking here. He presents this case better than anyone I've seen, and I've been following this for the last five years quite intensively. So yeah, I'll jump here and there to draw parallels from what I see in dog training. Ask questions, of course, but Primarily, I will allow you to do the talking. Again, thank you for being here.

Now, just so I'm clear, I brought Dr. Joseph on to do most of the talking here. He presents this case better than anyone I've seen, and I've been following this for the last five years quite intensively. So yeah, I'll jump here and there to draw parallels from what I see in dog training. Ask questions, of course, but Primarily, I will allow you to do the talking. Again, thank you for being here.

And if I'm missing something as far as your credential, go ahead and tell my audience. But yeah, let's get going.

And if I'm missing something as far as your credential, go ahead and tell my audience. But yeah, let's get going.

Very cool. So, yeah, so when I get accused of not understanding the neurochemistry, when I question the deserine dogs, how does that parallel with what happens to criticism in human psychiatry when that comes? Because that's almost...

Very cool. So, yeah, so when I get accused of not understanding the neurochemistry, when I question the deserine dogs, how does that parallel with what happens to criticism in human psychiatry when that comes? Because that's almost...

very quickly the moment you voice opposition or even question you're pretty quickly at least in the dog world put in place like you you don't know what you're doing or what you're talking about how how is that in your field yeah so i'll talk about humans first and then we can bring it bring it back to dogs so um

very quickly the moment you voice opposition or even question you're pretty quickly at least in the dog world put in place like you you don't know what you're doing or what you're talking about how how is that in your field yeah so i'll talk about humans first and then we can bring it bring it back to dogs so um