Q: I have a 3 1/2 year old Golden Retriever/Samoyed mix male named Harley. We live together in a cabin in the woods. Harley is very spoiled, buy extremely good natured. My problem is that he suffers from separation anxiety. He is not destructive, doesn't dirty in the house, etc., but he tries to escape and is able to in the summer months when the house isn't locked up. I have tried behavior modification with some success, however it hasn't solved the problem totally. Harley and I live alone and I am his pack - he hates to be alone.

I have recently hired a dog sitter which he loves, but he's tried to run away a couple of times when she's tried to leave also. My vet has recommended antidepressant medication which I AM TOTALLY AGAINST. Harley has the most incredible personality and I don't want it to change. He has also had a very sporadic abnormal heart beat (an EKG was performed and it was normal.) The vet said that the medication may also have some side effects related to the heart.

I heard this week on TV about an antidepressant medication that was passed by the FDA specifically for dogs. If you have any information about this, or any other suggestions. Thanks!!!

A: I saved an article the other day about that medication, must have known you were going to ask! This is the first antidepressant medication approved specifically for dogs -- other drugs have been those actually approved only for humans. It's called Clomicalm, chemically is called clomipramine. The manufacturer is Novartis Animal Health, and they estimate the cost to the dog owner will be about $1 a day.

Another suggestion in this article is for the pet owner to practice leaving the house and returning in short intervals, longer each day, to help the dog get used to it. You might also look into Rescue Remedy, a homeopathic preparation often used in dogs.

I have an extremely neurotic dog who is helped by a couple of doses of raw honey (you can find it in the grocery store, not terribly expensive, but usually is made locally, and that's part of the benefit on things like allergies) each day, although she has never had a problem with separation anxiety. If you want to try raw honey, it's roughly 1 tablespoon per day per 50 lbs of the dog's weight.

I've not found any scientific information on the honey, and it seems to take several weeks to show much change in the dog's behavior. In my dog it is a subtle change, but significant. When I'm going to trim her toenails, I find it helps to give her a big dose right before. Perhaps you could experiment with that -- probably no harm in trying.

Other than those ideas, you could work on the physical situation, make the cabin dog-escape-proof. It is important to interrupt the habit, because the more the dog does it, the more entrenched the habit becomes. I hope it goes well.