Abstract

Background:Noise phobia is a common behavior problem in dogs for which thereare limited treatment options.Objective:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of imepitoin in comparison to placebofor the control of anxiety and fear associated with noise phobia in dogs.Animals:Two hundred thirty-eight client-owned dogs with noise phobia were rec-ruited in veterinary clinics.Methods:This placebo-controlled, randomized, double-blinded, clinical trial used apredictable noise event as eliciting context, the traditional New Year's Eve fireworksin Germany and the Netherlands. Owners began treatment 2 days before the antici-pated noise event with administration of either imepitoin 30 mg/kg body weightQ12h or placebo for 3 consecutive days. On New Year's Eve, owners noted theirobservations of their dog's fear and anxiety behavior at 1600, 2200, 0020, and0100 hours and scored the overall treatment effect on the following day.Results:In the 16-item owner report of fear and anxiety signs, fear and anxietybehaviors were significantly reduced under imepitoin treatment compared to placebo(delta−6.1 scoring points;P< .0001). A significantly higher proportion of ownersreported a good or excellent overall treatment effect in the imepitoin group com-pared to placebo (odds ratio 4.689; 95% CI, 2.79-7.89;P< .0001).Conclusion:Imepitoin effectively controls fear and anxiety associated with noisephobia in dogs.