u/Responsible_Post_719

My dog has just turned 2, and over the past 5 months, he has become reactive toward unneutered males. If he is on-lead, he will bark and lunge. If he is off-lead, he will bark and chase them away. Interestingly, he is absolutely fine with neutered males, though he can be a little overly friendly with females.

He also suffers from separation anxiety, and I am worried that neutering him permanently might lower his confidence and make his anxiety worse.

My vet has suggested trying chemical castration first. I would love to hear from anyone who has tried this:

• Did it help with his reactivity toward intact males?
• Did it make his separation anxiety or general anxiety worse?
• How long did it take for you to notice a change?

My dog has been taking Fluoxetine since August 2025. We increased the dose to the maximum for his weight in January 2026, and after about 8 weeks, he completely lost his appetite. It's now around 16 weeks since the increase, and it's made a huge improvement to his separation anxiety and reactivity, but his appetite is still very low. He will eat with encouragement and thankfully hasn't lost any weight, but every day, getting him to eat feels like a struggle.

Has anyone else's dog had this, and has it improved over time? I don't really want to decrease the dose as it's really helping him, but meal times are stressful.