Tragic as the deaths were, Nichols is
more worried about what might happen if underground compounds cause
side effects that are less
obvious and take longer to manifest.
So in my experience, drugs can make the process easier and perhaps even shorten it, but I am not a big fan of them when vets prescribe them because of
obvious risks for
side -
effects and the fact that once the dog is weaned off, I have seen relapses (just as in people), whereas with no drugs, the process took longer but the results seemed to me
more reliable, at least in my humble opinion.