Hello,
It sounds like it is time to get help from a behaviorist. Please ask your vet for a referral and also ask them about medications to help bridge the gap as you start to help him overcome his fears and anxieties. Medications can help but they should not be used without also implementing training, socialization and behavior modification therapy. I hope this helps and I hope your pup gets help soon.
I think my dog has separation anxiety. He gets very sad and freaks out when he knows we are leaving and cries nonstop. I was wondering if there was a way to make him more comfortable at home when we will be going to work?
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I have a 14 month old pit mix that has terrible anxiety. He is terrified of being by himself, even if we are just behind the closed door using the bathroom. He cries terribly & will pace the house until we’re done. If I take a shower or bath I leave the door open so he feels a little better, but he then cries & tries to grab my arm to pull me out (not in an aggressive way). When people come into the house he paces, jumps, & whines for them. He also does this outside when he sees people or other dogs. He is told “down” when he jumps & warned with the beeping noise on his training collar. He will sit but it is very hard for him to stay still, as he continues to whine, shakes, & then rolls into the ground. It’s like he knows to listen & tries very hard but literally can not stay still. He also is terrified of thunder & the sound the trash truck makes. When those sounds are occurring he runs right under the table & won’t come out. We are in the process of training & we were told by them that they also think he has anxiety. They think he would be able to comprehend better if it was under control. I have been researching non stop for things to help with this major issue. I don’t want him on prescription anxiety meds that cause him to seem “sedated” & not like himself (that happened with my family dog). I have come across a tablet to help with separation anxiety & the behaviors that come with it. It is called clomicalm & every review or story I have read about it was positive. I really do think this could be a successful choice for him IF I know this is something that is not harmful. There are possible side effects that could occur but that could happen with pretty much any medication humans or pets. This tablet does not cause dogs to seem drowsy from what I’ve read from people’s experiences & has a high success rate to treat anxiety. We have tried natural treats, oils, thunder vests, etc. & nothing has helped him in the slightest bit. I just want to know if this something that would be okay for him to take daily or even okay to take at all?
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My 2 kittens were spayed last week and both have developed a seroma. One of which is leaking a bit. We have 2 other cats and never experienced this with the others. The vet said they are caused by being overactive, is this accurate? They were both relatively calm and quiet for most of the week after their spay and these just developed within the past 2 days. After we had them rechecked at the vet Monday, they told us to separate them and basically quarantine them to separate bedrooms. We tried this yesterday but keeping them isolated has just caused them to be overactive when they finally get to come back out. We don’t want to make them go crazy from the isolation. Do you have any recommendations? Thank you in advance!
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Hi pawbly friends-
My mom was dog sitting tonight so that we could take the kiddos trick or treating and there was a fight between all three of our guys. Do not know the trigger. Our old guy is limping around and is pretty slow, and our girl is limping a bit. Our new guy seems no worse for the wear. My question is whether or not it is ok to keep them separated tonight or will that backfire on me for tomorrow when I take them for a walk to try and pack up again to move past this setback?
I adopted a 4 year old rescue small lab mix about 2 weeks ago. She is already deeply attached to me, and is starting to show some separation anxiety. Keeping her contained and safe while I’m at work has become a challenge. My Boston Terrier is content gated in the kitchen, but my rescue Duchess simply climbs over the gate. So I put her in a crate and I have attached a pic of the result (it’s sideways). She had bloodied her mouth and scraped her muzzle. The last couple of days I’ve left her loose in the house and hoped for the best. I saw evidence of her trying to push the gate through to get into the kitchen – to be with my other dog? I don’t know. Any advice is welcome.
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Anonymous If you’re located near Dr. M, I’d look into obedience classes near you – 4Paws has a selection of classes to consider. She might be otherwise obedient, but classes will help to make her feel more secure in her position in your home, and will help her settle now that she’s past the 2 week introduction phase. More info about training classes at 4Paws here: http://www.4pawsspaonline.com/training.html Kathy Forthman’s a good trainer.
I adopted a beautiful cat with a stunning personality, she is loving and relaxed. She is 1 year 7 months old and they have been struggling to get her adopted. We brought her home And she was immediately so happy, eating and playing. We have two chihuahuas, one is a very timid, nervous baby but so so sweet. When we opened our bedroom door, she ran out to say hello and the cat just pounced on her, making deep scratch marks and only letting go when my husband yelled “NO!” In a panic. I am feeling such guilt at bringing a new pet into the house, that hurt my baby. I absolutely adore the new cat, but my heart is broken for my baby girl. She is now absolutely terrified of any sound, we are keeping them separated and the cat is happy as can be, but I am feeling so nervous about how to resolve this issue. Giving the cat back is just not an option for us, we already fell in love with her. What can we do in this situation?
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Anonymous Did you do any sort of shutdown when you brought the cat home? By that, I mean keep her in a room to herself for a couple of weeks, to give her time to acclimate to the household, then allow her to meet your chi in a very closely supervised situation. Furthermore, had she been tested with dogs?
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Suanne Villarreal Hi! We actually have separated them, the meeting was accidental (our chihuahua ran out of the room once the door was opened). Currently we are keeping them in separate rooms and switching them every so often so they can get used to each other’s scent. She was adopted from a cat shelter so no experience with dogs thus far…
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Anonymous That may very well have been due to shock. I would reevaluate in a couple of weeks.
Is this unkind? My neighbor moved and abandoned their two cats last winter. They had an outdoor house there for the cats and kept them outside. By the time my husband and I discovered them it was dead of winter and they were starving. We bought them a heated outdoor house, fed them top quality food and took them to the vet. He believes they are 6 and 10 years old. After minor tooth surgery on one, they started to thrive and now they’re healthy, well fed and spoiled! They have obviously had homes in the past. I already have a dog and two indoor cats. I really don’t want them outside in the rain and cold this winter, so I want to bring them in but seperate them in our finished large basement. They try to come in all the time. We don’t spend much time down there but I don’t want to add two more animals to the rest of the crew upstairs. I know it sounds silly, but is it mean to keep them separate in the basement or should I try to incorporate them in the whole house? I will let them in and out if they like. I just want to do the right thing for these poor babies and the indoor animals too. I’m probably overreacting and their life will be better regardless, but would love opinions from other animal lovers.
Good morning- anxiety is something that takes time, patience and in my opinion routine. Routine definitely helps. When your dog learns that they can expect “x,y,z” at certain times, and can depend on that routine, it builds trust. There are also other things like leaving a radio on low while you’re gone, walks/exercise to get them good and relaxed before you go, chew toys and toys you can hide a treat like peanut butter in for them to work on while you’re out…. I will also say that making walks a priority part of your daily routine helps a ton. For both of you- it helps with strengthening your bond- in turn helping them trust you more, as well as being physically tired. Training and repetition (even the most basic) is mental work and also helps keep their mind tired. A tired dog is a better behaved dog. There are lots and lots of tricks and tools. Lastly, I would check in with your vet and make sure it is not something that is more serious and needs medical attention. It is definitely something that you can work with and potentially overcome. One of our shepherds had terrible separation anxiety when we first rescued him- chewed EVERYTHING. It took time, but he is well adjusted and one now. Don’t lose hope????