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Pawbly | 8 years ago
I Moved My 10 Year Old Boxer To Chicago About 2 Years Ago And Discovered…

I moved my 10 year old boxer to Chicago about 2 years ago and discovered she becomes very anxious and afraid when a train passes by overhead. I think it’s mostly the loud thundering noise. She gets very wide-eyed as the train approaches and the noise increases, then attempts to get as low to the ground as possible and “army crawl” away. I now am moving to a new apartment in the city that is directly next to an elevated train track. The interior of the apartment is very well insulated so the trains can barely be heard, but her most nearby grassy “potty spot” is directly below the tracks. I am scared that taking her out, especially in the mornings when the trains run every couple minutes, will be very damaging to her in her old age. I’ve attempted to pet and talk calmy to her while the trains pass, with little to no success. What can I do to help her get over her anxiety/fear of the noisy trains as they pass?

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  1. Anonymous

    RIP Dr. Yin.

    Would this be the same as counter conditioning to thunderstorms? I want to start working with my MIL’s dog – she FREAKS when a storm comes.

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Pawbly | 8 years ago
First Of All, Let Me Clarify That My Dog Was Not Adopted & Has Been…

First of all, let me clarify that my dog was not adopted & has been raised by myself since she was a puppy so there was no previous abuse. She is my 1st actual pet & her name is Charlie & she is about 5 years old, so yes she was around before my boyfriend. When I first got her I did a lot of research on how to train her and the things I found were very successful, such as, how to housebreak a dog (which took surprisingly no time at all), positive reinforcement, & most importantly how to train your dog how to behave around all types of people. In order to make her comfortable around people I exposed her from the very start to people of different sexes & ethnicities, groups of people, and various ages (so she would be comfortable around my toddler nieces & nephews). To me it seemed this training worked because she loved to have company and would go up to any person male or female. I actually think that she liked my male friends more. She was also great with the toddlers she would let them chase her then turn around and chase them and never harm them & they love her. Whenever I see my nieces and nephews they always ask me where’s Charlie? She still behaves well around others & gladly approaches them, even complete strangers. The trouble started about 3 1/2 years ago when I started dating my current boyfriend. At first, she acted totally normal around him, for example, she would play with him, sit in his lap, etc. I think the real problem began when she realized that my boyfriend was not going anywhere when we moved in together. Ever since then, she has acted terrified of him & I don’t know why it happened since they hit it off at 1st. She cowers & trembles if he gets too close to her (which usually isn’t on purpose, he gives her the space she needs). Sometimes it seems like she’s trying purposefully to get him in trouble like a doggy tattletale. For example, when this first began & still to this day, whenever she would walk past my boyfriend she would make a yelping sound and run past him especially if I was in another room to make me think he hurt her. Every time I have caught her doing that my boyfriend was no where near her, sitting down, or in what I think is a non-threatening position. I do not comfort her when she behaves this way as it is not appropriate. The situation is so bad that she will not even allow my bf to open the door to let her outside to go potty but she will still sleep in the bed with us just not near him. I feel like we’ve tried a lot of things like having my bf feed her & give her treats but this has not worked! I mean she would eat the food & take the treats but still has nothing to do with him!! The situation is so bad that I cannot even leave her with my bf when I have to go out of town for work because like I said she won’t go outside for him! My mother usually is the one that ends up having to watch my dog when I’m out of town. Which is fine because my mother loves Charlie but she shouldn’t have to do that I would prefer for her to be comfortable at home with my bf. If my BF gets home from work before I do, then he opens her kennel door for her so she can come out & play in the house but instead she cowers in the open cage like she is in trouble until I get home then comes out. I don’t think that my bf has ever harmed her when I wasn’t around but I wouldn’t know if I wasn’t there. He knows I have a certain way of disciplining her & respects that so he’s never done any disciplining that I’ve seen nor do I think he wants to since the situation is already out of hand. He is unhappy about the situation as much as I am because he wants her to be happy too. It really bums us out. Especially since other dogs seem to love him. I wonder if it all boils down to jealousy. She’s not super overprotective of me like some dogs are. I try to give her the same amount of attention & keep to her routine. I do NOT use any physical punishment, if she does something bad I tell her to go to her room/kennel (with the door open) & she stays there until I call her back from what I call “time out.” Why is she acting like this & how can we stop this from happening? She’s my baby and my BF & I want us 3 to be a happy family! Please, please help!!!

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  1. PK Dennis

    So, there are just so many things wrong about your understanding of how a dog’s mind works in your description that I barely know where to start.  Dogs don’t purposefully try to get humans into trouble like a tattletale.  They are not that evolved.

    The points that you have made indicate to me that this dog is truly afraid of the boyfriend – some thing he did years ago convinced her that she should be worried about him, and that has snowballed to what you see today.  It may have been something as innocent as he stepped on her toes by accident.  Dogs read body language and facial expressions better than we humans – and something as small as a look at her could compound her fear.  

    This is a very frustrating situation for you, and for the BF – you are both probably giving off negative energy without knowing it!  She is picking up on the human frustration and it will only get worse if you don’t get some professional help.

    And NOTHING you can do will solve this problem.  It is a matter between your BF and your dog.  So, you need to find a behaviorist that will come to your home and work with you, the BF and the dog.  The behaviorist will be able to observe the dog and how you both interact with her and help you all find solutions to correct the situation.  It is going to be a matter of your BF building trust with the dog.  And since we can’t be there to watch the interaction, this forum isn’t going to be of much help other than by pointing you to professional, in-the-home, aid.

    So, find someone that does positive training that can come to your home, and that you and your BF like so you can help your girl have the life she deserves – comfortable in her own home.

  2. Brittany Jacobs

    Thank you very much for your advice PK Dennis. I would love to have a behavioral therapist come to our home but the facts are even if I could find one in the immediate area, I couldn’t afford one hence the forum. Also PK, if you really want to help pet owners you probably shouldn’t start off with an insult or people are not likely to take your advice seriously. I’ve obviously stated that I’ve done extensive research on the topic as indicated in the post. I have seen other forums where advice was given & was lead to believe PAWBLY was one that might actually help. I am quite aware that dogs aren’t evolved enough to “tattletale” & that you can’t be here to see my dog’s behavior that’s why I described my dog’s actions. I have never done a forum before & if I wasn’t desperate I wouldn’t have come here. I am very aware that dogs since emotions & energies. Since neither the bf or pet are going anywhere anytime soon I need advice even if you cannot offer anything else. I’m specifically looking for people who have gone through similar situations & could offer any suggestions that helped in their personal situation that we could try!

  3. PK Dennis

    Good luck with that – you need a trainer/behaviorist. Three and a half years – you haven’t solved it by now, you aren’t the going to be able to solve it on your own. Offer to barter with a trainer – clean Thier house, clean their kennel, what ever it takes to get the eyes and hands on help your dog needs to feel secure in her own home.

  4. Frankie Delise

    A dogs only going to be terrified of someone if that someone has hurt the dog id rethink thinking it’s the dog and not leave the boyfriend around the dog unsupervised

  5. Brittany Jacobs

    Well I have found 1 behavioral therapist in my area & she’s still an hour away. It’s pretty expensive since she’s like the only one in this area but I’ve emailed her in hopes of a barter. From what I’ve read she does in home therapy but I don’t know if she’ll drive this far. I feel like if I take my dog to her it may not work as well. It would feel like a trip to the vet for her, she would smell the fear and start shaking & shedding. Wish me luck! On a better note, when I told my partner my wish to have an a behavioral therapist come to our home to help them I feel like he’s made more of an effort to earn the dog’s trust. I feel like when I told him I posted on this forum for help it really struck home to him that I don’t just want to have to deal with the situation I want it to be better. I don’t know why posting for help is any different than our talks about the situation prior to my posting but whatever. Maybe he doesn’t want a stranger in our home. Oh well, that’s a temporary fear, my price, & a possible end to my Charlie’s fear!!! I’ve noticed some improvements since then! The two have been playing for sure whereas before she wouldn’t come near him & yesterday she came up to him! Granted it was no lap call but she let him pet her. I just feel like if he’s more onboard with the idea it will work better. I mean for a while I feel he had given up on mending their relationship. I think what scares her the most is bf’s voice he would never intentionally harm her. He talk too loud because he’s had a lot of hearing loss from his time in Iraq. We’ve been working on that in the meantime too & it helps but it is hard for him to know when his tone gets louder. I’m happier with the results so far but foster hopes that the therapist will understand & barter to come to our home.

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Pawbly | 8 years ago
My Dog Is 8 Month. He Is Very High Energy And Happy. …

my dog is 8 month. he is very high energy and happy. we had since poppy. when he is with other dog, he want to play . some times make other dog mud and start get serious. How can I train him play nice with any dog?

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  1. Anonymous

    Yoriko, at any point have you gone through obedience classes with him?  Was he socialized with other dogs as a very young puppy?

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Pawbly | 8 years ago
My Husband And I Run Our Own Company, So Can Bring Our Puppy Into The…

My husband and I run our own company, so can bring our puppy into the office with us every day. We can’t have the time off work to stay with him at home, while he adapts to his new surroundings, so planned on bringing him to the office with us each day, where we would of course give him lots of exercise and love and can potty train him in the grounds of our office. We thought this would also be good for socialisation. But we wondered whether this would be too stressful for him to spend one weekend with us at home, and then start coming to the office with us on the Monday? I know his paws won’t be able to touch the floor of public places until he’s had all his injections at around 12 weeks, so we thought we could take him in a puppy sling and have a crate at work he can occasionally use, as well as his toys, food, drink, treats etc. Any advice or tips would be gratefully received. I have ordered lots of books on it and we’ll be signing him up to dog school as well. Thank you x

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  1. Anonymous

    Here’s my take on it.

    Puppies need to walk, to be able to explore their environment.  The best way to do this is tethered to you, rather than in a sling of some sort. Does your company frequently see dogs on the floors?  If not, I don’t see why he can’t be on the floor.  

    Use the crate more than occasionally.  If you cannot have him tethered to you, he should be crated.  I would also consider picking up an xpen so he has a safe space to play outside of the crate from time to time.

    Frankly, I like the idea of taking him in to work right away, especially if you’ll continue doing that when he’s an adult.  If you don’t intend to continue taking him in when he’s an adult, I don’t think I’d do what you’re planning, simply because he’ll wonder why you’re suddenly leaving him home when he’s older.

  2. Charli Glass

    Thanks so much, Laura.

    The sling would just be to carry him to the office, as he could get tired walking there and I thought he might not be allowed to touch pavements etc, until he’s had all injections.

    It’s a short walk and then a short train to our office, so we thought he might be happiest in a puppy sling for the journey there.

    Once we’re inside the building and in our office yard, we would definitely have him on the floor.

    So you think we should have him, perhaps on a leash attached to the arm of my office chair, with occasional time in his crate?

    We plan on always having him with us in the office and taking him back home with us, into his adulthood.

    Thanks again x

  3. Anonymous

    Oh, definitely NO walking on pavement frequented by dogs during the commute, at least until he’s 4 months old. Good luck. 😉

    I think this could work! I also think you’ll have growing pains for a bit. Will you be able to hop up and take him out immediately after waking up, immediately before and after all meals (and he should be eating a lunch until he’s 6 months old), before/during/after all play, and every 30 minutes otherwise? I know that for the first week we had our bitch puppy home, that was life…I wasn’t productive at all. This is why utilizing the crate is so important. You can pop him in there for a 2 hour nap and get some work done while he’s sleeping.

  4. Charli Glass

    Ah brilliant. Thank you. Sounds like we’ll have our work cut out. Is it best to exercise him indoors then, until he’s 4 months? We have a big garden at home he could run around in, on a leash, but we often get foxes, so I guess they’d be more diseased than other dogs. So much to learn! x

  5. Anonymous

    Well, when he’s out in the yard, so are you…and I’m not a fan of long walks for long-legged breeds like boxers. I think your garden should be fine. Get him vaccinated against rabies when the vet says it’s time.

    Is this your first dog? You picked a particularly high energy breed!

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Pawbly | 8 years ago
I Have An American Bulldog Who Is Almost 2 Years Old. Despite Training, He Is…

I have an American Bulldog who is almost 2 years old. Despite training, he is very aggressive towards other dogs. He was attacked by a pit bull, on our property, before he was a year old and every since will not tolerate any other dogs or any kind of animals for that matter. We have paid quite a bit for training to try and help him socialize but after a while he is back to his old self. No one will board him and we can’t take him anywhere that has a lot of people or other animals. He’s great at home and wonderful with our children, so I am at a loss s to what to do. He also has pretty bad hip problems and is in pain a lot if he gets a lot of exercise. I love him so much, as does my family, but I want to do the right, humane thing. Help.

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  1. Madelyn Fischer

    Hello, as an extreme animal lover, I say no, try to train and comfort as much as you can, but I don’t know you and I can’t tell you what to do. That’s the last case scenario. Good luck!

  2. Madelyn Fischer

    Hi Krista, I totally agree.

  3. Crystal Williams

    We have done two extensive training courses for his aggression . One two week program and one five week, away from home program.

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Pawbly | 8 years ago
We Have A 9 Week Old Puppy That House Trains Really Well With One Exception…

We have a 9 week old puppy that house trains really well with one exception. He keeps popping in my daughter room. We keep the door shut, I have steam cleaned and scrubbed the carpet, but if the door is open for a couple minutes he will do his business in there.
He has a spot in the yard where he goes and I take him outside every hour or more often, so it isn’t that he doesn’t know where to go or intervals are too long. He also never pooped anywhere else in the house.
What can we do to discourage him from pooping in her room?

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  1. Jana

    Sounds like either the smell remained even after all that cleaning (you might need to try something to kill the scent such as vinegar/baking soda mixture or one of the good enzyme-based cleaners) or he has a reason why he feels he must do that such as marking the place. (dogs use either urine or poop for marking)

    What do you do when he does it outside, does he get praise and reward(s)? What do you do when he does it in the room?

    Is it one particular spot in the room or any area within?

    I remember Dr. Coren had some good suggestions on redefining the area. Such as using the area in question for feeding and/or play with the argument that dogs don’t potty where they eat or play. You could definitely try that.

  2. Anonymous

    He’s too young to have that level of freedom in the house.  At this age he should be tethered to you when you can supervise him and crated when you can’t.

  3. PK Dennis

    I agree with Laura, this puppy is too young for the amount of freedom you are giving him. Tether him to you with a leash when you can’t watch him like a hawk until he is 6 monrhs old or even older.  It takes months to house train a puppy

  4. Wiebke Wiebel

    Thank you for your reply. Yes, he gets praised and rewarded for going outside. When he poops in her room I just remove it without saying anything. I will look into redefining the area like you suggested.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
Someone Left Their Jack Russell Terrier (Jaz) On My Street Two Days Ago And I…

Someone left their jack russell terrier (Jaz) on my street two days ago and I took her in. I currently have a 5 year old pitbull mixed with a chihuaha(Taco) taco is little bit bigger than Jaz. Every time Jaz sees taco Jaz snaps and growls at her. We give them both attention I don’t think it’s a dominance or jealousy issue because taco doesn’t fight back, Jaz would wait for taco to be vulnerable and then try and bite her. For example today we took them both walking both were fine and we both went inside and taco looks at me not paying attention to Jaz and then jaz tried to bite Tacos leg. Taco stays with me and i have jaz in a room she listens good with everything. she doesnt leave her room even if we leave the door open and she doesnt have a leash on. She just cant be around taco. I’m not sure what to do or what’s wrong, we want to train Jaz so she can be part of our family. Any suggestions?

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  1. PK Dennis
    This is MOST definitely a dominance issue!  Jaz is telling Taco that Jaz is the person in charge of this new house!  And while Taco may not be fighting back, Jaz is going to continue this behavior until she is satisfied that Taco understands the situation. It is your job to help them get on an even keel.  Is Taco a male or female?  Jaz is more likely to settle down with a male (females tend to rule the house and males usually let them). 

    You need to go back to square one.  Put Jaz in a room where Taco can not see Jaz.  This could be a guest bathroom, or mud room, etc.  You want a closed door between the 2 dogs for the next 3-4 days.  Give each dog their own time with you – but separately.  This allows each dog to become familiar with the smell of the other dog.  They get to know each other this way – but without any confrontation.

    On the 4th day, pick up  all toys, balls, bones, and put them up out of reach of the dogs (and keep them up for the time being – this prevents fights over these resources.  The toys belong to you, and the dogs only get access to them while you are there to monitor things).  Then take the dogs on a long walk together – put leashes on them and then right out the door, don’t allow them to sniff each other or anything – just “let’s GO – walking here!”.  By the end of the walk they should be more comfortable with each other.
    For the next few weeks keep a short leash on Jaz at all times – let her drag it around the house and yard (I like to attache the leash to a harness for this).  This allows you to step on the leash or pick it up to get Jaz away from Taco.  Monitor their activities and head Jaz off at the pass when she is paying too much attention to Taco – you might want to teach Jaz ‘leave it’ and tell her to ‘leave it’ when she is looking at Taco, etc.
    If the days of separation, and then the walk don’t solve the problem you will need to find a behaviorist or trainer that can come to your home and work with you – after all, Jaz is a terrier, and a Russell to boot.  My experience is that Russell’s can be very challenging!
    Other ways to fix in Jaz’s mind that she is not in control of the house is by not allowing her up on any furniture.  Taco can be up, but not Jaz for the foreseeable future.  Not on the sofa or especially the beds.  Control food – make Jaz work for every meal and treat by sitting nicely, or by doing a trick.  She also has to sit nicely to get access to any toy, and she can only play with the toy with you – when you are done playing the toy needs to go back up out of reach/sight.
    These are the things I do with fosters when they come to my home – some respond quickly, others take months to decide they will settle into my pack.  Give things a good 4 to 5 weeks before you give up on this girl!, but get some help if you feel things are not improving.
    Good luck!
  2. Erica Bowlen

    Thank you! They are both female. Taco is spayed and Jaz is not we are taking her to the vet soon to get her spayed.

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
Sorry If This Seems To Ramble. I Just Have A Lot On My Mind.

He…

Sorry if this seems to ramble. I just have a lot on my mind.

He has already broken and melted my heart. I am a teacher and will actually be off work for the next 6 weeks to train, play, and “mother” the little guy. I think I have convinced my mother to watch him for the first couple of months when school starts to help him settle in because he is so young. Our best guess is that he is a lab mix. He will probably be medium to large in size.

I know that socialization is so important for a pup of this age. What can I do to help him?

I keep crying and my anxiety about the next 6 months is very high. My worries make it hard to sleep even when the little guy is sleeping. I’m so sad for him and I just want to make sure that he is a happy, healthy puppy. The shelters around here are overwhelmed and I refuse to leave the little guy. Euthanasia rates are pretty high.

He will eventually be an indoor/outdoor dog. I won’t be comfortable with this, though, until he is older. That is why I’m going to pay my mom to watch him. I will be gone from 7-3:30 and my man works from 7:30-5. On days with inclement weather, my fella would be able to come home and let him in or out. We have a large fenced in back yard with plenty of shady areas. I live in a rural area with very kind neighbors so I am not worried about anyone messing with him. I live in East Tennessee where there is rarely an extreme temperature; however, I’m also looking into adding a doggie door, too.

Here is what I have done so far:

(1) He has a lifestyle crate (with the partition to make it smaller for now) that is attached to a large playpen in our kitchen. He sleeps in this crate at night. I’ve been sleeping on a couch next to it at night to take him out when he wakes. This is generally every 2 hrs.

(2) I’ve taken him to the vet. They dewormed him and gave him a flea treatment that is appropriate for a little guy under 5Lbs.

(3) I take him out to potty every time he wakes up from sleeping. He has only had 3 accidents in 3.5 days. I clean up his mess well so as not to leave a smell and take him out anyway. I DO NOT scold such a young pup but rather just take him out and set him in the grass each time.

What can I do to ensure this little guy has a great adolescence? Especially considering he is off to a rough start?

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  1. Katlyn Rose

    It will probably take a little while to potty train him because he is so young. To socialize him you can take him on walks and play with him and get him toys to play with. Puppies are resiliant so even though he has had a rough start just give him a loving home and play with him and make sure he is happy and he will be fine into adolescence. I hope you and your new puppy the best!

  2. Sarah

    Don’t worry about what happened to him. Think about how lucky he is to have a caring human now who is taking great care of him. Socialization is important. Make sure to introduce him to lots of people when he is old enough to go on nice walks. Also dog parks or other dogs that you know, should be a great way to introduce him to other dogs. Your vet should have a ton of info to share with you.  Best of luck!!

  3. Sarah Simpson

    Thanks for the encouragement! I had a torturous few day where I didn’t know if I should keep him or take him to the shelter. Many people on the internet acted like it was inhumane to have a dog if you couldn’t keep him indoors 24/7 and be with him most of the time; however, the lady at the shelter showed me all the cute pups there and told me that many don’t make it out. I refuse to give up on him! I’m not rich and I don’t have the resources to put him in a daycare every day but I do have a very comfortable and large home with a privacy fence. I have lots of love in my heart and no children, as well.

    I plan to use the next 6 weeks to get him into the routine of our household. My mother won’t be able to help out because she takes care of my grandmother but my man is gonna arrange to drive 40 minutes here and 40 minutes back on his lunch to check on little man.

    We are looking at collar activated doggie doors currently but he will be too young for that at first. I found a really cool solar paneled fan that can attach to a doghouse and “heated flooring” options for winter. I can’t believe this stuff exists! Who knew a dog could have a climate controlled doghouse?!?

    Again, I really appreciate the supportive comments while I was panicking about what to do. 🙂

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Pawbly | 9 years ago
Would Also Like To Litter Box Train…

Would also like to litter box train…

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  1. Anonymous

    Litterbox training a dog means they’ll use your house as a toilet.  Is there a reason you’re unwilling to walk the dog or let it out into a yard?

    Bostons can be stubborn and very opinionated.  What is your experience with dog ownership?

  2. PK Dennis

    Litter box training… Once you teach a dog to poop/pee in your house you can expect a life time of cleaning up “accidents” all over your house.  It doesn’t matter if it is pee pads at the door, or a litter box some where else in the house.  Once you teach a dog it is okay to soil his home all bets are off.  I once had a dog that was taught to relieve himself in the bathtub.  He grew up in a 5 story walk-up in NYC, so I assume they did this so they didn’t have to make the 5 story trek to the great outdoors.  I lived in the country with 5 acres of fenced yard.  That dog was with me for 6 years and if I did not walk him outside every morning and after dinner he would pee and poop in the bathroom – any bathroom, and as he got older he didn’t bother to get into the tub, he went on the floor just outside of the tub.

    Dogs need to walk, no matter what size the dog.  Smaller lap dogs can live with shorter walks, but they still need to walk every day to be happy, well adjusted canine companions.  So teach your dog to poop and pee on command outside while you are walking that dog.
    And as for the breed – each breed tends to have certain personalities, and I can understand liking the look of a dog, but just because a dog is a certain breed does not mean it will be good with children.  So I encourage you to find a breed specific rescue, and work with them to find you the perfect dog for your family.  Keep in mind that many rescue organizations will not allow a home with young children to adopt their dogs.  For example several rescues I know only allow adoption if the kids are over 7 years old.
    But, the rescue foster parents know each dogs’ personality best, and the organization can match you to the personality that will work best for your family. And these organizations do get puppies from time to time, so it may take a longer wait, but it is well worth the work and wait to find the ‘perfect’ match.
    Adopt – don’t shop!
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Pawbly | 9 years ago
HI THERE, MY DOG HAS EPILEPSY. HE IS ON POTASSIUM BROMIDE AND PHENOBARBITAL. GERMAN SHEPHERD…

HI THERE, MY DOG HAS EPILEPSY. HE IS ON POTASSIUM BROMIDE AND PHENOBARBITAL. GERMAN SHEPHERD. SINCE STARTING MEDS HE HAS GAINED 45 POUNDS. HE HAS ATAXIA, WHICH IS GETTING PRETTY BAD. WE DECIDED TO SWITCH HIM TO A DIET DOG FOOD TO HELP HIM LOSE WEIGHT, SO THAT WE COULD ULTIMATELY LOWER HIS MEDICATION DOSAGE. OUR VET CONCURRED. SHE DID NOT MENTION THAT CHANGING HIS DIET WOULD INTERFERE WITH THE SALT LEVELS BECAUSE OF THE BROMIDE HE WAS TAKING. AS SOON AS WE SWITCHED HIS FOOD HE STARTED SEIZING. HE HAS HAD ABOUT 7 OVER THE LAST 2 DAYS (HE WAS SEIZURE FREE FOR ALMOST 3 MONTHS). WE LIKE THE NEW FOOD WE PICKED BECAUSE IT IS BETTER QUALITY (FROMM) AND DOES NOT HAVE ROSEMARY EXTRACT, WHICH HAS BEEN LINKED TO SEIZURES. BUT WE DON’T KNOW IF WE SHOULD STOP IT AND GO BACK TO HIS OLD FOOD, OR HOW TO TRANSITION BACK/FORWARD. HE WAS PREVIOUSLY ON NUTRO LARGE BREED ADULT FOOD. I CANNOT FIND THE CHLORINE CONTENT FOR NUTRO, BUT THE CHOLINE CHLORIDE CONTENT FOR FROMM IS 2887.63 IU/KG (71.47 IU/100 CAL). I DON’T TRUST MY VET ANYMORE TO ASK HER, AS THEY HAVE NOT TOLD US ANYTHING ABOUT BROMIDE AND SALT LEVELS. I HAVE HAD TO RESEARCH ALL OF THIS ON MY OWN, EVEN THOUGH I HAVE NO VETERINARY TRAINING. APPARENTLY, GOOGLE IS MORE KNOWLEDGEABLE THAN MY DOG’S VET. IF SOMEONE COULD ADVISE US ON NEXT STEPS WE WOULD GREATLY APPRECIATE IT. WE WANT A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR DOG, ONE WHERE HE DOESN’T SLIDE HIS BACK LEGS DOWN THE STAIRS AND FALL DOWN BECAUSE HIS BACK LEGS ARE TOO WEAK. SO WE KNOW THAT A DIET AND LIFESTYLE CHANGE IS IMPORTANT. BUT WE NEED SOME ADVICE ON HOW TO MAKE THE CHANGES, AND HOW FAST/ HOW TO TRANSITION, BECAUSE EVERY TIME WE CHANGE HIS DIET IT APPEARS TO TRIGGER SEIZURES (WE SWITCHED HIM TO LIQUID BROMIDE BACK IN MARCH AND RIGHT AWAY HE GOT CLUSTERS AND ENDED UP IN EMERGE AND SEVERELY MEDICATED FOR A FEW DAYS). WE DON’T WANT TO GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN, SO WOULD PREFER TO FIX THIS ON OUR OWN. BASICALLY, I’M ASKING, SHOULD I GO OUT TOMORROW MORNING AND PICK UP HIS OLD DOG FOOD AND SWITCH HIM BACK COLD TURKEY? OR SHOULD WE STICK WITH THE NEW BETTER FOOD AND SEE IF HE GETS USED TO IT AND THE SEIZURES STOP? OR SHOULD I BUY HIS OLD FOOD AND MIX IT WITH THE NEW FOOD FOR A WHILE, AND WILL THIS EVEN HELP? IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE WE CAN DO? THANK YOU KINDLY FOR YOUR TIME. “

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  1. Jana

    My question would be whether it’s the change in itself or something else present in the food triggering the seizures. I do agree that rosemary extract seems to be suspect in contributing to seizures. I also agree that putting on weight isn’t good for anything. My best recommendation would be to work with an integrative vet at this point. I know a number of people who used this modality for managing seizures with great success. An integrative veterinarian can also be of great assistance with diet and actually food therapy, as well as acupuncture and herbal therapy, all of which can be quite helpful. If it was my dog this is the direction I’d go in from here.

    http://www.tcvm.com/