my sweet Dagny…
So, I may have mentioned this in passing before, but Dagny has anxiety. It’s usually just around thunderstorms, or uncomfortable situations, or random noises, and passes rather quickly, but she’s been pretty constantly sad and anxious (shaky and withdrawn) for a few weeks. We have been using a pheromone diffuser for a year or so and we think that has helped so far keep her to random episodes, but it’s not helping anymore. She also has a pheromone collar on, and I even downloaded FIVE HOURS of terrible instrumental music that’s supposed to be soothing to dogs and have tried that off and on.
She’s also not eating regularly, which isn’t terribly unusual, but now, she seems to transform into her old, playful, happy self when she does eat. She’ll not eat in the mornings, only at night, but only 1/4 to 1/2 of what’s she’s “supposed” to be eating for her size.
Ugh. (for reference, we think she’s about 4 and we rescued her a few years ago from the shelter where she’d been for several months already…)
She stays in my closet upstairs, or in my bathroom curled up on the rug on the hard floor. She won’t eat treats even, unless they’re REALLY good ones, and she’s not interested in playing. She’ll go outside and she’s fine outside, but will sometimes stop in her tracks and not want to move; I have to push her from behind to make her get going again.
I’ve been resisting it for so long, but we’re going to talk to the vet tomorrow about anti-anxiety medication – she could also be sick or have a stomach virus or something too, so we’ll rule that out first. Leo’s talked to the vet about it before, and she suggested prozac, but we declined, opting instead to try other means. We’ve also tried the “calming” treats with melatonin in them, but when she’s anxious, she’s not even interested in treats, so she won’t eat them.
It makes me sad to see her this way, and because I am overly-empathetic, I feed off of her energy and then, of course, she feeds off mine and it all becomes worse; we’re pathetic. I don’t want to medicate her for my own peace of mind – if that makes sense – I want to find something effective that will bring her back to her happy, playful self.
Has anyone medicated their dog for anxiety? Or tried other means? What has your experience been?
I had a very anxious boxer/lab mix. He would shake like a paint mixer on the Fourth of July! We medicated him when he really really needed it. I think the thunder shirts are good too. It’s so awful to see them suffer I know.
thanks zanna ! We’ve tried the thundershirt for her and it doesn’t work – mostly because she’s impossible to fit with her gigantic barrel chest and teeny waist LOL –
Hi Grechen,
I’m so sorry, both for you and Dagny. I haven’t had to work through anxiety for a dog (as we don’t have one) but have for both a cat and my young adult son with Asperger’s. I did exactly as you, resisted medication and used/tried all other kinds of therapies (although what we did was different between cat/son:)). Ultimately, the cat issues were resolved but it was also an acute issue that brought it on, her sister had died. My son? He’s been on medication now for a couple of years after having it recommended for well over a decade. My husband and I, along with my son, were extremely resistant to med.’s. The good thing about having tried ‘everything else’ is that we knew it was the right choice for him and it’s made a huge difference in the quality of his life (and ours:)).
aw, poor baby! my rescue pup (1.5 yrs old) is super anxious on walks and often lays down, shakes, etc. we rarely walk her around the neighborhood for this reason, instead opting for hikes and lots of off leash play with other dogs, which wears her out in the best possible way (a tired dog is a good dog!).
how is dagny with other animals? would dog parks and/or dog play dates help to reduce her stress?
It’s been suggested to us that we medicate our dog, but I think for her, she needs a LOT of exercise. And doesn’t really like being alone.
Since you work from home and are with Dagny most of the time, i would look at medication for her. Just like with people, she might need the extra push to help her calm down. Don’t feel bad about it if you go that route.
so…i used to take her to the dog park every day for a few months and she did pretty well, until one day, she became manic, like she didn’t want to leave, but did, and would not come to get her leash back on. we were there for FOUR HOURS. i brought treats (chicken), toys, i tried leaving, everything i could think of, but she would take off running as soon as i’d get close to get the leash back on. finally she got so tired, four guys were able to corner her so i could take her home. we haven’t been back since 🙁
she seems to do okay when she boards, but she really doesn’t do day care, although that would probably be good for her…
i try to take her outside as often as she asks, and play, etc., but she doesn’t want to play. and we don’t have a yard for her to run around in. ugh.
aw, i am all too familiar with the psycho manic episodes where they will not let you grab them! i wouldn’t necessarily give up on it though, even if you decide to medicate, because the socialization and exercise can be so beneficial.
just want to echo that you should in no way feel bad if you decide to medicate her. it sounds like it could improve her quality of life – i’m sure she does not like feeling anxious.
she is lucky to have a mommy like you!
Have you ever considered acupuncture? My aunt is a vet and began doing acupuncture almost exclusively a few years ago. My shih-tzu is a pretty easy-going little man, but I would absolutely take a dog for acupuncture after hearing about it from my aunt.
I have a dog that had pretty bad separation anxiety. I found that Rescue Remedy helped him. https://www.chewy.com/rescue-remedy-stress-relief-pet/dp/139818?utm_source=google-product&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=hg&utm_content=Rescue%20Remedy&utm_term=&gclid=COGDyPGO3NQCFcOIswodot0PVw&gclsrc=aw.ds
We only needed to medicate him for long trips in the car as he was afraid of that too.
I don’t have any experience with this, Grechen, but just wanted to say I hope you find a solution that gives you and Dagny some peace. We have only had Marnie, our little dog, since October, but I love her like she’s my child and I can completely understand how upsetting this must be.
Did you ever run her through basic obedience training in a group setting? We own two female pit bulls and a chiweenie who get along wonderfully and are sweet and social but are that way partially because of our disciplined nature with them, I.e. lots of exercise (which I know you give Dagny), consistent obedience practice, household rules such as no dogs on furniture, in the kitchen, sitting before offering food, etc. We also got very good information from Cesar Millian as he is a big proponent of the calm assertive pack leader. I think your intuitions about your emotions playing a role are correct. We love our dogs absolutely to death but they are not our children and not human. (Even though they are better than some humans haha!)
haha! yes, we did a group obedience class. she is so incredibly “difficult” though, because she is wonderful when she wants to be, but when she doesn’t, or when she’s anxious, no way. she won’t come for chicken, cheese, or anything, she is not interested and doesn’t care a bit if she doesn’t go out, or eat, or whatever. she’s like a toddler lol – and most of the time, she ends up winning, because i can’t battle it out with her like i could my step-son when he was younger…haha…
she used to sit before eating, going out, all that stuff 🙁
I once had a dog that was so anxious in the car that she would wheeze and vomit. We went through several different options and finally ended up going with vet-prescribed xanax, which was incredibly helpful and otherwise seemed to have very little effect on the dog. I also took her to a socialization class for shy and fearful dogs, which was also quite helpful. Our new dog had pretty severe separation anxiety and was very afraid of new people. What really helped her was specific training that was directed by a trainer with a lot of experience with dogs with various issues. I think it could be helpful to try and track down a really good trainer – my trainer was able to explain dog behavior in a way that was really helpful. Our new dog is now an amazing and happy dog after starting out a bit of a basket case.
My friends have a rescue dog with severe anxiety issues. They really tried to avoid medication, but once they tried doggie Prozac, they saw tremendous improvement. After working with the dog and providing a loving, stable home for 1+ year, they tried reducing/eliminating the meds. That was a bit of a disaster. Going on medication is a very personal issue, whether it’s your pet, yourself, or a loved one. But, it turns out, some dogs (and people) really just need the Prozac. And that’s okay! 😉
We did try Prozac on our cat after consulting a cat behaviorist and then a vet behaviorist. It didn’t really help us, but that’s us.
If Dagny get cleared by your vet, maybe you can consult with a vet behaviorist or a really good trainer (its not always easy to find one). If fireworks are an issue, there is a new drug that has been helpful when other antianxiety drugs have not (Sileo).
If you end up going with medication, you may want to work with your local compounding pharmacy to get a formulation that would make it easy to give, whether it means flavoring it, putting it in a cream you apply to the ear, or something different. Depending on the animal, it can really help their quality of life. We have a cat that gets prozac in a cream that’s applied to his ear every day, and he’s doing much better and seems much less anxious than before.
prozac is one of the most benign medications … there’s so much stigma attached to it for no reason. did you know you could swallow a whole bottle of prozac and not die.. you can’t say that for tylenol or most of the stuff people take all the time over the counter. prozac can be taken for life with NO downsides. do it!
… on the other hand, it’s such a benign (weak) medication that it may not even work.. and if it does, it will happen gradually over 4 weeks. Hydroxyzine works too.
Like others, we’ve used Prozac for one of our cats after trying everything (Feliway diffusers, Thundershirt, 3 kinds of calming treats, calming collar, increase in vertical space, much positive reinforcement, safe space alone time, clicker training, increases playtime, check in with a behaviorist in-home, etc etc). She started on Prozac pills which eventually became stressful when she tired of Pill Pockets. Once she switched to the transdermal (which is supposed to be about 60% usable re bioavailability), she did a lot better. Now I wished we had put her on it sooner and not dragged out feet for so long.
My family dog has a different kind of anxiety, he’s nervous in the world and he can be reactive and aggressive around strange people and dogs. We live in New York City, so he has to walk on city streets and play in public parks daily, surrounded by other people and dogs. It’s been hard for everyone to understand and deal with, he came from a loved environment and he’s lived with us in the city since he was a tiny puppy. He loves us and is always relaxed at home, but being out in the world stresses him out. The melatonin treats and thundershirts didn’t work for him either. We took him to a doggie psychiatrist once who recommended that he take Swanson Women’s Anti-Stress Formula supplements (https://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-ultra-womens-anti-stress-formula-lactium-167-mg-60-caps?DFA=1&SourceCode=INTL4055&gclid=COi-m4X13dQCFY5WDQodAJUMxQ) and Suntheanine (https://www.swansonvitamins.com/swanson-ultra-suntheanine-l-theanine-100-mg-60-veg-caps?DFA=1&SourceCode=INTL4055&gclid=CKzT6q323dQCFdONswodqxoIcQm). Our 12 pound dog gets half a caplet of each pill with his food in the morning and in the evening, and it really does seem to make a difference. His pills help him to tolerate his triggers (loud noises, motorcycles, small children, people in athletic clothing, annoying neighbors, you know, all the terrifying things that exist in the world!) and he stays more relaxed and calm. The other thing that seemed to help him was getting a puppy, she’s 3 now and sometimes I swear I see her soothing him when he gets nervous. Good luck!
My cousin is a dog trainer & works with troubled dogs (uh, actually he often works a lot more with their owners…). I wish I could refer you, but he is in OH! But I do encourage you to look for a good dog trainer as well as medication.
I’m sorry Dagny isn’t doing well 🙁 It’s so hard to watch pets suffer. Our 12 year old rescue dog is anxious and it only seems to be getting worse as the years go by. He can’t handle fireworks or thunder, which is not that weird, but even more than that he’s just constantly worried, always needing to be by my side, and he chews horrible bald spots in his fur again and again and won’t let them fully heal for months before starting another. Plus he throws up–usually when stressed. We’ve tried cannabis treats, thunder shirts, all sorts of stuff. And nothing works. I’ve always avoided medication because I assume I can’t afford it and I don’t even medicate myself for depression, but maybe we should. It’s hard not to feel like I’m failing him, you know? Something is obviously wrong but I don’t know what, I don’t know how to make his life better. Ugh. I really really hope your vet has some good insight and you find the right solution for her. Let us know how it goes!
My dog is scared of fireworks, thunder, and the sound a Volkswagen makes when you lock the doors (a single “boop”/horn) haha. Like you, we’ve tried a thunder shirt, pheromones, and finally medication. We tried to comfort him but he didn’t seem to want it, and he would just stand and pant and whine, to the point where we just had to put him in the bathroom with blankets, water, and a noise machine just so we could sleep 🙁 The medication does work, but it makes him so lethargic. I only give it to him around 4th of July and when the dreaded Blue Angels come to town. I hope you find something that helps, it’s so stressful to see our dogs so anxious!
Oh no! I am late to the party, but our former doggy daycare owner (whom I would trust with my pup’s life in a heartbeat) recommends hemp oil/CBD oil – i.e. True Hemp makes treats, you can likely find it in your better local pet store. Also TFLN was recommended:
https://www.homeopet.com/products/behavior-anxiety-stress/anxiety-tfln
Lots of folks have asked her with gearing up for the 4th of July here in Chicago, and it was recommended you start the products now, they don’t work immediately like a miracle cure.
Hi Grechen, I just wanted to pop in and say that apart from the vet (and you may already be doing this, so apologies if I’m stating the obvious) I would ask for recommendations for dog behaviorists along with whatever advice the vet has. My colleague at work has a very, very anxious rescue dog and she did a lot of work with a trainer/behaviorist who specialized in anxious dogs. She learned an incredible amount about how dogs interact with the world and *specifically* how anxious dogs deal with things, and it was very helpful to her. The only other thing I would offer is increasing her exercise, like, A LOT. I have a rescue pitbull who is now twelve and a half, and although she is not generally anxious she needed a lot of exercise when she was younger, more so than I figured when we first got her. Which was totally ok with me and my husband, but I do remember that a trainer we worked with early on said that many owners don’t quite understand how much exercise dogs really need to keep them happy and balanced.
Oh and: (again, your vet will likely recommend this, but) a full checkup, bloodwork etc. in case she has a medical issue? A couple of years ago our dog stopped eating and was sad and lethargic for awhile and it turned out to be liver issues.
I wish you all the best with this– it’s not easy when you’ve bonded with a creature and they are aren’t feeling good!
A lot of mood disorders have to do with overall health and often are a sign of poor gut health. This is true for humans as well as our pets. My 11 year old lab had become very withdrawn a couple of years ago (strange behaviour for a lab!) and I started incorporating more whole foods in his diet and made sure his kibble was grain free. It made a big difference. Some of the things I use to supplement our dogs’ kibble include: full-fat yogurt, canned sardines, raw eggs, bone broth, raw hamburger, beef or chicken liver, coconut oil, blueberries and vegetables. I also give them fish oil, probiotics and a multivitamin. If you want to take it a step further, you can research home cooked dog food. I sometimes make a batch of dog food in the slow cooker. Just make sure that the recipe is well balanced to provide all of the essential nutrients.
Life has me tied up these days, so I am popping in late on this one…but I can’t resist because I am such an animal lover. Our neighbors (one of whom is a vet) have a rescue Vizsla with a number of anxiety problems, and he responds very well to Bach Flower Rescue Remedy for dogs. My other friend, after 6 years of bad/aggressive dog behaviour went for the Prozac and they said it transformed their dog. Hopefully you will find the thing that works. I know how heart-wrenching this is.