Anyone with experience treating anxiety in dogs with meds? (kinda long)

[mrsv98]

We adopted a very sweet pup about 6 weeks ago. We don't know much about her back story, just that she was in a kill shelter in southern Il, rescued by a group up here, taken to a clinic for spay/shots/etc, fostered for a week and then we adopted her. We have been working with her since we got her, training, lots of exercise and attention and playtime with her "big sister" labs.

Here is the issue: about half the time she is as sweet and loving as can be, trainable, funny, mischievous and a joy. However, the other 50% of the time she is insane. If she were a human, I would say she has PTSD and was having flashbacks. She will run around, grab onto the fence, her crate (inside or out), gates, chair legs and SCREAM. Not bark, not whine, it is a true scream. It absolutely breaks our hearts and makes me furious at the people who had her first

We are working with an in-home trainer and when she is calm, the training works great but it is impossible to get through to her when she is manic. To make a long story not so short, I am taking her to the vet to talk about anti-anxiety meds and would like to hear from anyone who has used them. My hope is that we use them for a period of time while continuing the training and eventually she won't need them anymore.

Thought? Experiences? TIA

 

[The Mystery Machine]

I adopted 2 rescues 5yrs ago. One of them is wonderful the other is aggressive. We are now wrestling with putting the dog down. Not a fun decision.

So my advice to you is to return the dog to the shelter.

This dog is NOT a match for you. I think it is wrong for them to adopt out an aggressive dog.

There are many dogs to rescue and I think it makes more sense to find your match. It is better for you and the dog in the long run.

And that is just my opinion. Probably not what you want to hear. After 5yrs of trying to rehab this dog it is awful. However if he kills a dog or attacks a child, I will never forgive myself. He has already bitten my nephew. I wanted to put him down then but my family was against me.

So that is where I sit today.

 

[mrsv98]

I adopted 2 rescues 5yrs ago. One of them is wonderful the other is aggressive. We are now wrestling with putting the dog down. Not a fun decision.

So my advice to you is to return the dog to the shelter.

This dog is NOT a match for you. I think it is wrong for them to adopt out an aggressive dog.

There are many dogs to rescue and I think it makes more sense to find your match. It is better for you and the dog in the long run.

And that is just my opinion. Probably not what you want to hear. After 5yrs of trying to rehab this dog it is awful. However if he kills a dog or attacks a child, I will never forgive myself. He has already bitten my nephew. I wanted to put him down then but my family was against me.

So that is where I sit today.

Oh I am so sorry you are going through this, that is a tough decision.

Let me clarify, she is not aggressive to us at all. She was getting a bit bossy, but with the help of the trainer, we are correcting that fairly quickly. She has lost all her privileges, ie, can't lay on the couch, sleep on the bed, etc until she realizes she is not top dog.

The issue we have is with the "demons" in her head. We think that medication may help calm her down and relieve the stress/anxiety she feels. I have researched a bunch but it is always nice to have first hand accounts.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

Oh I am so sorry you are going through this, that is a tough decision.

Let me clarify, she is not aggressive to us at all. She was getting a bit bossy, but with the help of the trainer, we are correcting that fairly quickly. She has lost all her privileges, ie, can't lay on the couch, sleep on the bed, etc until she realizes she is not top dog.

The issue we have is with the "demons" in her head. We think that medication may help calm her down and relieve the stress/anxiety she feels. I have researched a bunch but it is always nice to have first hand accounts.

It is good you are working with a trainer. If you want to go the med route go for it.

What kind of dog is it?

We rehabbed our dog with 101 fears. However we could never get him past dog aggression and fear of small children.

It is now a safety issue for others. He is a lovable dog with us. It really sucks. We have to walk him with a muzzle.

 

[mrsv98]

It is good you are working with a trainer. If you want to go the med route go for it.

What kind of dog is it?

We rehabbed our dog with 101 fears. However we could never get him past dog aggression and fear of small children.

It is now a safety issue for others. He is a lovable dog with us. It really sucks. We have to walk him with a muzzle.

We aren't sure, probably cairn terrier/poodle with a little something else since her tail curls up and over her back. She weighs about 15 pounds now, probably 20 at the most so we can physically control her, but we want her to be happy, not just controlled. She is great on walks, loves people, goes places just fine, it is in her own backyard where she is so unhappy.

 

[The Mystery Machine]

We aren't sure, probably cairn terrier/poodle with a little something else since her tail curls up and over her back. She weighs about 15 pounds now, probably 20 at the most so we can physically control her, but we want her to be happy, not just controlled. She is great on walks, loves people, goes places just fine, it is in her own backyard where she is so unhappy.

What is the trainer recommending you do in the backyard to have her adjust?

Does she fear it and won't go out to potty?

Do you have her on leash in the backyard, since she is so good on the leash?

I don't know if I would medicate a dog under those circumstances then.

 

[LindaR]

Well, I used meds for my GSD (major thunderstorm/firecracker fear). MAJOR fear!!! All the meds did was make her loopy. The drugs don't "fix" anything, they just make them into zombies.

We quit using the meds (even tried cutting back the dosage) because we thought she would get hurt because she still freaked out but fell and ran into things while medicated.

There are suits that "squeeze" them to make them feel secure. There are aromatherapy scents to help calm them.

The drugs don't work.

 

[LindaR]

Oh, and they will build up an immunity to the drugs anyway. They become used to them and they are not effective unless you keep increasing the dosage.

 

[newddmommie]

We use storm stress for our 11 year old cheasapeake. It really seems to help calm him down so he can realize he's safe. We adopted him at 7 and unfortunately, he was abused by previous owners. Good luck and hang in there. He's turned into a wonderful dog who just needed love and patience.