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06-09-2014, 12:43 PM | #1 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Clarksville, TN
Posts: 19
| Separation Anxiety I guess I lost my username info to my other account (jmm_x3), but I have been on here a few times before. My dog Roxie is 8 years old and has pretty bad separation anxiety. I crate trained her as a puppy and she was housebroken pretty quickly, but she would break out of her crate. We tried baby gating her in to certain rooms and she would jump the gate, no matter how high. She can't be shut in to a room or she barks, cries, and scratches on the door. Normally I just give her free reign of the house because she is house broken and does not get in to stuff. I moved to a new house this week and now Roxie is having issues again. (Disclaimer: she is an army dog and this is her 7th move in 8 years). I tried to give her the weekend to get adjusted to the new house with me in it, but now that it's the work week she cannot stand for me to leave. Roxie will latch on to my leg with her paws and bark and cry like someone is hurting her. She won't let me get out the door without weasling her way out. I know she will adjust because she has before, but I can't remember how long it took her before. This is the first time I've lived without roommates and that she will be home by herself whenever I am not there (not that she's never been alone before). Some of my coworkers have mentioned giving her something for the anxiety, but I really don't like the idea of drugging my dog because she has the sweetest personality and I don't want her to be a zombie, but I am really willing to consider advice from people with experience/knowledge on this topic, even if it is something medical. Also - getting another dog to keep her company is NOT an option, sorry, but I won't consider it haha. Any advice? Thanks!! |
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06-10-2014, 06:23 AM | #2 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Clarksville, TN
Posts: 19
| *Bump* Had another hard morning... I have to go back to the house in a little bit for furniture delivery and I'm afraid I'm going to end up bringing her back to work with me. Please help! |
06-10-2014, 06:51 AM | #3 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Tucson,AZ
Posts: 244
| Fort Campbell, huh? 3/187 in the 60's How's your schedule, can you take her for long walk before going, burn that energy up. Lock or snap the crate shut (if its big enough for a day stay), low key arrival's and departures, firm but calm. Find a toy that's safe and hard to destroy that will keep her occupied while you leave and till she gets nappy, If you can calm the process, wear her out a little she might whine a few minutes and then take a nap. Also the home coming should be low key, not excited, just let her out go through the sniff ritual, a few pets and go on about normal routine. This should calm her down in a few days, good luck |
06-10-2014, 06:57 AM | #4 |
Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator | Hi - so sorry no one has responded to this yet...sometimes posts get away from us. And sometimes it's bc people just might not know how to help out. Your poor girl! Did she ever lose anyone in her life, another person she was really attached to or something? I wonder why her anxiety is so bad...it could be the multiple moves like you mentioned. Regardless of the cause, we need solutions! A few things....you might want to look into buying her a Thundershirt...it truly could help her, it's helped many dogs here; it doesn't work for all, but for those for whom it does work, it's quite amazing. You might try getting a DAP (Dog Appeasing Pheromone) Plug In - it releases a pheromone into the air that dogs are attuned to - they also make DAP collars. And lastly, I really wouldn't hesitate in trying a medication like valium or Prozac (or both) for this little kiddo. The meds don't have to be permanent, so don't worry about that right now -- what they *can* do is help her learn / re-learn what it feels like to be calmer...it may give her the space and calmness so that some real learning can occur and solidify. Even if she is tired at first with Valium, this truly wears off almost all the time in animals - and then they just get the calming effect. I had a cat who had to be on Valium and he wasn't a zombie at all. So hang in there, and don't be nervous to get some meds - they're their for good reasons and can sometimes work miracles! Please keep us posted on how she's doing .
__________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann | Pfeiffer | Marcel Verdel Purcell | Wylie | Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° |
06-10-2014, 07:15 AM | #5 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Clarksville, TN
Posts: 19
| Thanks, y'all. I forgot to mention that I don't crate Roxie anymore, I don't even own one. She got the the point where she wouldn't go in it anymore so I just got rid of it during one of our moves. She's never lost someone important and usually she is fine in a new place as long as I'm with her, she just has a hard time when I leave her and the place is different. I know it will pass, but like I said I'm not sure how long it will take. I think I will look in the the thunder shirt and then maybe after that try a prescription. I just got home for my couch delivery. I've been gone 2 hours and as soon as I walked up to the door and she heard me she was at the door scratching and crying. She jumps on me and whines as if trying to tell me she's had the worst day ever. I don't understand because I got her as a puppy, so it's not like she's ever been abandoned. She's never been alone for more than 6-7 hours. She does have a favorite toy, but nothing distracts her when I'm trying to leave. I could put a block of cheese on the floor and she would still be trying to climb my leg. |
06-10-2014, 07:32 AM | #6 | |
Furbutts = LOVE Donating Member Moderator | Quote:
Oh another thing....Melatonin is sometimes given for mild anxiety and might be worth a try for you. My Wylie has to take it for other reasons and it doesn't make him one iota tired. He takes the 3mg twice a day, but for your girl I'd almost think time-release may be a better option. Melatonin would be milder than a prescription since it's natural, and it's what our brain makes to relax us and prepare us for sleep. You can get it at Target or Walgreens or wherever.
__________________ ~ A friend told me I was delusional. I nearly fell off my unicorn. ~ °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° Ann | Pfeiffer | Marcel Verdel Purcell | Wylie | Artie °¨¨¨°ºOº°¨¨¨° | |
06-10-2014, 07:41 AM | #7 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Clarksville, TN
Posts: 19
| As soon as this couch gets here, Rox and I are taking a trip out for a thundershirt. I have liquid melatonin that I could try to give her, but I think I'm going to try the shirt first. I will post updates. Rox is napping peacefully on my bed right now since I am home. The second I get up, I'm sure she will jump up and start losing it again. We'll be purchasing this shirt ASAP. |
06-11-2014, 06:02 AM | #8 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Clarksville, TN
Posts: 19
| UPDATE - Yesterday after the couch arrived, I was able to slip out because it had started raining. I gave Roxie a dentastick on the way out, so that probably helped. When I came home, she was crying and carrying on like I had been gone forever. She didn't eat breakfast yesterday, but was eating grass when I took her out. She seriously makes herself sick with worry. I took Rox to Petco after work and they didn't have the thunder shirt. They had a Kong version, but I hadn't heard anything about it and decided to hold out for the real thing. There wasn't anyone on the floor that could answer questions about calming stuff, so I went to Petsmart (they're right across the street from each other). Petsmart had the thunder shirt, so I picked one up. There was a staff member on the floor who seemed super helpful, but she was working with a couple who had just adopted a shelter dog and had no idea what to get to start out and there was another couple waiting to talk to her. I only found one other person on the floor and it was a girl cleaning the fish tanks who could only tell me what stuff they offered (collar, diffuser, treats) and that the thunder shirt has "mixed reviews." I decided just to buy the darn thing because it has a 60 day guarantee or something, so I can always take it back. I put it on Roxie last night for her to try it out while we were at the house. I am not sure if it made a difference because she's typically pretty calm as long as she's right next to me. This morning after I took Roxie out I put it back on her while I was getting ready for work. She sat on my bed and glared at me the whole time I was getting ready, very suspiciously. When we went downstairs for breakfast, she didn't eat again and sat in the living room, halfway between the front door and kitchen and periodically growled at me. As soon as I started picking up my bags, she was on my heels again. I needed to give her her desoquin for the day anyway, so I had her sit and gave it to her as I slipped out the door. I don't know if the shirt has made a difference, but I can usually get out of the house once a day if I give her a treat. It usually doesn't work the second time around, so we will see how she reacts at my lunch break. I may have to try the melatonin at least for a few days/weeks until she goes back to bed after I leave for work on her own (she did at the old house). I definitely am not keeping the thunder shirt if it doesn't help since I found out about the guarantee/return policy. Wouldn't mind having the $40 back, although I'm okay with not if it helps her. |
06-11-2014, 07:19 AM | #9 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Texas
Posts: 664
| I feel so sorry for you baby....I, too, have a failed rescue with the same problem. I have 2 other yorkies in the house, so just to ease your mind, having other babies does not always help. My little guy had severe separation anxiety, very similar to your little ones. He would scratch and bite at the door constantly. He also would jump the gates. I hated to "drug" him until I talked to a animal behaviorist. She is a vet that also specializes is animal behaviors. She asked me if I thought he was happier behaving and feeling this anxious when I had to leave him. She explained that the medication would not change his behavior or turn him into a zombie, it would simply calm him down and cause him to have a better sense of "well being" while I was gone. The medication has to be given daily, closely monitored to achieve the correct dose, and takes about 3 weeks to see the full effect. It is not a miracle drug, but I have seen a difference in his anxiety level. He does seem calmer. Would he still rather be with me and have me stay home - yes, absolutely...but, I don't think he thinks the world will end anymore when I leave him. He seems more at ease when I do. He is still anxious, but 50 - 75% less so. Storms still upset him, but we can handle that. I understand your hesitation, but can tell you that under proper care and supervision, helping your baby with properly dosed medication, it can be a much better alternative for your baby than to be left anxious, scared and alone all day by herself. Good luck! |
06-11-2014, 07:22 AM | #10 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Clarksville, TN
Posts: 19
| What do you have you pup on? |
06-11-2014, 07:48 AM | #11 |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Texas
Posts: 664
| He is on Fluoxetine (Prozac) and Trazadone....but we tried several different meds before we got to this combo. We also tried several different doses. We always started out very low dosing and worked our way up. I never started a new med without staying home with him that day to see how he reacted to it. It really just depends on your pup and her size & how she reacts to the meds. It took us a while to find the right dose & combo that works. I think our vet is going to phase out the Trazadone in the next couple of months. We had a very, very severe case of separation anxiety, but I couldn't stand to see him that way. He is much, much better. I don't believe in over vaccinating or over medicating any dog, so I was very hesitant to start this. I can not tell you how happy I am now that I did! I also leave music on while gone - believe it or not, it seems to help. Last edited by Lolasmom1211; 06-11-2014 at 07:51 AM. |
06-11-2014, 05:16 PM | #12 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Clarksville, TN
Posts: 19
| Update - I went home for lunch and to take Rox out. As usual, as soon as I walked in the door she started berating me for being gone. I was very calm and tried not to respond to her to get her all excited, but she continued to cry and jump on my leg. I took her outside and finally got her to go potty, but she returned to crying and jumping on me. We came back inside and she sat on the couch with me for a little bit while I ate, and then I tried to leave. If you're curious how that turned out, check out the attached picture. That's Roxie riding in the passenger seat to my office. In her thunder shirt. Which does not work for her apparently. I tried to get her to stay again with a small treat but she quickly snatched it out of my hand and beat me out the door (I swear I'm not the world's slowest mover, she has super speed when she's stressed). Again she didn't eat breakfast. Once we got to the office she would run up to my coworkers and then dash back to me before they could reach out their hands to her. She continued to jump on my until I let her sit in my lap. Once we got home, I went to the bathroom and she cried outside the door even though she had just spent the last 4 hours with me. I really think I am going to call the vet tomorrow (after returning the thunder shirt.... darn). I also noticed that while I was gone in the morning she had pulled my jacket down off the door knob; I can see where it was slept on. Poor baby... |
06-11-2014, 06:28 PM | #13 |
Senior Yorkie Talker Join Date: Apr 2014 Location: Tucson,AZ
Posts: 244
| Please try getting in a calm state, your feeding her anxiety. Take her for a 30 minute walk before leaving, stay calm, do not react to her begging, whining or what ever. Same goes for coming home. We, "People" love being greeted by an excited dog and play excited, this is actually confusing/stressful for the dog. Have you ever seen two dogs that know each other greet on meeting. If you can calm it down, you should see a difference every day. Dogs can sense our moods and feelings and react accordingly and that is not always the reaction we want. Exercise, especially walks will be your best medicine and also for you as you will see the dog calm, your frustration will lesson. Guess what, as your frustration lessens, your pup will calm also. Watch people that have well adjusted dogs, you'll see most of are very easy going with their dog and yet the dog minds perfectly, is socialized, super friendly and unafraid. I've seen wrecked dogs come from the Dog Pound, turn into Champs. My Mom was great at bringing dogs back (except she fed them table scraps, lol). It just take a gentle but firm hand, you need to work the dog, a dog without guidance is a confused, frustrated unhappy dog and can act out in many undesirable ways |
06-11-2014, 06:44 PM | #14 |
Yorkie Talker Join Date: Jun 2014 Location: Clarksville, TN
Posts: 19
| Thanks for the advice! Roxie gets lots of walks. She is very active. Honestly, I don't walk her far in the morning because I am NOT a morning person and I have to be at work at 8 am. I do try to stay very calm around her, especially when I'm leaving. I try to move slowly, but deliberately and quietly. She usually knows it's coming and is hypersensitive to any of my movements. She usually begins to freak out whenever I put my shoes on. When I come home, I don't act very excited. I usually just open the door and let her go out and tell her to go potty (she's usually freaking out and I'm just telling her not to jump). I put all my stuff down and come in the house and sit down and then I will let her on my lap, but I don't make a big fuss about it. |
06-11-2014, 06:52 PM | #15 | |
Donating YT 500 Club Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Texas
Posts: 664
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